What to do with Amazon gift cards?

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fortfun
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What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by fortfun »

We are probably sitting on $750 worth of Amazon gift cards. We are not big shoppers and it seems like a lot of the regular household "staples" are pretty overpriced on Amazon (i.e. cleaning supplies, etc). What's the best way to try to use these up? We are not big shoppers and I don't want to buy a bunch of stuff that is marked up 5x just to use them up. Is there some consumable(s) that would eat up this money?

Possibly:
Light bulbs
Batteries
Oil filters
Air filters

We don't really shop at Whole Foods either. Seems overpriced but maybe there is some bargain there that we should look at???

I'm a little leery of selling them at GameFlip, Ebay, Craigslist. Some of them are already deposited in my account anyway.
amitb00
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by amitb00 »

They are good gifts. So on different occasions like birthdays, Christmas you can give them away as gifts.
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fortfun
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by fortfun »

amitb00 wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:17 pm They are good gifts. So on different occasions like birthdays, Christmas you can give them away as gifts.
True. Thanks.
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whodidntante
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by whodidntante »

You can regift the ones you have not redeemed.

As far as prices, Amazon is seldom the cheapest place to buy anything in my experience. Some good deals come up, though. You can find them by checking slickdeals.net from time to time.

Do you watch movies, listen to music, or read? Amazon offers streaming and digital media.

Another way to liquidate Amazon credit is to use a buyer's club. The idea is buy something for the club, and have it shipped directly to them. Then you get cash. Sometimes you can get more money than you paid, but 100% payouts are easier to find. You can also use rebate sites and you also keep the item. Obviously, vet these service before use.
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JoMoney
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by JoMoney »

I recently had to get rid of a bunch of Amazon gift cards myself, not nearly as much as you, but... I wound up redeeming them for gift-cards at other places I frequent (mostly some fast food places). Amazon has a big selection of other gift cards you can "buy" with your gift cards, perhaps you can find someplace you will spend it.

Unfortunately, no Target, Walmart, or Barnes and Noble cards though :annoyed ...but I suppose that was expected
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by nedsaid »

JoMoney wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:22 pm I recently had to get rid of a bunch of Amazon gift cards myself, not nearly as much as you, but... I wound up redeeming them for gift-cards at other places I frequent (mostly some fast food places). Amazon has a big selection of other gift cards you can "buy" with your gift cards, perhaps you can find someplace you will spend it.

Unfortunately, no Target, Walmart, or Barnes and Noble cards though :annoyed ...but I suppose that was expected
I was going to redeem a $100 Bed, Bath, and Beyond Gift Certificate at my local store only to find that it had closed. The certificate was from the 2019 Christmas and was about a year old. Fortunately, I found another store with a Google search about 45 minutes away and was able to spend my gift card. My fear was that the chain had gone out of business entirely.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by Armani »

If you don’t need ‘em, I’ll take ‘em. Textbooks are expensive.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by hi_there »

Do you need to buy any more expensive items - say like a TV or something - in the future? Expensive things are priced more competitively and Amazon prices will be similar to those outside.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by core4portfolio »

easy ways to redeem amazon gift cards in amazon for below list of retailers

1. chipotle gift card
2. tacobell
3. whole foods
4.olive garden
5. dominos
6. papajohns
7. DQ Chill gift card
8. door dash gift cards
9. uber gift card use it in ubereats
10. starbucks gift card
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by mkc »

If they are unredeemed, perhaps donate a few to local charities that have a wish list? Human shelter, animal rescue, etc. Most always have an Amazon wish list for needs.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by runner3081 »

I use them on Safeway and AirBnb gift cards.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by mhc »

I recently compared Amazon subscribe and save prices to Walmart, and Amazon was on par with Walmart. We use Amazon to deliver items monthly that we need (toilet paper, dog food, paper towels, coffee, ...).
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by Wanderingwheelz »

Go to Amazon Warehouse Deals and find things you can sell on eBay for a profit. Turn your $750 into $1500.
Being wrong compounds forever.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by 02nz »

JoMoney wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:22 pm I recently had to get rid of a bunch of Amazon gift cards myself, not nearly as much as you, but... I wound up redeeming them for gift-cards at other places I frequent (mostly some fast food places). Amazon has a big selection of other gift cards you can "buy" with your gift cards, perhaps you can find someplace you will spend it.

