Gift Card Paradise: CardSwap.ca Review and Giveaway
Did you receive any gift cards this past holiday season that you know you won’t use? Wishing you could swap them for your favorite store instead?
Well, there isn’t “an app for that” (even though that may be coming in the future); instead, there’s an awesome online card swapping program called CardSwap.ca!
CardSwap.ca is an online marketplace where you can buy gift cards from a large variety of retailers or sell gift cards that you don’t want. They’ve been featured on Dragon’s Den and a variety of other media outlets. They also offer SwapPoints, which are the icing on the cake because you can earn points from either buying or selling your cards. SwapPoints are redeemable for more gift cards or straight cash!
I just happened to have a $25 gift card that has been burning a hole in my wallet for a little while, so of course I had to try it out for myself.
MY CARDSWAP.CA SELLING EXPERIENCE
The website for CardSwap.ca is very user friendly, as you only have 4 menu options to choose from.
Pretty simple, no?! Ok, so I choose SELL and I’m brought to another simplified page that asks for Merchant Name (via drop down list), gift card balance and email address. Easy peasy! I enter in the details and now it’s time to get to the nitty gritty.
What do I want to do? Collect SwapPoints or receive cash? I’m shown an offer for about 85% of the value of my card. I choose the SwapPoints because I get a little more value and I have this thing with loyalty cards/rewards programs, I am truly a collector of points…I’m a points kinda girl (seriously, you should see my wallet, scary stuff).
To finish up the transaction, the next screen asks you to enter in the details from the back of the card so that it can be verified, and then you are presented with an option to print a prepaid shipping label for you to mail in the gift card you are selling. Prepaid AND free people! They thought of everything! I drop my envelope in the mail, wait about a week or so and voila, the SwapPoints are in my account!
As with any program, there are a few conditions that need to be satisfied:
Gift cards sold to CardSwap must:
- Be an approved retailer as listed on the website
- Have a balance of $25 or higher (gift cards valued at $25 are accepted)
- Not have any fees, expiration dates, or other restrictions
- Not be a rewards card or tied to a specific user
- Not be damaged or unsellable (i.e. Unreadable UPC or Pin)
- Not be a paper certificate
- Be redeemable in Canada
Fair enough, right?!
Sooooo, I had eluded to a giveaway earlier this week, and I refuse to disappoint! One super lucky reader of PegCityLovely will win a $50 gift card of their own choosing from CardSwap.ca! WOOHOO! I apologize in advance to my American and International peeps, but this one is purely for the Canucks (Canadians for those not familiar with the lingo)! Enter below, and good luck! Contest ends January 17, 2013.
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Amazon.ca or Shoppers Drug Mart 🙂
Shoppers Drug Mart
Starbucks or Amazon
White Spot so I can take my Mom out for lunch!
M&M or Walmart!
Great Canadian Superstore
The Apple Store
I'd like a Chapters card.
Oooh,JCrew would be nice! There's a cardi I want but I can't justify paying full price for… Why so expensive? 🙁
Canadian Tire!
Pennington's if they have it or cineplex or chapters or tim hortons oh too many to decide LOL
The Keg or Shoppers
Id pick Tim Hortons!
winners
Sephora or the Keg 🙂
hbc gift card would be lovely! thanks!
la senza. i need bras lol
We recently got a Sephora in our local mall so I would love to win a Sephora Gift Card from CardSwap.
teaparty92(at)gmail(dot)com
walmart
Sephora! I can never seem to justify their stuff, but it's so nice. 🙁
canadian tire
Chapters or Amazon would be my top picks!
I'd like to win the Keg Steakhouse gift card.
I would choose Walmart.
I would love the Tim Horton's or Canadian Tire ones
I would love a Keg gift card – date night!
Starbucks or LCBO! Both are great to have on hand.
I'd love to win a Sephora gift card…
i would love a winners card! but really – any card is amazing!
Canadian Tire would be great.
costco would sure be handy!
Amazon would be great!
I would love a Walmart gift card.
Tim Hortons please!!!
Wow! So many choices. I like Amazon, though.
I want the Amazon, its my go to shopping site
i didn't get any. But this is such a great idea xo
Shoppers drug mart!
walmart
I would love a Walmart Giftcard!
Canadian Tire for me please 🙂
Ebooks for my new Kobo!
walmart
Amazon! I have a beast of a book I am saving up for.
Any of them – I love G/C's!! Ok, but Walmart or The Keg would be a bonus!! I see Bouclair Home is coming too – that would be great!
i'd like to win walmart or hbc
costco
Futureshop
I would love a Shoppers Drug Mart!!
The Keg!
shoppers drug mart!
My favorite restaurant, The Keg!
ROOTS
My first choice would be a Costco gift card but they are all out of them, so my second choice of what is available would be Tim Hortons.
I'd like to win a Canadian Tire gift card.
Tim Hortons – never have enough of that!
I would love to win. I would choose a ticketmaster giftcard.
Walmart!
Thanks for contest.
Costco or TImmies.
Best buy please!
Shoppers Drug Mart
shoppers drug mart
Homesense
I could use a little shopping at Winners! 🙂
walmart!
Subway
Walmart
I would love a card to Cineplex.
I would definately choose walmart!!
Wlamart or Shoppers Drug Mart would be my choice~!
I'd love to win Canadian Tire's.
Canadian Tire would be a good one!
Chapters!
Starbucks, tim's, Walmart or chapters.
I'd like to see McDonald's in stock and win that
Shoppers Drug Mart Card
I would really like the Indigo/Chapters gift card
Shopper's Drug Mart.
id love to win the winners gc !
Walmart!
Either an Esso card for gas, or a Walmart one
Walmart or food basics please and thank you 🙂
Canadian tire or walmart would be great
The chapters card
meikleblog at gmail dot com
I'd love a card to Cineplex.
Any child clothing store. They are growing way to fast
I would really like to win the Lush card.
Boston pizza!
Tim Horton's would be awesome!
I'd love a Mark's card
HBC for me please!
Thanks.
Dreena
cineplex
I'd love to have a Walmart gift card.
I would love to win the Keg card
I'd love a White spot card or a Shoppers Card
I would like Shoppers Drug Mart Gift Card.
Would love either the Keg or Canadian Tire.
The Keg
I would love to win the Marks gift card. thanks
Walmart 🙂
I'd love to win anything gas gift cards such as esso, shell etc. Really helps out.
kevin.linkie@hotmail.com
I always want canadian tire, cant get enough of those lol
I would like a tim hortons card
target! Definitely