Disney Gift Card Deals

[linzjane88]

I REALLY dislike Targets new website. It looks like a mobile version. A lot of blank wierd spaces.

 

[Vernie822]

I REALLY dislike Targets new website. It looks like a mobile version. A lot of blank wierd spaces.

I HATE it.

 

[Lain]

Hi! I am new here and I am sure this has been answered at some point but as there are 600 pages I hope you guys will forgive me!

I have a Target RedCard and we were planning to buy Disney gift cards from there and get 5% off. But then we read about people who buy Target gift cards at a discount, to then buy Disney gift cards. Sounds great, but I saw in my Target CC fine print that the 5% off only comes off the portion of your total that you will be using the credit card for, AFTER any gift cards have been applied. From the last few threads it seems like a lot of you are buying eBay gift cards to Target... so am I missing something?

TIA!

Thanks! Can you explain what you mean by a reseller? Is eBay considered a reseller or just sites like Raise?

Wow this is serious stuff. I am impressed. Can I ask how much money you all have saved doing this? Like what could I turn $100 into? I am just curious because it seems like a lot of work but must be really worth it!

Since you're new to this, most of us who post in this thread would advise against starting out by buying discounted Target gift cards from resellers like Raise, Cardpool, Giftcardzen, etc. Other members have already talked about what we mean by "resellers."

Gift cards that you buy from reseller sites come with the history of the previous owner, and that gift card becomes linked to your account when you spend it. Based on stories from people who report having been banned from shopping online at Target, they used gift cards purchased from resellers and there is some thought that Target may have flagged or banned those people perhaps because their gift cards were linked to prior reselling or fraudulent activity. Of course, it could have been those people’s own activities, like one member who bought $25,000+ of gift cards from Target online in just a few months and reported she was banned. We don’t know. But tread carefully.

This is why we’re suggesting you start out with “clean” Target gift cards that you can buy from your local grocery store if they have a fuel rewards program (giving you savings on gas), Gift Card Mall on eBay when eBay is running a sale or an eBay Bucks promotion (more on that later), Target on the rare occasions they have a sale on their own gift card, or earning free Target gift cards from shopping at Target’s sales or through rewards/points programs.

The thing you’re “missing” is you need to think creatively about where and how to realize savings on gift cards, how much time you have before your vacation to make the most of these opportunities for savings, and how much risk you’re willing to tolerate. Every deal that offers either a discount ($ off) or a bonus (extra $ added or $ back) is an opportunity to put that $ into your own pocket and ultimately towards your vacation.

The classic (1) buy Target gift cards at a discount, (2) use those discounted Target gift cards together with the Target Red Card 5% discount at Target online to buy Disney gift cards (You should have a Target Red Card), (3) Disney gift cards for your vacation, is your most basic way to save but misses a lot of other opportunities to realize more savings.

eBay and Ebates offers additional ways to get more savings.

Ebates is a shopping portal that offers cash back via a check or PayPal deposit sent to you for qualifying purchases made on hundreds of retailers, including Target and eBay, by first clicking through their portal. Currently Ebates pays 1% back for gift card purchases on eBay, and 2% back on qualifying purchases at Target (gift cards typically don’t qualify for cash back, but if you add a small item, e.g., office supplies, beauty products, you can get cash back for the whole purchase – even the gift cards). Always be sure to click through Ebates to get credit for your purchase – it adds up.

eBay sells gift cards through authorized sellers Gift Card Mall (“GCM”) and PayPal Digital Gifts. As previous posts already mentioned, Gift Card Mall is a legit company that runs the gift card kiosks you see in grocery stores, and they happen to sell Target gift cards on eBay. GCM’s cards are “clean” with the balance freshly loaded, and are physical cards that are mailed to you. GCM sells Target gift cards in $50, $100 and $150 denominations, plus shipping cost of $1.99 for the first card of any amount and $0.99 for each additional card of the same denomination. Occasionally, GCM will have a sale on Target cards that offer something like a $100 Target gift card for $95 or $92 with free shipping. Outside of these sales, you’re probably wondering why you would pay face value plus shipping for a gift card? This only makes sense and becomes a “deal” because eBay offers eBay Bucks, which is essentially “bucks” that earn on your eBay purchases that you get back the next quarter to spend on a future eBay purchase. The regular amount is 2% back, but eBay runs very frequent promotions offering 2x (4%), 3x (6%), 4x (8%), and 5x (10%) eBay Bucks. You have to sign up for this program and accept communications from eBay to receive these offers. (You should also have an eBay and a verified PayPal account.) There is a 4x eBay Bucks promo going on right now until tomorrow.

