Discounted Gift Cards: Money Saving Tips

Discounts on Products & Services

First and foremost, you can save money using gift cards because companies often sell them at a discount in order to secure your business. They know that shopping for gifts can sometimes be difficult and even frustrating, so to make things easier they provide the option of letting the honoree choose their own gift. Obviously, you can buy your cards from any company in the world, so to truly attract your business they will offer them at significant discounts. They would rather give you a discount than let you shop with a competitor. If you buy them for your own use, you instantly save, sometimes as much as fifty percent!

If you know that this particular store has recurring sales or periodic online promotions, you could save even more with a discounted gift card combined with their intermittent discounts. Large retail companies always increase their revenue by featuring products online because not everyone can make it into a physical store. Their online sales department, then, not only tries to find new ways to entice you to shop through online incentives, but they will also use the online catalog to help move old or dwindling inventory. This means you can use your discounted card on clearance items, especially if you are patient.

Bonus Incentives

Another thing that many companies offer with their gift card are bonus incentives that reward you for shopping with them. Similar to cash discounts, these offers can get you free stuff. For instance, if you buy a gift card from an entertainment media company, they might throw a small coupon your way for you to use on something little for yourself. Sometimes it's enough for a new CD, movie, or accessory, or simply a flat dollar amount. You can use these on a future purchase for yourself. This is a very symbiotic offer because you save on something you were probably going to buy anyway, and they ensure that you buy it from their inventory.

While you might appreciate a direct savings coupon, some gift cards come with any of a variety of affiliate offers that let you choose where your incentive coupon comes from. For instance, that same entertainment media company who offered you a complementary in-house voucher might also have offers for music downloads from a variety of file-sharing sites. Since you are shopping at an entertainment-based store, maybe you will be interested in a pizza voucher for a cozy night at home. Of course, when it comes to online services, the possibilities are endless. Here are few great examples: , Cheesecake Factory Gift Cards - 6% Discount or .

Loyalty Programs

Finally, nearly every large national retail chain has some kind of loyalty rewards program which you can use to accrue points every time you purchase your gift cards. In fact, nearly 70% of all retail consumers belong to program. Whether you save money by purchasing gifts for others or simply take advantage of the savings yourself, you can earn loyalty rewards either way. This means that you can save twice by buying discounted gift cards at the store and registering the purchase with your loyalty program. Reward yourself just for buying a gift you were going to get anyway and get something that you have had your eye on for a few months on your next store visit!

If you like the sound of that, then you will love the idea of taking it one step further. Pay anywhere from ten to fifty percent less at the register by purchasing discounted gift cards and then save again by registering your purchase with your loyalty program. Then, when you find something special, you can wait for it go on sale and purchase it with your discounted gift cards, immediately taking advantage of your original savings. You can then register this second purchase with your loyalty program too and reach your rewards goal twice as fast! It's easier than it sounds, but it works.

And, Don't Forget

• Gift Cards for Less
• Subscribe to Discounted Gift Cards RSS Feed (Updated every 2 hours)