Unfortunately, no Target, Walmart, or Barnes and Noble cards though :annoyed ...but I suppose that was expected
+1 to this suggestion. I've gotten Lowe's and Best Buy gift cards from Amazon. There are of course many other brands available.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by Helo80 »

fortfun wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:06 pm I'm a little leery of selling them at GameFlip, Ebay, Craigslist. Some of them are already deposited in my account anyway.

Agreed --- i would not mess with selling them this way unless you meet somebody in person and they give cash in hand. (Or, pay you in a method that they cannot claw the money back).

Amazon tends to be competitive to very competitive on some big ticket items. A home upgrade or two (or three) could eat up that $750.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by BuddyJet »

core4portfolio wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:38 pm easy ways to redeem amazon gift cards in amazon for below list of retailers

1. chipotle gift card
2. tacobell
3. whole foods
4.olive garden
5. dominos
6. papajohns
7. DQ Chill gift card
8. door dash gift cards
9. uber gift card use it in ubereats
10. starbucks gift card
11.kohls
The Amazon rules say that they don't allow your credit balance to be used for many gift cards.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer ... =201936990
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fortfun
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by fortfun »

BuddyJet wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:38 pm
core4portfolio wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:38 pm easy ways to redeem amazon gift cards in amazon for below list of retailers

1. chipotle gift card
2. tacobell
3. whole foods
4.olive garden
5. dominos
6. papajohns
7. DQ Chill gift card
8. door dash gift cards
9. uber gift card use it in ubereats
10. starbucks gift card
11.kohls
The Amazon rules say that they don't allow your credit balance to be used for many gift cards.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer ... =201936990
Thanks Buddy. Interesting. Maybe we can get the kids some clothes at Kohls.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by fortfun »

02nz wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:00 pm
JoMoney wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:22 pm I recently had to get rid of a bunch of Amazon gift cards myself, not nearly as much as you, but... I wound up redeeming them for gift-cards at other places I frequent (mostly some fast food places). Amazon has a big selection of other gift cards you can "buy" with your gift cards, perhaps you can find someplace you will spend it.

Unfortunately, no Target, Walmart, or Barnes and Noble cards though :annoyed ...but I suppose that was expected
+1 to this suggestion. I've gotten Lowe's and Best Buy gift cards from Amazon. There are of course many other brands available.
I could see use them at Lowes this spring! Thanks.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by fortfun »

Wanderingwheelz wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:53 pm Go to Amazon Warehouse Deals and find things you can sell on eBay for a profit. Turn your $750 into $1500.
Interesting...
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by fortfun »

mhc wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:48 pm I recently compared Amazon subscribe and save prices to Walmart, and Amazon was on par with Walmart. We use Amazon to deliver items monthly that we need (toilet paper, dog food, paper towels, coffee, ...).
Good ideas. Thanks!
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by fortfun »

whodidntante wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:20 pm You can regift the ones you have not redeemed.

As far as prices, Amazon is seldom the cheapest place to buy anything in my experience. Some good deals come up, though. You can find them by checking slickdeals.net from time to time.

Do you watch movies, listen to music, or read? Amazon offers streaming and digital media.

Another way to liquidate Amazon credit is to use a buyer's club. The idea is buy something for the club, and have it shipped directly to them. Then you get cash. Sometimes you can get more money than you paid, but 100% payouts are easier to find. You can also use rebate sites and you also keep the item. Obviously, vet these service before use.
Interesting. I've never heard of that before...
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by fortfun »

mkc wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:43 pm If they are unredeemed, perhaps donate a few to local charities that have a wish list? Human shelter, animal rescue, etc. Most always have an Amazon wish list for needs.
Good idea. Thanks!
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by bling »

fortfun wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:06 pm We are probably sitting on $750 worth of Amazon gift cards. We are not big shoppers and it seems like a lot of the regular household "staples" are pretty overpriced on Amazon (i.e. cleaning supplies, etc). What's the best way to try to use these up? We are not big shoppers and I don't want to buy a bunch of stuff that is marked up 5x just to use them up. Is there some consumable(s) that would eat up this money?

