Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with giftcard

What to do with a Wal-mart gift card?

nbergus — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:40:49 -0800

My daughter, for her fourth birthday, was given a $10 Wal-mart gift card by a girl with whom she goes to daycare. We have not shopped at Wal-mart for more than a decade and would like to keep it that way, and my daughter doesn't seem to care about spending the money. But I really don't want Wal-mart to end up with what would essentially be a $10 if the card isn't used. What should we do?

Print-on-demand presents?

cuddles.mcsnuggy — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:27:43 -0800

Is there such a thing as an online vendor from whom I can purchase print-on-demand gift certificates as a wedding gift that I can put in today's mail? So I have some friends who were married several weeks ago and I couldn't go to the wedding. Mainly out of forgetfulness (with a touch of lazy), I have not yet procured a gift. They've said they don't really want gifts but I still wanted to send a token of some sort. The couple is in their late 40s who already have an established home and children and don't need appliances or other things to get their household started. They live in another town so I'd like to mail them a modest gift card or certificate -- something fun or sweet and appropriate for a newly married couple, that they can use online or at some kind of specialty retailer.

I've had the wedding card here waiting to be sent for some time, so if there's a way I can print off a gift cert. today that would be ideal -- instead of ordering something and waiting for it to come to me before I can send it. I'm not interested in generic retailers like Amazon, Target, William Sonoma, etc. Also not interested in "(Edible thing) of the Month" arrangements. I'm thinking more along the lines of a certificate for something like wines, desserts, interesting/odd household items, or other newlyweddish stuff. Anyone have ideas?

What to get...

jourman2 — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:24:36 -0800

$75 dollars to spend at best buy, what to do? I recently received a $75 gift card to best buy and am at a loss over what to get. Anything big is out of the price range (I'd be willing to kick in ~$25) and I've seen/watched most of the movie/tv stuff that I want to either via bittorrent or otherwise.

I have an iphone (and an ipod shuffle for working out) and a laptop - those are really the only gadgets I use. So what I'm looking for is an iphone accessory/small gadget/anything else cool I can get at bb. In the alternative, if you have some great obscure dvd I can get I'd be interested in that (i like pretty much everything from entourage, the office, dexter, the wire, planet earth, and the this american life tv show).

Thanks all

Where can I get an anonymous pre-paid Credit Card in the UK?

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:43:04 -0800

Where in the UK can I get a pre-paid Credit Card or Mastercard/Visa-based Gift Card? I need to be able to use it online and I'd like to purchase it anonymously.

iTunes giftcard

Corduroy — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:53:56 -0800

I'm using Itunes v 4.0.1 on on Mac OS X v 10.3.9. The gift card I picked up last week in Starbucks doesn't seem to be working. I type in the code, and it says "Your session has timed out. Please try this operation again from the beginning." Is there any way to get by this? I've tried several times through out the day.

Gift card and Chapter 7

harmfulray — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:08:23 -0800

I have a nontrivial balance on a gift card for a local retailer that has gone out of business and is filing Chapter 7. What are my options? I received a gift card for several hundred dollars to a local bike shop a few months ago and have been slowly using it -- too slowly as it turns out. Over the last few weeks I stopped by a few times trying to make a purchase but the shop was closed even though it was during normal business hours. I didn't think much about it because all the inventory was still there and I assumed it was probably a personal situation or something.

I finally tried calling and found that their phone was disconnected, and then I found their web site dead too. Through Google and archive.org I was able to find the owners' names and email addresses. I sent a polite inquiry about how to liquidate my balance and received no reply. After further research I found one owner's phone number and spoke to her this afternoon. She told me that they were going through Chapter 7 (it wasn't clear to me if they've filed yet) and that she had forwarded my email to their attorney.

I got their attorney's contact information and am waiting for him to return my call, but I would like to know what my prospects are for recovering the balance and if anyone can recommend a strategy to improve them.

This is in Sonoma County, California. Thanks!

How to turn a gift card into cash?

clcapps — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 10:52:56 -0800

Is there a way to turn a VISA gift card into cash? I got a $100 visa gift card as an early christmas present, but I really need cash - the only thing I can see myself spending money on in the near future is going to the bar with my friends, and the one we frequent is cash-only.

Are there places where you can buy something with a card and return it for cash?
I thought about buying videogames and selling them back to gamestop, but that would be crazy expensive.

Any other ideas?

Need gift card for Japanese friends

Joleta — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 06:11:52 -0800

What kind of gift card/gift certificate should I get for acquaintances in Japan? Every year for 15 years or more I've exchanged Christmas gifts with a Japanese family I met only once years ago. I live in the U.S. and they live in Japan. We exchange interesting local food items and I usually send things for their kids. For years, I sent a new U.S. kids' movie on VHS (which would play in both countries), but you just can't buy new movies on VHS anymore. According to Japanese custom, this gift-giving thing appears to be self-perpetuating and never ending, but last year we finally agreed not to exchange gifts, because of the high postage costs. So I didn't send anything but I got a Christmas package from them anyway and hurriedly put together a present for them and sent it off (very late!). This year I was just not going to send anything and hold firm no matter what, in the hopes they'd stop next year (or eventually). But then I thought that maybe I could send them a gift card/certificate so they could get something the kids really need, and not have to pay more in postage than the gift is worth. I figured I could send them an Amazon.co.jp gift certificate through Amazon.com, but that isn't possible. I'd have to navigate the Japanese-language amazon.co.jp site and hope that it will accept my U.S. credit card. Also, I'd like to physically receive a gift card to enclose in a Christmas card that I will send, if possible. So... where can I buy a Japanese gift card/certificate for an online or B&M store that would have interesting things for either kids ages 5-15 or the whole family (food, household stuff, clothing, books, music, etc.). I'm thinking around $50 or the equivalent round number in yen. The family lives in Yamagata.

Cash for gift cards

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Oct 2005 23:04:58 -0800

A friend gave me a Target gift card. I don't want anything from Target. How can I get cash for the card?

Swapping a Gift Card

Mo Nickels — Sun, 26 Dec 2004 07:19:49 -0800

I received a $50 gift card from my parents for Christmas. From Sears. I think the intention was that I would buy underwear and socks. I'd like to swap it for one from a book store, but all the gift card swapping sites seem suspicious or they take too big of a fee. Recommendations?