You may remember that back in December we announced a partnership with DailyFeats and managing your money and exchanging your gift cards became a lot more fun.

We are working with the great people over at DailyFeats again to offer you two new challenges- and we hope you’ll choose to accept.

The first challenge is called ‘Tame Your Wallet‘ and there are three feats you need to perform to become master of your pocketbook. To take part in the ‘Tame Your Wallet‘ challenge you must complete the following:

1. ibudget: make a plan to spend within your means
2. cardcheck: organize your gift cards and get your money’s worth
3. declutter: sort through your wallet and toss what you don’t need

The second challenge is called ‘Moneyball‘ which reminds us all that managing money doesn’t have to be dull.  If you want to take this challenge on, you will need to complete the following feats:

1. found money: find money in your home (seriously, just look around)
2. create savings: find one more original way to save
3. coupons: combine coupons.  you don’t need to be an extreme couponer to do it

Want to start your money saving challenge today?  Click here to get started and see both available challenges!  In case you needed another incentive to get started today, these challenges are only running for the next 40 days.  So don’t delay.

Once you’ve completed a feat come back and tell us all about it!  We love to hear money saving stories.

Friend don’t let friends pay full price on gift cards……

We are excited to let you know about another way you can stretch your dollars on Plastic Jungle.  We have recently launched our own Refer-a-Friend program because we want to reward you for being such a loyal customer. We know you already love the great discounts we offer on all your favorite brands. Now, when you refer your friends and they buy a gift card on Plastic Jungle, we’ll give you $5 in PayPal cash (for each friend referred that is). Signing up and sharing is easy!  Just follow this link to get started.

We know you love to connect with your friends via email, Facebook or maybe you love to Tweet!  Our program allows you to share the great deals on Plastic Jungle via whatever method you prefer (personally, I have a Facebook addiction but don’t tell anyone).

Click here to see the full details of the program.

We are so excited to be selected as one of the AlwaysOn Global 250 winners for the second year in a row!!  Read below for more details.

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) July 13, 2011

Plastic Jungle, the Web’s largest secured gift card exchange, today announced that it has been chosen by AlwaysOn as one of the AlwaysOn Global 250 winners for the second year on a row. Inclusion in the AlwaysOn Global 250 signifies leadership amongst its peers and game-changing approaches and technologies that are likely to disrupt existing markets and entrenched players in the Global Silicon Valley. Plastic Jungle was specially selected by the AlwaysOn editorial team and industry experts spanning the globe based on a set of five criteria: innovation, market potential, commercialization, stakeholder value, and media buzz.

Plastic Jungle and the AlwaysOn Global 250 companies will be honored at AlwaysOn’s ninth annual Innovation Summit at Santa Clara University on July 28th, 2011, at the Louis B. Mayer Theatre at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, CA.

This two-day executive gathering that highlights the significant economic, political, and commercial trends affecting the global technology industries. Innovation Summit’s goal is to identify the most promising entrepreneurial opportunities and investments in the global tech industry.

“This year’s AlwaysOn Global 250 are companies driven by the biggest mega-trends, including the accelerating growth of mobile users, cloud computing, and SaaS offerings, globalization, and the socialization of commerce and basically everything online,” says Tony Perkins, founder and editor of AlwaysOn. “This year’s winners clearly represent some of the highest-growth opportunities we’ve seen in the private company marketplace in the history of the global Silicon Valley.”

The AlwaysOn Global 250 winners were selected from among thousands of domestic and international technology companies nominated by investors, bankers, journalists, and industry insiders. The AlwaysOn editorial team conducted a rigorous three-month selection process to finalize the 2011 list.

Merchant-issued – or closed loop – gift cards now represent $90 billion of the U.S. economy, and an estimated $30 billion in gift cards are unredeemed at any given time. Plastic Jungle brings liquidity to the secondary gift card market by allowing consumers to buy gift cards at their favorite stores for savings at up to 35%, sell unredeemed gift cards for up to 92% of the gift card value, or donate the value of unused cards to their favorite cause. Users can also opt for instant funding via PayPal or Amazon.com gift cards for select retailers – all in a safe and trusted environment.

