Sophia Redfern
Reporter

Mixed in among dollar bills and pictures of friends, junior Brooke Thomas’s wallet has an assortment of gift cards she received for the holidays — most of very little value. Some are to stores she will never shop at, others with only a few cents left.

“I usually throw away my plastic gift cards when I have used up the credit, or I shred them and put them in the recycling,” Thomas said of the dozen or so unused gift cards she has at home. “Stores will also take my empty gift cards, but it’s not very clear if they are recycled or thrown away.”

Gift card purchases totaled $91 billion in 2008, but 10 percent of the cards were never redeemed, according to Mixed in among dollar bills and pictures of friends, junior Brooke Thomas’s wallet has an assortment of gift cards she received for the holidays — most of very little value. Some are to stores she will never shop at, others with only a few cents left.

“I usually throw away my plastic gift cards when I have used up the credit, or I shred them and put them in the recycling,” Thomas said of the dozen or so unused gift cards she has at home. “Stores will also take my empty gift cards, but it’s not very clear if they are recycled or thrown away.”

Gift card purchases totaled $91 billion in 2008, but 10 percent of the cards were never redeemed, according to CreditCardChaser.com, leaving approximately $9 billion of cards unredeemed.

California law states any card with a cash value less than $10 is redeemable for its value in cash. Websites like PlasticJungle.com allow the trading of gift cards with a 65 to 85 percent of the value of the card back. GiftCardDonor.com accepts gift cards on behalf of the donor’s favorite charity.

“I forget to use my gift cards sometimes and they just sit in my wallet or on my desk,” Thomas said. “The gift cards I usually forget to use are to expensive stores I wouldn’t ever shop at or at bookstores like Barnes and Noble.”

Despite California law that regulate fees and expiration dates on gift cards, many companies find loopholes that allow them to drain money from a card if it is past a set expiration date, according to California Department of Consumer Affairs (CDCA).

While gift cards may not always get spent or may have restrictions, many students find that the practicality of the gift is too good to pass up.
“The idea of gift cards is a good one,” Thomas said. “Just they seem so restricting because I don’t know what to do with them sometimes.”, leaving approximately $9 billion of cards unredeemed.

California law states any card with a cash value less than $10 is redeemable for its value in cash. Websites like PlasticJungle.com allow the trading of gift cards with a 65 to 85 percent of the value of the card back. GiftCardDonor.com accepts gift cards on behalf of the donor’s favorite charity.

“I forget to use my gift cards sometimes and they just sit in my wallet or on my desk,” Thomas said. “The gift cards I usually forget to use are to expensive stores I wouldn’t ever shop at or at bookstores like Barnes and Noble.”

Despite California law that regulate fees and expiration dates on gift cards, many companies find loopholes that allow them to drain money from a card if it is past a set expiration date, according to California Department of Consumer Affairs (CDCA).

While gift cards may not always get spent or may have restrictions, many students find that the practicality of the gift is too good to pass up.

“The idea of gift cards is a good one,” Thomas said. “Just they seem so restricting because I don’t know what to do with them sometimes.”