Possibly:
Light bulbs
Batteries
Oil filters
Air filters

We don't really shop at Whole Foods either. Seems overpriced but maybe there is some bargain there that we should look at???

I'm a little leery of selling them at GameFlip, Ebay, Craigslist. Some of them are already deposited in my account anyway.
5x is overly exaggerated. subscribe & save household items are competitive. it might be 5-10% more expensive but it's delivered right to your door.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by Katietsu »

fortfun wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:06 pm We are not big shoppers and it seems like a lot of the regular household "staples" are pretty overpriced on Amazon (i.e. cleaning supplies, etc).
How wide of a selection of items did you look at? Our grocery stores are back to having intermittent supply problems with cleaning supplies, paper towels, lysol wipes, alcohol wipes, etc. I would expect items which are in greater demand thanks to Covid to have temporarily higher prices. Just checked personal care items like shampoo & conditioner and the prices looked the same as at Target.

I find Amazon to offer good value for tech accessories like charging cables, power banks, cell phone cases.

I received a nice pair of PJs for Christmas from Amazon. Have bought shoes, socks, T shirts from Amazon.

Took advantage of the TurboTax deal that I read about here.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by z91 »

Netflix gift cards. Yes, you can buy them using amazon GCs, I've done it plenty of times.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by retire57 »

Call and see what supplies your local animal shelter needs. Great way to donate!
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by Lee_WSP »

Shoes, clothes, and children/baby items/toys are the things I regularly purchase from Amazon.
02nz
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by 02nz »

fortfun wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:57 pm
BuddyJet wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:38 pm
core4portfolio wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:38 pm easy ways to redeem amazon gift cards in amazon for below list of retailers

1. chipotle gift card
2. tacobell
3. whole foods
4.olive garden
5. dominos
6. papajohns
7. DQ Chill gift card
8. door dash gift cards
9. uber gift card use it in ubereats
10. starbucks gift card
11.kohls
The Amazon rules say that they don't allow your credit balance to be used for many gift cards.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer ... =201936990
Thanks Buddy. Interesting. Maybe we can get the kids some clothes at Kohls.
The rules exclude "certain gift cards." My experience is that the only gift cards you cannot purchase with Amazon gift cards are Visa/Master Card prepaid gift cards, as well as Amazon gift cards. Everything else goes.
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JoMoney
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by JoMoney »

fortfun wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:58 pm
02nz wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:00 pm
JoMoney wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:22 pm I recently had to get rid of a bunch of Amazon gift cards myself, not nearly as much as you, but... I wound up redeeming them for gift-cards at other places I frequent (mostly some fast food places). Amazon has a big selection of other gift cards you can "buy" with your gift cards, perhaps you can find someplace you will spend it.

Unfortunately, no Target, Walmart, or Barnes and Noble cards though :annoyed ...but I suppose that was expected
+1 to this suggestion. I've gotten Lowe's and Best Buy gift cards from Amazon. There are of course many other brands available.
I could see use them at Lowes this spring! Thanks.
Hah! Somewhat ironic for me, because the Amazon gift card I redeemed was bought at Lowes.
Through my Chase credit card, they offered a limited time 10% rebate (up to $15) for any 1 purchase at Lowes, so I bought a $150 Amazon gift card at Lowe's...
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02nz
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by 02nz »

JoMoney wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 5:54 pm
fortfun wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:58 pm
02nz wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:00 pm
JoMoney wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:22 pm I recently had to get rid of a bunch of Amazon gift cards myself, not nearly as much as you, but... I wound up redeeming them for gift-cards at other places I frequent (mostly some fast food places). Amazon has a big selection of other gift cards you can "buy" with your gift cards, perhaps you can find someplace you will spend it.

Unfortunately, no Target, Walmart, or Barnes and Noble cards though :annoyed ...but I suppose that was expected
+1 to this suggestion. I've gotten Lowe's and Best Buy gift cards from Amazon. There are of course many other brands available.
I could see use them at Lowes this spring! Thanks.
Hah! Somewhat ironic for me, because the Amazon gift card I redeemed was bought at Lowes.
Through my Chase credit card, they offered a limited time 10% rebate (up to $15) for any 1 purchase at Lowes, so I bought a $150 Amazon gift card at Lowe's...
I have bought a few thousand $ in Lowe's gift cards at Amazon ... using Amazon gift cards bought at Lowe's!