Now, how do all the pieces fit together and work to save you money?

Like I said before, a lot of us will tell you to avoid starting off with Target gift cards at reseller sites and buy them instead from someplace like GCM during a 4x or 5x eBay Bucks promo (saving you 8-10% right at the start).

So let’s work out your $100 as an example.

(1) You start with about $100 out-of-pocket to buy a $100 Target gift card from GCM on eBay (the actual cost will come out to $102.99 with shipping), maybe pay with a credit card with some form of cash back that is linked to your PayPal account (giving you say, 1% or 2% back), during a 4x (8%) eBay Bucks promo (giving you $8 eBay Bucks to spend next quarter). You also clicked through Ebates and should get another 1% back next quarter ($1). So with $102.99 out-of-pocket, you’ve got a $100 Target gift card and at least $9 “cash” back (~5.5% savings, which is comparable to the current discount you’d get at Cardpool or Raise). GCM then mails you the Target gift card.

(2) Use the $100 Target gift card you have in-hand on the Target site through Ebates. You should have your Red Card set as the default payment to get the 5% discount applied to your order. You buy a $100 eBay electronic gift card for $95 after the discount (netting you $5), and because Ebates doesn’t pay cash back on purely gift card purchases you add a $0.49 pack of erasers or a $0.99 bottle of hand soap to your order to get 2% back on the whole transaction. So now you’ve spent about $96 of your Target gift card on a $100 eBay gift card, have $4 remaining on the Target card, and about $1.92 cash back through Ebates.

In other words, your original $102.99 has now turned into about $114.92 ($100 eBay gift card, $4 balance on your Target gift card, and about $10.92 in some form of cash back), resulting in about a 10.4% savings.

(3) Use your eBay gift card to buy another $100 Target gift card on eBay during another eBay Bucks promo (say, 5x), and remember to click through Ebates. Assuming your $100 eBay gift card goes toward the $100 Target gift card, and you may have to pay the $2.99 shipping out-of-pocket. On a 5x promo, you’ll get $10 eBay Bucks back and $1 from Ebates.

Now you’re $105.98 out-of-pocket, but you have a $100 Target Gift Card, $4 remaining on your other Target gift card, and about $21.92 in eBay Bucks and Ebates that you can use eventually to purchase more gift cards, resulting in about a 15.8% discount.

Depending on how much time you have before you have to “cash out” the Target gift cards into Disney gift cards in time for your vacation, you can repeat and keep “churning” through this cycle with increasing savings each time. When you finally buy the Disney gift cards using these Target gift cards, remember to buy online so the Red Card discount applies to give you that final additional 5% discount.

This process is largely scalable, so you will see more actual dollars grow with each churn the more you have invested in the process. The risk is any of these companies could change the rules at any time and leave you “stuck” with either eBay or Target gift cards. But there is no specific reason to think gift card churning will stop anytime soon. And, although I really only discussed Target (because their 5% Red Card discount makes it more worthwhile to go through them), other retailers like Best Buy and Game Stop allow use of their gift cards to purchase eBay and/or Disney gift cards.

There are a lot of wrinkles and some limits to the whole process, and many specific deals that pop up, but you can see that even an overview has already turned into a long post. So if you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Good luck!

 

[havaneselover]

I REALLY dislike Targets new website. It looks like a mobile version. A lot of blank wierd spaces.

I thought I was going crazy yesterday. I couldn't figure out how to view the weekly ad. I finally gave up and used the app on my phone.

