You Can Cash Out Small-Dollar Gift Card Amounts — So Long As You Do So In These States

A gift card might be a nice gesture, but it takes up space in your wallet and seemingly goes missing every time you need it. Turns out, cash really is king — but luckily, there’s a little-known trick to cash out a nearly empty gift card without spending another cent — so long as you do so in a state that requires cash refunds for gift cards:

• States like California will cash out your gift cards when the balance falls below $10; Colorado and Massachusetts will do so when it’s $5 or less.
• Ten other states — including NY, NJ, and WA — require the balance to be below $5, some even less than $1. Even small payouts can add up for savvy shoppers.

How it works: In most cases, you can walk into any store where you hold a gift card and request a cash refund for the remaining balance — and they have to do it in qualifying states, though not always enforced smoothly. Some retailers, like Starbucks and Taco Bell, even let you redeem balances online or by phone in certain states. Consider it low-hanging fruit the next time you’re scrounging together a few bucks for your next treat.