I often get 10% offers on my Amex and Chase cards for Lowe's. (Keep your eyes out for similar offers on Chase cards, I seem to get targeted for more Lowe's offers even after using them.) So I buy Amazon gift cards there, then when Amazon has one of their "use 1 Amex Membership Rewards point and get 20% off" promos I buy Lowe's gift cards. Comes out to an effective 28% discount.

Too bad you cannot use Lowe's gift cars to buy other gift cards. Otherwise I'd have the perpetual motion machine of discounts! :happy
Last edited by 02nz on Sun Jan 17, 2021 6:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Goal33
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by Goal33 »

Get an inflatable hot tub
TravelGeek
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by TravelGeek »

My Amazon account currently has a gift card balance of around $650 from gift cards I bought at office supply stores for 5X UR (so 7.5% discount with Chase PYB). Based on my shopping history over the years I am fairly sure that I will use it up over the next 3-4 months or so. I am not a big shopper either, but what I buy often comes from Amazon.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by tuningfork »

You can buy groceries at Amazon Fresh. Some items are Whole Foods prices, some are competitive with local grocery stores.
Bogle-007
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by Bogle-007 »

whodidntante wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:20 pm You can regift the ones you have not redeemed.

As far as prices, Amazon is seldom the cheapest place to buy anything in my experience. Some good deals come up, though. You can find them by checking slickdeals.net from time to time.

Do you watch movies, listen to music, or read? Amazon offers streaming and digital media.

Another way to liquidate Amazon credit is to use a buyer's club. The idea is buy something for the club, and have it shipped directly to them. Then you get cash. Sometimes you can get more money than you paid, but 100% payouts are easier to find. You can also use rebate sites and you also keep the item. Obviously, vet these service before use.
What is a "buyers club?"
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whodidntante
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by whodidntante »

NewbieBogle007 wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 9:29 pm
whodidntante wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:20 pm You can regift the ones you have not redeemed.

As far as prices, Amazon is seldom the cheapest place to buy anything in my experience. Some good deals come up, though. You can find them by checking slickdeals.net from time to time.

Do you watch movies, listen to music, or read? Amazon offers streaming and digital media.

Another way to liquidate Amazon credit is to use a buyer's club. The idea is buy something for the club, and have it shipped directly to them. Then you get cash. Sometimes you can get more money than you paid, but 100% payouts are easier to find. You can also use rebate sites and you also keep the item. Obviously, vet these service before use.
What is a "buyers club?"
I explained what a buyer's club is in the post you quoted. :confused It's not more complicated than what I wrote, definition wise.

If you want to know which clubs are reputable, or if you have specific questions, you can find discussions on it in manufactured spending circles. I have seen it discussed on flyertalk, in a Facebook group, and probably some other places. You may see a few variations on the term, like buyer's group. Or they just talk about a specific buyer's club. You will be able to pick up on what they are talking about with some effort.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by purpleKatz »

When birthdays come up, I look to see if the birthday person has an Amazon wishlist. Easy selection, easy delivery. Especially excellent for Christmas.
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by core4portfolio »

BuddyJet wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:38 pm
core4portfolio wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:38 pm easy ways to redeem amazon gift cards in amazon for below list of retailers

1. chipotle gift card
2. tacobell
3. whole foods
4.olive garden
5. dominos
6. papajohns
7. DQ Chill gift card
8. door dash gift cards
9. uber gift card use it in ubereats
10. starbucks gift card
11.kohls
The Amazon rules say that they don't allow your credit balance to be used for many gift cards.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer ... =201936990
Whatever I have listed is what I bought one day or other day using my Amazon GC and so they are certainly possible
unless something changed very recently in 2021
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Wanderingwheelz
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by Wanderingwheelz »

fortfun wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:59 pm
Wanderingwheelz wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:53 pm Go to Amazon Warehouse Deals and find things you can sell on eBay for a profit. Turn your $750 into $1500.
Interesting...
If you do it focus on items that you’re very familiar with the value of. Also, the easier to ship the better. Anyone can make $1000 in a year without even trying.
Being wrong compounds forever.
zhuyz05
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by zhuyz05 »

core4portfolio wrote: Mon Jan 18, 2021 2:20 am
BuddyJet wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:38 pm
core4portfolio wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:38 pm easy ways to redeem amazon gift cards in amazon for below list of retailers