 

[Disneyliscious]

So let’s work out your $100 as an example.

(1) You start with about $100 out-of-pocket to buy a $100 Target gift card from GCM on eBay (the actual cost will come out to $102.99 with shipping), maybe pay with a credit card with some form of cash back that is linked to your PayPal account (giving you say, 1% or 2% back), during a 4x (8%) eBay Bucks promo (giving you $8 eBay Bucks to spend next quarter). You also clicked through Ebates and should get another 1% back next quarter ($1). So with $102.99 out-of-pocket, you’ve got a $100 Target gift card and at least $9 “cash” back (~5.5% savings, which is comparable to the current discount you’d get at Cardpool or Raise). GCM then mails you the Target gift card.

(2) Use the $100 Target gift card you have in-hand on the Target site through Ebates. You should have your Red Card set as the default payment to get the 5% discount applied to your order. You buy a $100 eBay electronic gift card for $95 after the discount (netting you $5), and because Ebates doesn’t pay cash back on purely gift card purchases you add a $0.49 pack of erasers or a $0.99 bottle of hand soap to your order to get 2% back on the whole transaction. So now you’ve spent about $96 of your Target gift card on a $100 eBay gift card, have $4 remaining on the Target card, and about $1.92 cash back through Ebates.

In other words, your original $102.99 has now turned into about $114.92 ($100 eBay gift card, $4 balance on your Target gift card, and about $10.92 in some form of cash back), resulting in about a 10.4% savings.

(3) Use your eBay gift card to buy another $100 Target gift card on eBay during another eBay Bucks promo (say, 5x), and remember to click through Ebates. Assuming your $100 eBay gift card goes toward the $100 Target gift card, and you may have to pay the $2.99 shipping out-of-pocket. On a 5x promo, you’ll get $10 eBay Bucks back and $1 from Ebates.

Now you’re $105.98 out-of-pocket, but you have a $100 Target Gift Card, $4 remaining on your other Target gift card, and about $21.92 in eBay Bucks and Ebates that you can use eventually to purchase more gift cards, resulting in about a 15.8% discount.

First let me say that I appreciate this well written explanation as I too have been wondering how this all works.

Second let me say that I'll just skip a meal of dining out or something to make up for the $25-$30 I could have gotten/saved by doing all this. Wow. That is an amazing feat for those of you who do it.

Honestly, I wonder if its more the mental aspect of "I did this and saved money", which gives a gratifying feeling, than it is about actually saving the $.

 

[pillow]

First let me say that I appreciate this well written explanation as I too have been wondering how this all works.

Second let me say that I'll just skip a meal of dining out or something to make up for the $25-$30 I could have gotten/saved by doing all this. Wow. That is an amazing feat for those of you who do it.

Honestly, I wonder if its more the mental aspect of "I did this and saved money", which gives a gratifying feeling, than it is about actually saving the $.

Its not just $25-$30 . . . people are savings hundreds/thousands!

 

[Vernie822]

First let me say that I appreciate this well written explanation as I too have been wondering how this all works.

Second let me say that I'll just skip a meal of dining out or something to make up for the $25-$30 I could have gotten/saved by doing all this. Wow. That is an amazing feat for those of you who do it.

Honestly, I wonder if its more the mental aspect of "I did this and saved money", which gives a gratifying feeling, than it is about actually saving the $.

$25-30. Really?

Kind of insulting, as most of us spend a lot of time here explaining to others how to do this so that they can save money for their families. I did a lot of research before starting this and in just a few months I've saved hundreds of dollars between gift card savings, Swagbucks & cash back.

And yes, I love to save money. Could I easily skip all this and just pay for my trip? Sure. But with a little bit of work, it's worth it.

 

[havaneselover]

Its not just $25-$30 . . . people are savings hundreds/thousands!

Yep. For me it's the difference between a 4-day cruise and a 7-day cruise.

 

[havaneselover]

$25-30. Really?

Kind of insulting, as most of us spend a lot of time here explaining to others how to do this so that they can save money for their families. I did a lot of research before starting this and in just a few months I've saved hundreds of dollars between gift card savings, Swagbucks & cash back.

