Raise.com Review: Save Money, Stack Savings or Earn Extra Cash

Overall Ranking

4/5

Overview

Customer Service

5/5

Features

4/5

Fees

2/5

Mobile App

4.5/5

If you’re looking to save money on regular purchases — or make money selling unused gift cards — you might benefit from using Raise.com.

Miranda Marquit

Editor's Note

You can trust the integrity of our balanced, independent financial advice. We may, however, receive compensation from the issuers of some products mentioned in this article. Opinions are the author's alone. This content has not been provided by, reviewed, approved or endorsed by any advertiser, unless otherwise noted below.

Raise.com is a marketplace for gift cards, allowing you to get a bit of a discount (or even a big discount) on gift cards. In addition to getting gift cards, you can also find coupons and discount codes.

If you’re interested in saving money, stacking savings or even earning a little extra cash, you’ll want to know more about Raise.

What is Raise?

Raise is a money-saving website aimed at helping people buy and sell discounted gift cards. According to the website, buyers have saved more than $150 million buying discounted gift cards.

It’s also a place to make extra money by selling unused or partially used gift cards. In general, the amount you can get for a gift card depends on the brand and how popular it is, as well as the size of the discount.

In addition to being a gift card marketplace, Raise also offers coupons and discount codes. For some shoppers, it can make sense to check out the website before moving forward with a purchase. This can also help shoppers stack savings because they can get discount codes and promotions, and then use the discounted gift card to complete the purchase.

Raise Features

Discounted gift cards: It’s possible to buy gift cards at a discount off the face value or remaining value.
Sort by features that matter to you: You can sort your gift cards in different ways, based on what matters most to you, including brand, discount and category.
Sell gift cards: It’s also possible to sell gift cards. If you have a gift card you know you won’t use, you can sell it on Raise.
Get other discounts: There are also ways to get other discounts, including using coupons and promotion codes.
Cashback: Raise also offers a cashback feature when you buy gift cards at full face value. The amount you earn is applied to future purchases.
Save cards in the app: It’s possible to save your cards and discounts on the Raise app. This allows you to use your cards anytime with the help of your smartphone.
Referral program: You can join the referral program and get $5 in Raise Cash when friends and family make their first purchase.

Fees

The only fee you pay is when you sell gift cards. There are no fees to buy gift cards or to use the platform to find discount codes and other savings.

Raise charges a 15% commission on the selling price. So, let’s say you have a $100 gift card that you post for sale for $90. Raise will take $13.50 in commissions from your sale, leaving you with $76.50. If you received the card as a gift, you might not care that you’re not getting as much back. After all, if you weren’t planning to use the card anyway, you might be better off just getting the money.

If you have a physical card that you’re selling, there is an additional fee of $1 or 1% of the selling price, whichever is higher.

Finally, if you ask for a physical check, rather than having the money deposited via ACH or PayPal, then you’ll pay a $30 fee. Before you sell a gift card, make sure you understand these costs and how they impact your final amount.

Signing up for Raise is fairly straightforward. You just have to provide your email address and create a password. Another option, though, is to use Facebook to sign up. No matter how you sign up, an email will be sent to you. Once you’ve verified your email address, you can start using the website.

You’ll have to add payment information in the settings in order to buy discounted gift cards, but that can also be done at checkout. If you think you’ll receive physical gift cards, you might also want to add a shipping address.

After getting in, you’ll need to set up your payout preferences. You can go through the process of PayPal or ACH approval, which can take a business day, to ensure that you get paid for the cards you sell.

Security

Raise is a secure site, with updated SSL certification.

On top of that, Raise also offers a money-back guarantee. If you buy a discounted gift card and it ends up not being active, the balance is inaccurate, or the card ends up being a different brand than you ordered, Raise will refund your money within a year.

Additionally, there is a money-back guarantee if you don’t receive a physical card within 30 days. If you pay for a card, and it doesn’t arrive within a month, you have 90 days to get a refund on what you spent.

Mobile Support

Raise offers a mobile app that’s designed to make shopping easy. Not only can you find discounts and other perks while using the mobile app, but you can also store your gift cards on the app. So, if you buy a discounted digital card, it can be kept in your account on the app, and you can use it at checkout, whether you’re shopping through the app or in-store.

Customer Service

Raise has a fairly comprehensive FAQ section that takes care of most issues. Raise also has a customer support email. There’s even phone support available 9 am – 7 pm central, Monday through Friday.

It’s also possible to choose a card from your history and report a problem with that specific order online. The variety of ways to contact Raise makes it more accessible than many other app-related companies.

Pros and Cons

Buy discounted gift cards to save money — If you want to buy a gift card at a discount with an assurance that you aren’t getting swindled, Raise.com is a good option.
Find other discount codes and stack savings — The app goes beyond gift cards so you can find discount codes to save on other purchases.
Robust mobile app — The app makes purchasing easy.
Lots of customer service options — Unlike other platforms, you can contact customer support on the phone, browse through their FAQs, or contact support via email.

Some reviewers weren’t impressed with the offerings — Offerings depend on what people are selling.
Might not get a huge discount — The steep cut the company takes means sellers are unlikely to heavily discount the stated value.
Extra fees for requesting a check or selling a physical card — $30 is a lot for sending a check.
There’s no guarantee you’ll sell a card you list — If you got a gift card from a store you don’t like, chances are others won’t like that store either.

Alternatives

Raise.com isn’t the only discounted gift card marketplace out there. Websites like Giftcards.com, Gift Card Granny and CardCash are also available. If you’re strictly looking to buy cards, you have plenty of different options to choose from. Many of these websites also offer other discount codes and coupons.

In a slightly different approach, Raise is one of the few marketplaces that allows sellers to set their own discounts, so that can make a difference to those looking to sell.

Learn More: Where to Sell Unwanted Gift Cards

Who is it For?

Raise can work well for someone who is hoping to find savings by purchasing discounted gift cards. Additionally, Raise works as a rebate site, since it’s possible to get cash back on purchases and earn other rewards. If you’re hoping to buy and sell gift cards, as well as get other discounts, Raise can be a good choice, with a mobile app to help you manage it all.

Bottom Line

Raise.com is a solid option for those looking to buy discounted gift cards and realize other savings. Additionally, if you shop for cards through Raise by way of a rebate site like Swagbucks, it’s possible to further stack savings. With the right approach, Raise can be part of a solid effort to maximize purchases.