1. chipotle gift card
2. tacobell
3. whole foods
4.olive garden
5. dominos
6. papajohns
7. DQ Chill gift card
8. door dash gift cards
9. uber gift card use it in ubereats
10. starbucks gift card
11.kohls
The Amazon rules say that they don't allow your credit balance to be used for many gift cards.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer ... =201936990
Whatever I have listed is what I bought one day or other day using my Amazon GC and so they are certainly possible
unless something changed very recently in 2021
I tried to buy apple egift card -- order got cancelled instantly :oops:
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by LittleMaggieMae »

fortfun wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:06 pm We are probably sitting on $750 worth of Amazon gift cards. We are not big shoppers and it seems like a lot of the regular household "staples" are pretty overpriced on Amazon (i.e. cleaning supplies, etc). What's the best way to try to use these up? We are not big shoppers and I don't want to buy a bunch of stuff that is marked up 5x just to use them up. Is there some consumable(s) that would eat up this money?
What about toys for your pet(s)? or a new collar or leash?

Any sort of add on thing for your Cell phone:
a new case or cables or additional chargers (the thing that goes in the cigaretter lighter spot in your older car) or a cell phone holder for your car (the kind that uses your CD player slot in your car if you have an older vehicle).

Maybe LONGER charging cables for your phone(s). I have a friend who wouldn't spend the $10 to get some additional charger plugs and an assortment of longer cables so she wasn't tied to a single outlet and a 3 foot long cord and so could only charge the phone in one room and she couldn't really use the phone while it was charging.

Maybe an easel style "holder" for your cell phone - so you don't have to lay it flat. I have a holder on my desk, on the end table in the living room and on my nightstand. I also have chargers/cords in those 3 locations. I don't have to pick up my phone to see who is calling me. I don't have to stop typing, reach over from the couch, or get up in bed to see who's calling me. :)

How about some new earbuds or a wireless headset to go with your phone?

How about a wireless speaker to go with your phone (or laptop or pc)?

How about a portable charger for your phone? It could be part of your at home "Emergency kit" or something to use when you are away from home for the day and your phone battery doesn't hold enough charge to get you thru 12 or 18 or 24 hours.

How about some useful velcro ties - so you can finally tame the spaghetti mess of cables you have? OR tame the cords/cables on some of the appliances you use...

Is there some small cooking gadget or tool you would like or need to replace?

Do you use Amazon Prime? Can you use gift card money to pay for a show you'd like to watch (that's not free)? Sure it feels like a "waste" - but someone GAVE you money to do or get something that would bring you joy... if you want to watch a show (it might bring you joy) and it has a cost and someone gave you money to do so - do it.

OK, there's probably not $750 worth of spending there - probably less than $100.00 but maybe this will get you brain storming other types of things that would make some small improvements in your every day life that you could buy via Amazon that would be more convenient than going to a store to buy.
Last edited by LittleMaggieMae on Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
jayjayc
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by jayjayc »

fortfun wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:06 pm We don't really shop at Whole Foods either. Seems overpriced but maybe there is some bargain there that we should look at???
If you have Prime, give Whole Foods a try. Prime members get an additional 10% discount on top of their weekly sales. I've found these double-stacked discounts to be cheaper than regular grocery stores.
LittleMaggieMae
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by LittleMaggieMae »

If you have relatives that do not live near you - but who you would buy a gift for when they have a "milestone" life event - they MAY have an Amazon Wish list - or be registered with Amazon for their "milestone" event.
You could use your gift cards to purchase the gift from their Amazon list.

I bought baby shower gifts and wedding gifts thru Amazon using gift cards I had on hand. The gifts were delivered to my out of state relatives. It was easy peasy. I would pay attention on how to include the " this is a gift from X and here is their personal message to you" part of the transaction. It's not hard.