And yes, I love to save money. Could I easily skip all this and just pay for my trip? Sure. But with a little bit of work, it's worth it.

I don't see it as insulting. Just not understanding the magnitude of savings possible.

This isn't for everyone. It's work. It can be stressful and confusing. But honestly I do enjoy it just like I enjoy getting a raise at work. It's nice to be rewarded for hard work.

 

[Eighty8Keys]

Its not just $25-$30 . . . people are savings hundreds/thousands!

Exactly. My son and I started with $500 last October, cycled it 14 times through Target/eBay (so far), and earned $1,377 in rewards and discounts (after deducting shipping costs). I think that works out to a 275% return on our "investment."

 

[Marionnette]

First let me say that I appreciate this well written explanation as I too have been wondering how this all works.

Second let me say that I'll just skip a meal of dining out or something to make up for the $25-$30 I could have gotten/saved by doing all this. Wow. That is an amazing feat for those of you who do it.

Honestly, I wonder if its more the mental aspect of "I did this and saved money", which gives a gratifying feeling, than it is about actually saving the $.

Meh! It's not for you. That's fine. People have all kinds of reasons for seeking savings on their GCs. I guess that there are some who might be saving only $25. Many are saving much more and are getting closer to 25% and higher. I find it interesting that people will jump through hoops to get a *free* dining discount on their Disney trip but have no interest in doing something like GC churning to get an even better discount with no restrictions on room availability.

It all depends on your tolerance for risk and your ability to put in the effort. It's not for everyone and sounds like it definitely is not something for you.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

First let me say that I appreciate this well written explanation as I too have been wondering how this all works.

Second let me say that I'll just skip a meal of dining out or something to make up for the $25-$30 I could have gotten/saved by doing all this. Wow. That is an amazing feat for those of you who do it.

Honestly, I wonder if its more the mental aspect of "I did this and saved money", which gives a gratifying feeling, than it is about actually saving the $.

For my $6,800 cruise it's not $25-$30. It's more like $2,000+. Without these savings my family SURELY would not be enjoying an Alaskan Disney Cruise - no way. This thread has also opened my eyes to other money saving ideas for every day purchases from Target and ways to save on hotels and flights. The $25-$30 you speak of is only just the beginning. Once you get it all figured out (and I'M still learning) you can virtually take trips for free. I haven't got that far yet but kudos to those that have!

 

[Vernie822]

For my $6,800 cruise it's not $25-$30. It's more like $2,000+. Without these savings my family SURELY would not be enjoying an Alaskan Disney Cruise - no way. This thread has also opened my eyes to other money saving ideas for every day purchases from Target and ways to save on hotels and flights. The $25-$30 you speak of is only just the beginning. Once you get it all figured out (and I'M still learning) you can virtually take trips for free. I haven't got that far yet but kudos to those that have!

Alaska!!! That sounds amazing!! Now that I know all about the ways to save, maybe it is an eventual possibility for us. I keep telling my fiance "5 year anniversary" lol.

 

[Lain]

First let me say that I appreciate this well written explanation as I too have been wondering how this all works.

Second let me say that I'll just skip a meal of dining out or something to make up for the $25-$30 I could have gotten/saved by doing all this. Wow. That is an amazing feat for those of you who do it.

Honestly, I wonder if its more the mental aspect of "I did this and saved money", which gives a gratifying feeling, than it is about actually saving the $.

If I were churning only $100, as in the example, I might net about $25-30. But I started the year with about $500, and have since grown that pot and made a little over $300 in eBay Bucks and about $125 in Ebates with little effort (other than paying attention to this thread for deals) -- all in a little over two months. Like I said, your percentage savings grow with each churn, but it becomes very noticeable in real dollars when you have more money invested in the process.

 

[Disneyliscious]

Before anymore of you spazz out, the example given was for $100. That example led to $25-$30 in savings for that initial $100. Yes, I am aware that a trip costs more than $100 and would therefore result in more than $25-$30 in savings, but I was using the example given because common sense tells us that it would be $25-$30 per $100. The more money one puts into it, the more savings will be had but therein lies the issue for many folks......most people don't have large sums of money to tie up into doing this so the average person isn't going to save thousands on a trip by doing it. Or perhaps they won't have the time before their trip.

