'Tis the season for free gift cards
The two best ways to find gift cards for less than they鈥檙e worth is to buy聽discounted gift cards聽from online exchanges or to buy full-price gift cards that come with freebies.
The latter offer only comes around during the holidays, so now鈥檚 the time to stock up for yourself if you frequent any of these restaurants or shops. For example, buying a $50 gift card that comes with a $15 freebie is like paying $50 for $65 of goods. So if you spend the gift card and freebie yourself, you save up to 30 percent 鈥� or more if you鈥檙e buying sale- or clearance-priced items.
If you don鈥檛 frequent these places, though, that savings may not be worth it because most of these freebies expire within three months of the new year. Buy if you鈥檙e shopping for anyone who likes these restaurants and stores, there鈥檚 no reason to pass up what is essentially free currency 鈥� whether you enjoy the freebie yourself or pass it on to the gift recipient.
Restaurants
础辫辫濒别产别别鈥檚
- Offer details:聽Free $10 digital bonus card with a $50 digital gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Not specified
- Offer available:聽In restaurants,聽online
- U.S. locations:聽Every state except Hawaii
Benihana
- Offer details:聽Free $10 promo card (valid Jan. 2 through March 31) with a $50 gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Dec. 31
- Offer available:聽In-restaurant availability not specified,聽online
- U.S. locations:听础濒补蝉办补, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii (but gift cards are not redeemable there), Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin
Black Angus Steakhouse
- Offer details:聽Free $5 bonus bucks (valid Jan. 1 through Feb. 13) with a $50 gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Dec. 31
- Offer available:聽In-restaurant availability not specified,聽online
- U.S. locations:听础濒补蝉办补, Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Washington
Bonefish Grill
- Offer details:聽Free $20 bonus card (valid Jan. 1 through Feb. 10) with a $100 gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Dec. 31
- Offer available:聽In restaurants,聽online
- U.S. locations:聽Most states
Champps Americana Restaurant
- Offer details:聽Free $10 extra points card (expiration unknown) with a $50 gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Not specified
- Offer available:聽In restaurants only
- U.S. locations:听颁辞濒辞谤补诲辞, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin
Fox Restaurant Concepts
- Offer details:聽Free $20 gift card (no expiration date) with a $100 gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Dec. 31
- Offer available:聽In restaurants,聽online
- U.S. locations:聽Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, Texas
Hoss鈥檚 Steak and Sea House
- Offer details:聽Free $10 voucher (valid through Feb. 28) with a $50 gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Dec. 30
- Offer available:聽In restaurants only
- U.S. locations:聽Pennsylvania, West Virginia
Olive Garden Italian Restaurant
- Offer details:聽Free $5 bonus card (valid Jan. 1 through Feb. 15 when you purchase two entrees) with a $25 gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Dec. 31
- Offer available:聽In-restaurant availability not specified,聽online
- U.S. locations:聽Every state
On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina
- Offer details:聽Free $5 bonus card (valid Jan. 1 through Feb. 15) with a $25 gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Dec. 31
- Offer available:聽In restaurants only
- U.S. locations:聽Most states, Washington, D.C.
RA Sushi Bar Restaurant
- Offer details:聽Free $10 promo card (valid Jan. 2 through March 31) with a $50 gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Dec. 31
- Offer available:聽In restaurants;聽online
- U.S. locations:聽Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Nevada
Ruby Tuesday
- Offer details:聽Free $15 bonus coupon (valid Jan. 2 through Feb. 28) with a $50 gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Dec. 31
- Offer available:聽In-store restaurant availability not specified,聽online
- U.S. locations:聽Most states, Washington, D.C.
Stir Crazy Fresh Asian Grill
- Offer details:聽Free $25 bonus card (valid Jan. 7 through March 14) with a $100 gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Jan. 6
- Offer available:聽In-restaurant availability not specified,聽online
- U.S. locations:聽Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin
Texas Roadhouse
- Offer details:聽Free $5 e-gift card (expiration unknown) with a $30 gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Dec. 31
- Offer available:听翱苍濒颈苍别听辞苍濒测
- U.S. locations:聽Every state, Washington, D.C.
Tony Roma鈥檚
- Offer details:聽Free $15 in RomaBucks (valid Jan. 2 through March 25) with a $50 gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Not specified
- Offer available:聽In-restaurant availability not specified,聽online
- U.S. locations:聽California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin
Uno Chicago Grill
- Offer details:聽Free $5 voucher (valid Jan. 2 through March 31) with a $25 gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Not specified
- Offer available:聽Not specified
- U.S. locations:聽California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Retail and entertainment
Barnes & Noble
- Offer details:聽Free $10 e-gift card (valid starting Dec. 26) with a $75 e-gift card or regular gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Dec. 2
- Offer available:听翱苍濒颈苍别听辞苍濒测
- U.S. locations:聽Every state, Washington, D.C.
Brunswick Bowling
- Offer details:聽Free $5 bonus certificate with a $25 gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Dec. 31
- Offer available:聽In stores,聽online
- U.S. locations:聽Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington
DSW Shoes
- Offer details:聽Free $5 bonus card (valid Jan. 12 through Jan. 27) with a $50 gift card or e-gift card purchase
- Offer ends:聽Dec. 24
- Offer available:聽In stores,聽online
- U.S. locations:聽Every state, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico
Godiva Chocolatier
- Offer details:聽Free $10 reward card (valid Dec. 26 through Jan. 31) with聽any聽$50 purchase
- Offer ends:聽Dec. 24
- Offer available:聽In stores,聽online
- U.S. locations:聽Every state, Washington, D.C.
L.L. Bean
- Offer details:聽Free $10 promotional gift card (valid through Feb. 13) with聽any聽$50 purchase
- Offer ends:聽Dec. 24
- Offer available:聽In stores,聽online
- U.S. locations:聽Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia
Victoria鈥檚 Secret
- Offer details:聽Free Secret Reward card worth $10, $50, $100, or $500 (valid Nov. 29 through Dec. 20) with聽any聽$10-plus purchase
- Offer ends:聽Nov. 28
- Offer available:聽In stores,聽online
- U.S. locations:聽Every state, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico
Karla Bowsher covers consumer, retail, and health issues聽蹿辞谤听, a consumer/personal finance TV news feature that airs in about 80 cities as well as around the Web. This column first appeared in Money Talks News.