FWIW: I recently purchased gifts for my local "grand neice" and "grand nephew" thru Amazon. I had chosen the type of toy I wanted to buy (the new york times 10 best gifts for 1 year olds was very helpful!) but I couldn't find the toy I chose locally (ok, I could but they had a 3 week or more "delivery" time...and I needed it within 2 weeks). Amazon had the toy(s) for approximately the same prices as I would pay locally and they would be delivered to me within 5 days. I paid the couple dollar more price(s) for the convenience. I did get cute birthday cards at the Dollar Store for .50 cents each - rather than the $3.00 plus each cards at Walgreens or Target or Walmart (where I would have purchased the card if I had to go to a store to get the gift). :) So my expense was pretty much a wash. :) And I was able to give the present(s) in person.
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SmileyFace
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by SmileyFace »

jayjayc wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:39 am
fortfun wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:06 pm We don't really shop at Whole Foods either. Seems overpriced but maybe there is some bargain there that we should look at???
If you have Prime, give Whole Foods a try. Prime members get an additional 10% discount on top of their weekly sales. I've found these double-stacked discounts to be cheaper than regular grocery stores.
This thread is 2 years old - hopefully the gift cards have been used by now.
cjcerny
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by cjcerny »

Buy other gift cards (non-Amazon) with them from Amazon that you will use.
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uaeebs86
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by uaeebs86 »

Funny - I often use Visa/MC/Amex gift cards to reload my Amazon gift card balance with those small amounts that tend to go unused.
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wolf359
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by wolf359 »

fortfun wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:06 pm We are probably sitting on $750 worth of Amazon gift cards. We are not big shoppers and it seems like a lot of the regular household "staples" are pretty overpriced on Amazon (i.e. cleaning supplies, etc). What's the best way to try to use these up? We are not big shoppers and I don't want to buy a bunch of stuff that is marked up 5x just to use them up. Is there some consumable(s) that would eat up this money?

Possibly:
Light bulbs
Batteries
Oil filters
Air filters

We don't really shop at Whole Foods either. Seems overpriced but maybe there is some bargain there that we should look at???

I'm a little leery of selling them at GameFlip, Ebay, Craigslist. Some of them are already deposited in my account anyway.
The times that they have the best prices are generally on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or on Prime Days (made-up Amazon holiday that is sometimes twice a year.) You can also check their lightning deals or deals of the day. Items there are generally priced well.

Before I buy something from the store, I often check to see if it's available from Amazon for the same price or less. Then I can avoid a trip to the store.

Certain gadgets like a souse vide stick, food vacuum sealer, coffee, coffee machines, air fryers, instant pots, camping gear, outdoor movie projectors, or countertop gardens have Chinese knockoffs that are actually decent quality. I'll get those from Amazon as well. Pet supplies and toys are also good.

Amazon is expanding to include prescription drugs. When they expand their business, their prices are usually good for that item. Check out their pharmacy section.

Woot often has good prices. So does Amazon Warehouse Deals.

Another item to buy from them are items that are too heavy or bulky to get them yourself from the store. If you have prime or qualify for free shipping, you can order big bulky things to be delivered to your doorstep. We've had cases of water, weight sets, mattresses, and other items delivered this way. (Check to make sure the price is the same as the store first.)
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anon_investor
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by anon_investor »

wolf359 wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2023 2:04 pm
fortfun wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:06 pm We are probably sitting on $750 worth of Amazon gift cards. We are not big shoppers and it seems like a lot of the regular household "staples" are pretty overpriced on Amazon (i.e. cleaning supplies, etc). What's the best way to try to use these up? We are not big shoppers and I don't want to buy a bunch of stuff that is marked up 5x just to use them up. Is there some consumable(s) that would eat up this money?

Possibly:
Light bulbs
Batteries
Oil filters
Air filters

We don't really shop at Whole Foods either. Seems overpriced but maybe there is some bargain there that we should look at???

I'm a little leery of selling them at GameFlip, Ebay, Craigslist. Some of them are already deposited in my account anyway.
The times that they have the best prices are generally on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or on Prime Days (made-up Amazon holiday that is sometimes twice a year.) You can also check their lightning deals or deals of the day. Items there are generally priced well.