And whats with all of you going on the defense? I didn't knock your efforts at all. In fact, I praised you for doing it. Like seriously people, lighten up.

 

[havaneselover]

For my $6,800 cruise it's not $25-$30. It's more like $2,000+. Without these savings my family SURELY would not be enjoying an Alaskan Disney Cruise - no way. This thread has also opened my eyes to other money saving ideas for every day purchases from Target and ways to save on hotels and flights. The $25-$30 you speak of is only just the beginning. Once you get it all figured out (and I'M still learning) you can virtually take trips for free. I haven't got that far yet but kudos to those that have!

I want to take my kids to Alaska on DCL so badly but it definitely seemed out of reach (single mom). Maybe with churning it will be possible in 2018. This year we're going to rough it in the Eastern Caribbean

 

[StuckInKS]

OK I have $317 in Ebay GCs, $800 in Target GCs received today from GCM and $900 more in Target GCs that say "out for delivery" with UPS from GCM. I need to get all of them in on this ebucks deal just in case there aren't any other good promos (or I don't get them). I already churned $475 of the GCs through Target this afternoon. Would another batch of $375 this evening and 2 batches (spaced out) of about $425 each tomorrow be too much? This would really be my last big push for this ebucks promo period, and the last time I will probably use Target for churning until I convert all of our cards to Disney in early May.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Alaska!!! That sounds amazing!! Now that I know all about the ways to save, maybe it is an eventual possibility for us. I keep telling my fiance "5 year anniversary" lol.

You can TOTALLY do it if you're doing Aulani and DLR! I'm sure your OOP cost would be less than $3,000 if you put forth the effort. I know you can

I want to take my kids to Alaska on DCL so badly but it definitely seemed out of reach (single mom). Maybe with churning it will be possible in 2018. This year we're going to rough it in the Eastern Caribbean

As with Vernie, you can do it, too! Set a goal and put your mind to it And heck, the Caribbean sounds nice too - any Disney Cruise sounds wonderful to me!

 

[TheDisneyDoll]

First let me say that I appreciate this well written explanation as I too have been wondering how this all works.

Second let me say that I'll just skip a meal of dining out or something to make up for the $25-$30 I could have gotten/saved by doing all this. Wow. That is an amazing feat for those of you who do it.

Honestly, I wonder if its more the mental aspect of "I did this and saved money", which gives a gratifying feeling, than it is about actually saving the $.

I started this whole process about three weeks ago and i started fairly small in comparison to others here I started with $200 in gift cards and i've already earned nearly an additional $70 towards gift cards.
That's $70 for spending 20 minutes on a computer once to twice a week.
It seems a little overwhelming and even underwhelming at first, but once you realize you can start with $200 in gift cards and in a little over a month double that without taking anything out of your bank you'll understand.
This extra cash is just payments on my future trips really

 

[Lain]

Before anymore of you spazz out, the example given was for $100. That example led to $25-$30 in savings for that initial $100. Yes, I am aware that a trip costs more than $100 and would therefore result in more than $25-$30 in savings, but I was using the example given because common sense tells us that it would be $25-$30 per $100. The more money one puts into it, the more savings will be had but therein lies the issue for many folks......most people don't have large sums of money to tie up into doing this so the average person isn't going to save thousands on a trip by doing it. Or perhaps they won't have the time before their trip.

And whats with all of you going on the defense? I didn't knock your efforts at all. In fact, I praised you for doing it. Like seriously people, lighten up.

I know the tone has been pretty defensive, but I think a lot of us here just want to help others save a lot of money -- not just $25-30. A Disney vacation costs everyone something so why not plan ahead and take advantage of ways to stretch those dollars? Sure, a lot of people might not have $500 or $1000 to tie up in gift card churning, but if they're setting money aside for a Disney vacation anyway, why not put that money to use in the meantime?