April 20, 2017
Activating Gift CardsPlastic gift cards that are typically purchased online require activation. Find out how to quickly activate your gift card in three simple steps. Why Do Some Gift Cards Require Activation Have you ever received a new credit card in the mail? If so, you’ll have noticed a sticker located on the front of the card. This sticker provides directions on how …
Read MoreJanuary 30, 2017
How To Check Your Visa Gift Card BalancePrepaid Visa gift cards can be used at most stores or to even pay your bills. But they're different from store gift cards in that a cashier can't check the balance before you make a purchase. It's important to know the balance before making a purchase or you may be stuck paying out-of-pocket to cover the remaining balance on a transaction. Unfortunately, there's no one-size-fits all …
Read MoreDecember 12, 2016
Granny's New Money-Saving Expert, Trae BodgeGranny is thrilled to announce our very own expert in savings, Trae Bodge. She frequently gives interviews on the latest gift card trends and insider scoops. You can watch her on national and local news segments spreading the good word of Granny. We sat down over a cup of coffee to discuss her background and expertise. Here are some …
Read MoreNovember 22, 2016
Gift Card Giving Guide For The HolidaysGift cards are sure to please anyone on your holiday list. But with all the options, how do you know which type to get? We’ve surveyed 1,200 Granny customers to find the most popular gift card trends for the 2016 holiday season. Be sure to check out our nifty infographic below! Digital Gift Cards The popularity of electronic …
Read MoreSeptember 14, 2016
Cross These Items Off Your Fall Bucket ListWhile fall brings less daylight and cooler weather, you can't help but get excited for the colorful leaves, pumpkin carving, candy corn and bonfires. Below is a bucket list of fall must-dos, -eats and -drinks. 1. Consume As Many Pumpkin Flavored Beverages As Possible I can't go through the fall season without indulging …
Read MoreNovember 30, 2015
Give Back on #GivingTuesdayIs your purse or wallet full of change after all the Black Friday shopping? Do you have PTO days to burn before January 1st? After the hustle and bustle of one of the biggest shopping weekends, #GivingTuesday reminds us to give back to those less fortunate than us. After giving thanks and getting deals, this movement focuses on giving to charity. Through the power of social …
Read MoreJune 3, 2013
The Gift Card Glossary of TermsRemember the old days, when you would get a gift card and your only option was to use it or lose it? Well times have changed, thanks to recent government legislation and more than $60 billion in unused gift cards each year. These days you can buy, sell and even trade gift cards online. While this sort of exchange seems like it's pretty …
Read MoreDecember 14, 2012
16 Companies Offering Free Gift Cards With PurchaseJust in the Nick of time, retailers and restaurants are trying to pull in extra business by offering free gift cards, swag bucks or whatever you want to call them. Buy a certain amount in gift cards or merchandise and you'll get a gift card for your own use. Now that's what I call an incentive! Of course, free doesn't always mean entirely free …
Read MoreNovember 29, 2011
Gift Card Granny Releases Android AppGift Card Granny has blasted into cyberspace with a free application designed just for Android fans. The first discount gift card app available from the Android Market lets you buy, sell and use gift cards directly via your phone from hundreds of popular merchants and several trusted resellers. Imagine this: You're cruising the aisles of your favorite store and see a sweater …
Read MoreAugust 4, 2011
NBC's "Today" Show Featured Gift Card GrannyMillions of Americans woke up this morning to hear GiftCardGranny.com mentioned on NBC's "Today" show. Personal Finance Expert and "Today" Consumer Contributor Carmen Wong Ulrich recommended our own beloved Granny as a resource for turning gift cards into cash. The segment, entitled "Saving Money With Gift Cards," suggested consumers sell unwanted cards and buy discount cards for their own use to save when shopping. "You …
Read MoreMay 5, 2011
U.S. Postal Service to Sell Gift CardsYou know the U.S. Post Service is in pretty mean straights when they start selling gift cards. Actually, this may not be a bad idea for the cash-strapped government agency. With pre-paid gift cards one of the most popular gift items, it makes sense postal officials would want to cash in on this trend. Plus, it allows the agency to target a desirable audience and …
Read MoreMarch 25, 2011
The ER Doesn't Take Gift Cards?!?Before starting this challenge I did my darndest to label every penny, nickel and dime that we would spend this month, get every last ducky in line for smooth sailing. While 95% of our expenditures have followed said illustrious plan, there is always a curve ball. It comes out of nowhere with no warning and whacks the fleshy part of your hiney. We had ours …
Read MoreMarch 15, 2011
Selling Back Un-used Gift CardsI knew nothing about American Apparel before buying a discounted gift card from Cardpool.com, only that 20% off is a pretty stellar deal for clothing discounts. After a one-minute search on their site I saw they offered maternity clothing--perfect! I'll take one please! But after my $50 gift card arrived and I started browsing the offerings, it turns out that a leotard is the only …
Read MoreMarch 3, 2011
How to Stock Up on the Discount Gift Cards You NeedI need to hit the stop button and fill you in on the important stuff; How to actually score discounted cards. The nuts and bolts are simple, but the process seems daunting at first. I feel an outline coming on! 1. Determine your needs. We are adding some landscaping to our front yard and budgeted for $250. The lawn is absolutely revolting, complete with …
Read MoreMarch 2, 2011
Barnes & Noble and Gift Card ConspiraciesWe live in a semi-podunk town--not quite backwoods, but definitely not urban. It's a smallish college community. How small? Let's put it this way: One of the hot spots to take my two- and one-year-old is to play with a Thomas the Train setup at a bookstore. And they look forward to it. It doesn't hurt that I sniff books as a habit, so …
Read MoreDecember 29, 2010
The Gift Card Year In ReviewDear Gift cards: How we adored thee in 2010. Whether you came to us in the ol' plastic covering we know and love or the sexy new digitized form we always dreamed of, we couldn't keep our hands off you. Seriously, we couldn't, and there are numbers to prove it: As of early September, demand for you outpaced 2009 …
Read MoreDecember 23, 2010
Philanthropic Gift Cards Perfect for ProcrastinatorsPhoto by HowardLake Still working on that Christmas gift list? You could brave last-minute lines at the mall, hit the 7/Eleven or consider giving to charities via gift cards. Gift cards are the latest innovation in philanthropic giving and a perfect stocking stuffer for charity-minded friends. First of all, you won't stick loved ones with more stuff they don't need. Secondly, they'll …
Read MoreNovember 22, 2010
10 Gift Card Holders for MenGift cards are predicted to be a hot commodity this holiday season, but one question lingers: How do you give someone a gift card without coming across as insincere? Gift card holders are the solution to this common conundrum. A creative holder can turn cold plastic into something personal, intimate and clever; especially when you develop a theme around the person and card. Yet crafting …
Read MoreNovember 3, 2010
5 Stores That Use Gift Cards for RebatesRecently Kroger announced that, as of November 8, customers will be able to earn money back by using their 1-2-3 REWARDS MasterCard...in the form of a gift card for groceries! No weird prize list for designer toaster ovens or trips to Switzerland, just a gift card for things you need at the place you go to most often. This is awesome! But Kroger isn't the …
Read MoreOctober 25, 2010
City Exchanges Gift Cards for HandgunsOrganizers of a weekend handgun buy-back program in New Bedford, Mass., found $100 supermarket gift cards were just the ticket to lure about 140 weapons off city streets. The Rev. David Lima, executive minister of the Inter-Church Council, which joined local law enforcement agencies to sponsor the exchange, said the community response was overwhelming. Although the total number of firearms collected …
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