Discounted gift cards are one of the easiest ways to save money on shopping you were going to do anyway: buy a hundred-dollar gift card for eighty dollars, and you have just saved twenty percent before you even reach the store. The catch is that the gift card resale market also attracts scammers, drained cards, and fake sellers. Here is how to buy discounted gift cards safely and actually keep the savings.

Stick to established resale marketplaces with buyer protection. Raise and CardCash are the two biggest names, and both verify the card balance before listing it and hold your payment until the card is confirmed. Gift Card Granny compares prices across marketplaces so you can see the best deal. Warehouse clubs like Costco also sell discounted gift cards for restaurants, cinemas, and retailers — a hundred dollars of credit for eighty dollars — with zero risk, because you are buying directly from a trusted retailer. Avoid buying gift cards from individuals on social media or classified sites, where there is no protection if the card turns out to be empty.

Discounts vary by brand and demand. Popular retailer cards — Amazon, Walmart, Target — typically sell for three to ten percent off face value, because demand is high and supply is steady. Restaurant and entertainment cards often sell for fifteen to twenty-five percent off, and less popular brands can go for thirty percent or more. The rule is to buy only cards for places you already shop: a twenty-percent discount on a restaurant you never visit is not a saving, it is a waste. Check the discount against the card's face value, and factor in any marketplace fee before you buy.

Never buy a gift card without verifying the balance. On Raise and CardCash, the balance is verified by the marketplace before the card is listed, and the card is covered by a buyer guarantee — usually for a year — if the balance turns out to be wrong. If you buy a card in person, ask the seller to let you check the balance on the retailer's website or by phone before you hand over money. For digital cards, use the retailer's official balance-check page, never a link the seller sends you. If a seller refuses a balance check, walk away: a legitimate seller has nothing to hide.

The most common scam is the drained card: a scammer copies the card number and PIN from a physical card in a store, waits for it to be activated, and drains the balance before you can use it. Buy physical cards from behind the counter, not from open racks, and check that the packaging has not been tampered with. Online, beware of sellers offering huge discounts — a fifty-percent discount on a popular brand is almost always a scam. Never pay with wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency when buying a gift card, and never share your own gift card details with a stranger who claims they need to verify them.

The best use of discounted gift cards is on planned spending. Buy a card for your regular grocery store or the restaurant where you celebrate birthdays, and the discount becomes a guaranteed saving. Stack the saving with cashback: buy a discounted gift card through a cashback portal, pay with a cashback card, and you can save twice on the same purchase. Keep a small list of the cards you use most, check the resale sites once a month, and buy when the discount is good. A few minutes of checking can save you hundreds of dollars a year on spending you were going to do anyway.