Imagine getting 10% off your purchase before you even start shopping. That's the gift card play. It's legal. It's easy. Almost nobody does it.
I'm about to tell you something that sounds too good to be true, but I promise it's neither too good nor untrue. You can buy gift cards for less than their face value. Then use them to buy things. At full value.
I know. I KNOW. It sounds like one of those "one weird trick" ads that are usually selling snake oil. But this is real, it's been around forever, and most people have absolutely no idea.
People receive gift cards they don't want. Companies overstock promotional gift cards. Warehouse clubs sell them as loss leaders to get you in the door. Whatever the reason, the result is the same: you can routinely get gift cards at 5-15% below face value.
That means a hypothetical $500 shopping trip costs $425-475. Before any other discounts. Before cashback. Before credit card rewards. This is the pregame to the game.
Let's walk through a hypothetical, with round numbers.
Act 1: Say you buy a $200 gift card for $180. Saved $20.
Act 2: You go through a cashback portal to the retailer's site. Portal pays 4%. That's $8.
Act 3: You pay for the gift card with your 5x credit card during a bonus quarter. That's $9 in points.
Act 4: The item happens to be 15% off at the store. You pay $170 with your $200 gift card and still have $30 left.
Total value of a $200 item: you spent $180 on the gift card, earned $17 back in cashback and points, and paid $170 for the item with $30 remaining on the card. You basically got a 25%+ return. On a normal Tuesday. While sitting on your couch.
If this doesn't excite you, check your pulse.
DO buy from reputable sources. Warehouse clubs, established gift card platforms, direct retailer promotions.
DON'T buy from random people on social media. I cannot stress this enough. That "$500 gift card for $200" on Facebook Marketplace has the same energy as "totally not a scam" written in Comic Sans.
DO use the gift cards promptly. Don't sit on $2,000 in gift card balance. Companies can go out of business. Balances can get flagged. Buy it, use it, enjoy the savings.
DON'T bother for purchases under $25. The mental energy isn't worth saving $1.50. Save the gift card play for your planned big purchases.
Honestly? Because it requires one extra step. That's it. One extra step between you and a guaranteed 5-15% discount on everything. Some people would rather pay full price than spend 5 minutes on a gift card purchase.
Those people are subsidizing our discounts. And we thank them for their service.
More from the staff, same rigor, different products.