Ways to buy gift cards for less

Ways to buy gift cards for less. Gift cards, a timeless and easy way to spread your love, are even better when you can nab them for half price -- or less. And the recipients will never know.

Gift cards have plenty of benefits. They're convenient, they're never the wrong color, and they fit perfectly inside an envelope. But they do have one major drawback: Recipients know exactly how much you spent on them.

Or do they?

Though the fact is rarely advertised, gift cards can be bought for less than they're worth. You might be able to buy a gift card for half price -- or even less -- and your recipient would be none the wiser. (Unless, of course, that recipient is you.)

If you know how and where to shop -- ranging from grocery stores and auction Web sites to search engines and social-media sites -- sometimes you can get a lot more than you pay for.

Here's how:

1. Auction sites

Web sites such as eBay often offer cards for less than full price, but you'll need to do some research to make sure the cards are legit. Check the seller's ratings and ask about any expiration date or nonusage fees.

"If you can get at least a 30% discount on the card, I think it's worth it to go through those steps," says Fatima Mehdikarimi, a shopping and finance expert who runs ShoppingQueen.com.

2. Gift-card-specific sites

Swapagift.com and CertificateSwap.com are niche sites that cater to people looking to buy, sell or trade gift cards.

"Their discounts aren't usually quite as good as the ones on eBay, but they have an extra layer of protection," Mehdikarimi says. At those sites, unlike at a typical auction site, the gift card's value is secured with the seller's credit card, and some sites will guarantee your purchase up to a certain amount. You'll tend to find a flood of new cards -- and likely bigger bargains -- after holidays such as Christmas, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.

3. Bing's shopping portal

In a bid to lure users away from Google, new search engine Bing.com offers cash-back rewards to registered users for many purchases through its shopping site.

"They're one of the most lucrative (sites) on getting cash back," notes Brian Preston, the host of the "Money Guy" podcast and partner at Preston & Cleveland Wealth Management. To find out whether you can score a deal, head to Bing, click on "Shopping" and enter the name of the gift card you're searching for. The site will list all the cards available, prices and cash-back rewards, which can surpass 10%. Recent deals have included 6% cash back on Gap and Banana Republic cards and 10% cash back on iTunes cards.

4. Holiday bonuses

During the holidays, restaurants might offer more on gift cards to sweeten the deal -- an extra $25 on a $100 card, for example. If you're looking for a deal on an upscale salon or spa, Mother's Day and Valentine's Day are two holidays when you'll be more likely to get more bang for your buck. A grand-opening banner above a locally owned store is also a good sign, says Shakira Brown, a shopping expert who runs Retail Secrets.

"In the service industry, you'll see a lot of gift card specials where you can get 20% to 50% off the face value," she says.

5. Warehouse and club stores

Membership really does have its privileges. Stores such as Costco and Sam's Club offer more than just 20-gallon vats of peanut butter -- they offer gift cards well below retail price.

At Costco, members can pick up $90 in iTunes gift cards for $75 or $100 in Wolfgang Puck gift cards for $80.

6. Bulk buys

Do you plan to give the same $50 bookstore gift cards to all your friends and relatives for years to come? A large-volume order might help you save some cash, as long as you're willing to shell out quite a bit upfront. At Dave and Buster's, for example, discounts kick in at $500, while you'll have to spend at least $10,000 to rack up any savings at Best Buy.

To pursue this option, get in touch with the corporate sales department of a company and ask about volume discounts.

7. Grocery grabs

You can swing by a clothing store to buy a gift card, but you might also be able to pick up the same card from a grocery store.

You'll pay the same amount upfront, but if you have a rewards credit card that pays you back 5% for purchases made at a grocery store, the best option is clear.

8. Local media sites

Television stations, newspapers, radio stations and even sports teams often strike deals to offer half-price gift cards (or two for the price of one) to nearby restaurants, hotels, spas and salons.

If you don't see or hear them advertised, head to the media outlet's Web site and search for "half-price restaurants" or "dining deals."

9. Specialized sites

Sites such as Restaurant.com and CityDeals.com offer gift certificates at steeply discounted prices or throw in extra-value credits -- usually about 10% of the total -- for the retailer. You'll see offers for car rentals, restaurants and movie theaters.

Check restrictions before you buy. At Restaurant.com, for example, the gift certificates might require a minimum purchase and tack gratuities onto the bill.

10. Twitter or Facebook

Social-networking site Twitter proves that it takes only 140 characters to snare a deal.

Start following members in your city, such as HalfPriceSD (San Diego), or become a Facebook fan of a deal-making organization like Half Price Chicago to get the inside scoop on where to get gift cards for less.

11. Miles and points

Those frequent-flier miles languishing in your account can often be redeemed for gift cards for movies, clothing and other retailers' products. While you might be able to get cash back for points you've earned on your credit card, you also might be able to get a gift card worth more than the money.

"If you're someone who pays their bill off every month, these are freebies," Brown says. "Take advantage of them."

12. Your credit card company's shopping site

Credit card companies are eager to have you buy through their shopping portals, such as Citi's Bonus Cash Center and Discover's ShopDiscover.

You might pay full price for a gift card, but you'll earn a few percentage points in cash back that's credited to your account -- and the selection is often fantastic. "In many cases, the gift cards that are available are like a who's who of retailers," Preston says.

At Citi's site, for example, you can snare cards with cash-back offers from stores such as Target, Barnes & Noble, Sears and Lowe's.

13. Go in as a group

Maybe you want to get the boss a gift card for the holidays but you don't want to foot the entire bill. Options like Best Buy's Pitch In program and Lolligift.com allow you to set up a virtual bank account to collect money from co-workers, pals, relatives or anyone else to collect the required cash for a pooled gift -- no envelopes or badgering required. ( msn.com )

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