Gift-Card Recovery

Billions sit unspent in gift cards and store credit — forgotten in drawers and apps, slowly draining to fees or expiry. This helps you find what you're owed, understand the expiry and fee rules where you live, and actually use, convert, or (where allowed) cash out those balances before they vanish.

What This Skill Produces

• A find-and-check plan — where to look for cards/credit and how to check each balance
• The rules for your region — expiry limits, dormancy fees, and any right to cash out small balances
• Use-it options — best ways to spend it, combine partials, or convert to something you'll actually use
• Resale/convert routes — reputable ways to trade unwanted cards for cash or other cards, with the discount to expect
• Scam avoidance — the gift-card scams to steer clear of (both losing value and being used as a scam payment)

Required Inputs

Ask for these if not provided:

• What you have — the retailers/brands, rough balances, physical or digital
• Card type — store-specific or open-loop (Visa/Mastercard prepaid)
• Region — determines expiry/fee/cash-out rules
• Your goal — use it up, convert to cash, or just check it's still valid
• Any problem — lost card, drained balance, or a card someone pressured you to buy

Framework: Find It, Know The Rules, Use Or Convert

1. Locate and check. Round up physical and digital cards and check each balance (retailer site/app/number) — you can't use what you've forgotten.
2. Know expiry and fees. Many regions limit how fast gift cards can expire and cap dormancy fees; some require cashing out small balances. Know your rights before assuming it's dead.
3. Use it well. Spend on something you'd buy anyway, stack partial balances, or apply store credit to a needed purchase — avoid buying junk just to "use it up."
4. Convert unwanted cards. Reputable gift-card exchanges buy/sell at a discount; know the haircut and stick to trustworthy platforms.
5. Avoid the scams. Never pay a "bill," "fine," or "fee" with gift cards (a hallmark scam), and beware balance-draining fraud on cards bought from open racks.

Output Format

Gift-card recovery: brands/balances] · region] · goal: x]

Find & check: where to look + how to check each balance]. Your rights: expiry limits · dormancy-fee caps · small-balance cash-out rule for your region]. Best use: spend on needed items · stack partials · convert store credit]. Convert to cash (if unwanted): reputable exchange route + expected discount]. Scam guard: never pay fees/fines with gift cards · balance-drain caution].

Quality Checks

• ] Gives a concrete way to find and check balances
• ] States region-appropriate expiry/fee/cash-out rules
• ] Offers sensible use options (not buying junk to burn it)
• ] Includes reputable resale/convert routes with the expected discount
• ] Warns about gift-card payment scams and balance draining

Anti-Patterns

• Assuming a card is worthless/expired without checking the rules.
• Buying random junk just to use up a balance.
• Using a sketchy exchange that never pays.
• Ignoring dormancy fees quietly eating the balance.
• Missing the scam angle — gift cards as fake "payment."

Example Trigger Phrases

• "I've got a stack of old gift cards — how do I check and use them?"
• "Do gift cards expire, and can I get cash for the balance?"
• "I have $12 left on a store card — can I cash it out?"
• "Where can I sell gift cards I won't use?"
• "Someone told me to pay a fee with gift cards — is that a scam?"