Before I buy something from the store, I often check to see if it's available from Amazon for the same price or less. Then I can avoid a trip to the store.

Certain gadgets like a souse vide stick, camping gear, outdoor movie projectors, or aerogarden have Chinese knockoffs that are actually decent quality. I'll get those from Amazon as well.

Amazon is expanding to include prescription drugs. When they expand their business, their prices are usually good for that item. Check out their pharmacy section.

Woot often has good prices. So does Amazon Warehouse Deals.

Another item to buy from them are items that are too heavy or bulky to get them yourself from the store. If you have prime or qualify for free shipping, you can order big bulky things to be delivered to your doorstep. We've had cases of water, weight sets, mattresses, and other items delivered this way. (Check to make sure the price is the same as the store first.)
I have found that some things randomly go on sale for a couple of days at Amazon. So for some things I want to buy but do not need right away, I will leave it in my Amazon cart and will buy it if it has a random price drop. Like yesterday, I had a book I wanted to get, but was in no rush, in my cart and randomly there was a $3 discount, making it cheaper than everywhere else, so I bought it.
wolf359
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by wolf359 »

whodidntante wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 10:23 pm
NewbieBogle007 wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 9:29 pm
whodidntante wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:20 pm You can regift the ones you have not redeemed.

As far as prices, Amazon is seldom the cheapest place to buy anything in my experience. Some good deals come up, though. You can find them by checking slickdeals.net from time to time.

Do you watch movies, listen to music, or read? Amazon offers streaming and digital media.

Another way to liquidate Amazon credit is to use a buyer's club. The idea is buy something for the club, and have it shipped directly to them. Then you get cash. Sometimes you can get more money than you paid, but 100% payouts are easier to find. You can also use rebate sites and you also keep the item. Obviously, vet these service before use.
What is a "buyers club?"
I explained what a buyer's club is in the post you quoted. :confused It's not more complicated than what I wrote, definition wise.

If you want to know which clubs are reputable, or if you have specific questions, you can find discussions on it in manufactured spending circles. I have seen it discussed on flyertalk, in a Facebook group, and probably some other places. You may see a few variations on the term, like buyer's group. Or they just talk about a specific buyer's club. You will be able to pick up on what they are talking about with some effort.
The original concept is a group of buyers who buy a large quantity of something in order to get a discount.

They have been turned into scams. See below. There may be still some legit ones, but I don't bother with trying to figure out which is which. They seem to be risk with minimal benefit.

Sources:
https://frequentmiler.com/is-a-buyers-c ... a-for-you/ Article: Is a buyer's club a good idea for you (pro-buying club article)

https://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-sa ... -scam.html AARP article: How to avoid buying club scams
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xp ... story.html Article: Buying clubs - A new telemarketing scam
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/pr ... on-charges FTC press release: Buying Clubs pay $9 million to settle deception charges
https://www.deseret.com/2011/12/8/20236 ... ky-charges Article: Beware of buyers clubs and sneaky charges
Last edited by wolf359 on Thu Mar 09, 2023 2:20 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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enad
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by enad »

We leave items in the cart all the time and remove things every few months if we decide it's no longer needed. For things we are really interested in we set up a desired price via camelcamelcamel and receive a notice after some time (it varies i.e. it can be within days or sometimes months) and then we buy the items.

We purchase many things on Amazon even have subscriptions for items we buy over and over (mostly vitamins and supplements) or treats for our dog. You can also give away the cards as gifts to family and friends (who doesn't shop at Amazon)?
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wolf359
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Re: What to do with Amazon gift cards?

Post by wolf359 »

SmileyFace wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2023 1:41 pm
jayjayc wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:39 am
fortfun wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:06 pm We don't really shop at Whole Foods either. Seems overpriced but maybe there is some bargain there that we should look at???
If you have Prime, give Whole Foods a try. Prime members get an additional 10% discount on top of their weekly sales. I've found these double-stacked discounts to be cheaper than regular grocery stores.
This thread is 2 years old - hopefully the gift cards have been used by now.
You're right! I didn't spot the time warp/zombie thread.
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