# Why would anyone pay MORE for a gift card **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 11, 2017, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226 "2017-04-11T10:05:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LiveFree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/1 "2017-04-11T10:05:40Z")
Was searching ebay for fuel gift cards. Some cards sell for a 25% premium. Why would someone pay $125 for a $100 gift card??? ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/2 "2017-04-11T10:13:14Z")
> [@LiveFree](#): > > Was searching ebay for fuel gift cards. Some cards sell for a 25% premium. > > Why would someone pay $125 for a $100 gift card??? Because they are using a stolen credit card. Or because they have a promotional gift card or some kind of credit that is about to expire. Or, in the case of itunes gift cards, they live in another country but Country X’s itunes gift card gives them access to Country X’s itunes store which has something that is not available in their home country. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/3 "2017-04-11T11:19:30Z")
Got an example? ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/4 "2017-04-11T12:23:06Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Got an example? Grocery store [example](http://www.ebay.com/itm/45-00-in-Kroger-Gift-Card-Three-X-15-00-Card-/152502190935?hash=item2381d6c357:g:gfUAAOSw5cNYYq2B) [Another](http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kroger-25-00-Gift-Card-Also-Good-at-Ralphs-Fred-Meyer-King-Soopers-/152493108317?hash=item23814c2c5d:g:PFMAAOSw32lYtyRm) grocery store example. This one is for [face value](http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dominos-Pizza-Gift-Card-25-50-or-100-Fast-email-delivery-/261579382823?var=&hash=item3ce758a027:m:mM6aDW_VgBLBGR6Y_7XAlXA) - what’s the point? ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/5 "2017-04-11T16:26:33Z")
The first two just show that someone is trying to _sell_ a gift card for more than face value. Who knows why, but people trying to sell things for way more than they’re worth isn’t uncommon. Maybe people just fat-fingered the price and no one will buy it. You can search sold listings if you want to find someone who actually paid more. The second one looks like it might just be the retailer itself using eBay as a sales channel. They’ve apparently sold 6000+ of them, and they deliver the codes via email. Who else would be doing that but the retailer itself? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/6 "2017-04-11T16:27:33Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Grocery store [example](http://www.ebay.com/itm/45-00-in-Kroger-Gift-Card-Three-X-15-00-Card-/152502190935?hash=item2381d6c357:g:gfUAAOSw5cNYYq2B) > [Another](http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kroger-25-00-Gift-Card-Also-Good-at-Ralphs-Fred-Meyer-King-Soopers-/152493108317?hash=item23814c2c5d:g:PFMAAOSw32lYtyRm) grocery store example. > This one is for [face value](http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dominos-Pizza-Gift-Card-25-50-or-100-Fast-email-delivery-/261579382823?var=&hash=item3ce758a027:m:mM6aDW_VgBLBGR6Y_7XAlXA) - what’s the point? Holy fucking Christ! That first example is not only $57.38 for $45 bucks in Kroger gift cards-there is also the _additional_ $50 in shipping and handling! This has got to be either money laundering…or a stupidity test. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/7 "2017-04-11T16:38:11Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > The second one looks like it might just be the retailer itself using eBay as a sales channel. They’ve apparently sold 6000+ of them, and they deliver the codes via email. Who else would be doing that but the retailer itself? A person looking to make a quick buck by dumping fake/used cards on the market? As in the first link, not only the cards being sold for much more then their worth, but there is also a ridiculously high S&H cost of $38.30 per card. Also, [take a look at their feed back page.](http://www.ebay.com/usr/ten0four?_trksid=p2047675.l2559) Too damn perfect to be real. ---
**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/8 "2017-04-11T16:50:08Z")
It’s interesting that they actually find suckers who buy these things at those prices and shipping costs. When I was with the dog rescue groups, a few times I donated gift cards to the groups for fundraising auctions. I naively thought that people would go into a bidding war and actually “buy” the cards for more than the face value, because after all it’s for charity, right? Nope. We only ever got one, two at most, bidders for them and the winning bids would be something like $10 for a $50 card. People like bargains. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/9 "2017-04-11T17:24:49Z")
Shipping them as gifts? Back when Steam, an online game store, only sold gift cards through a few outlets, people would post them on eBay or Amazon at a premium (maybe they still do). But, if you wanted to mail one to someone three states away, maybe paying $58 for a $50 gift card on Amazon and having it sent direct was easier than finding a Gamestop and buying one and stuffing it in an envelope. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/10 "2017-04-11T17:28:48Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Shipping them as gifts? > > Back when Steam, an online game store, only sold gift cards through a few outlets, people would post them on eBay or Amazon at a premium (maybe they still do). But, if you wanted to mail one to someone three states away, maybe paying $58 for a $50 gift card on Amazon and having it sent direct was easier than finding a Gamestop and buying one and stuffing it in an envelope. You left off the additional S&H costs of $30 to $50 a card. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/11 "2017-04-11T17:39:08Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You left off the additional S&H costs of $30 to $50 a card. I meant in general, not the specific links given. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/12 "2017-04-12T16:04:16Z")
> [@JcWoman](#): > > It’s interesting that they actually find suckers who buy these things at those prices and shipping costs. I’m guessing that there are no suckers involved, that this really is some kind of money laundering process. Although, if that’s the case, I’m surprised that eBay hasn’t done something about it. An account selling gift cards for more than their face value is almost certainly fraud of some sort. Maybe it’s just fraud that doesn’t hit eBay’s bottom line? ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/13 "2017-04-12T16:13:34Z")
This doesn’t just happen online. Every drugstore and supermarket sells Visa and AMEX gift cards for $5 more than face value. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/14 "2017-04-12T16:20:45Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I’m guessing that there are no suckers involved, that this really is some kind of money laundering process. > > Although, if that’s the case, I’m surprised that eBay hasn’t done something about it. An account selling gift cards for more than their face value is almost certainly fraud of some sort. Maybe it’s just fraud that doesn’t hit eBay’s bottom line? If the only people using it are money launderers, then who is going to complain? You might want to drop a line as a non-customer…but who are _you_ compared to all those fellow scammers that gave him 5-star reviews? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/15 "2017-04-12T17:46:01Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Holy fucking Christ! That first example is not only $57.38 for $45 bucks in Kroger gift cards-there is also the _additional_ $50 in shipping and handling! > This has got to be either money laundering…or a stupidity test. You really have no idea of how money laundering works, do you? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/16 "2017-04-12T17:47:01Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I’m guessing that there are no suckers involved, that this really is some kind of money laundering process. It’s not money laundering. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/17 "2017-04-12T17:47:59Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > It’s not money laundering. What is it? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/18 "2017-04-12T17:50:31Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Holy fucking Christ! That first example is not only $57.38 for $45 bucks in Kroger gift cards-there is also the _additional_ $50 in shipping and handling! > This has got to be either money laundering…or a stupidity test. DId those numbers change? I see $5.50 shipping here. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/19 "2017-04-12T18:05:51Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What is it? My educated guess is that people have money in a paypal acct that they cant spend so easily so buy gift cards. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226/20 "2017-04-12T18:09:03Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > DId those numbers change? I see $5.50 shipping here. I see $50 on [this page.](http://www.ebay.com/itm/45-00-Kroger-Gift-Card-Three-X-15-00-Card-/152502190935?rmvSB=true) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-anyone-pay-more-for-a-gift-card/784226.md?page=2)