A full list of all the AlwaysOn Global 250 winners can be found on the AlwaysOn website at:
http://www.aonetwork.com/AOStory/Announcing-2011-AlwaysOn-Global-250
“It’s an honor to be recognized by AlwaysOn as one of the top tech innovators in our field,” said Bruce Bower, CEO of Plastic Jungle. “In the last 5 years we have grown from a small startup to the largest and most trusted brand in the secondary gift card marketplace, and we’re proud of our efforts to develop unparalleled payment applications that protect the interests of consumers and retailers alike.”

About AlwaysOn
AlwaysOn is the leading business media brand networking the Global Silicon Valley. AlwaysOn helped ignite the social media revolution in early 2003 when it launched the AlwaysOn network. In 2004, it became the first media brand to socially network its online readers and event attendees. AlwaysOn’s preeminent executive event series includes the Innovation Summit, OnMedia, OnHollywood, Venture Summit Mid-Atlantic / IMPACT 2011, OnDemand, Venture Summit Silicon Valley, Venture Summit East, GoingGreen Silicon Valley, and GoingGreen East. The AlwaysOn network and live event series continue to lead the industry by empowering its readers, event participants, sponsors, and advertisers like no other media brand.

Read the full press release here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/7/prweb8640077.htm

Please join us in welcoming Kristin Morse and Leela Suppiah to the Plastic Jungle team.  Read more about our newest additions in the press release below.

SAN JOSE, CA–(Marketwire – Jun 30, 2011) - Plastic Jungle, the web’s largest secured gift card exchange, today announced that Kristin Morse became the company’s new Vice President of Marketing and Marketplace General Manager, leading customer acquisition and retention as well as brand and product marketing; and Leela Suppiah became Plastic Jungle’s Vice President of Business Operations, leading customer support, trust & safety, and card processing.

Kristin comes to Plastic Jungle with more than 20 years of general management and marketing experience in financial services, ecommerce and payments. Most recently she served as Vice President and General Manager of the online business at Blackhawk Network, the largest distributor of third party gift cards in the United States. There she was responsible for marketing, product management and business development for the online channel. Kristin also served as Vice President of Marketing for Charles Schwab & Co., Director of New Business Initiatives at Cybercash, Inc., and managed strategic consulting engagements, focusing on Retail and Financial Services Industries, at McKinsey & Company.

Prior to joining Plastic Jungle, Leela managed the World Wide Project Management Team at MarketTools, where her responsibilities included owning and managing the global end-to-end operational processes, as well as implementing and owning Client Services CRM tools. Prior to this, she assisted in developing various efficiency processes for AdWords at Google and started her career at Billpoint which was acquired by eBay, managing Customer Support, Risk Management, and Billing & Collections.

“We are really pleased, and very flattered, that Kristin and Leela have joined Plastic Jungle,” said CEO of Plastic Jungle Bruce Bower. “Both Kristin and Leela are extremely well-respected as leaders in the ecommerce and payments spaces, and they both add extraordinary value to our already accomplished team. Kristin and Leela will continue to ensure that Plastic Jungle delivers enormous value and superior consumer experiences to our customers and merchant partners.”

Plastic Jungle helps unlock the estimated $30 billion in unredeemed gift cards by allowing consumers to sell gift cards for up to 92% of the gift card value, buy new gift cards at their favorite brands for up to 35% off, or donate the value of their unused cards to their favorite cause. Users can also opt for instant funding via PayPal or Amazon.com gift cards for select retailers — all in a safe and trusted environment.

Read the full press release on Marketwire:  Plastic Jungle Names Kristin Morse Vice President of Marketing and Marketplace General Manager and Leela Suppiah Vice President of Business Operations

About Plastic Jungle

Plastic Jungle (www.plasticjungle.com) is the web’s largest secured gift card exchange, giving consumers the choice and flexibility to convert their gift cards into other forms of spending power — including cash, online balances to use for purchases at the millions of merchants that accept PayPal, Facebook Credits, and more — and to stretch their shopping dollars at their favorite merchants. Plastic Jungle’s patent-pending marketplace and payment applications aim to safely unlock the estimated $30 billion in unredeemed gift cards trapped in the economy for the benefit of consumers and merchants alike. Based in San Jose, California, the company is privately held with venture backing from Shasta Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, Jafco Ventures, First Round Capital, Bay Partners, Harrison Metal and Western Technology Investment.

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Plastic-Jungle-Names-Kristin-Morse-Vice-President-Marketing-Marketplace-General-1533618.htm

Every dad deserves his day so let Plastic Jungle help make this Father’s Day even better with an extra $50 to spend.

It’s easy to enter!  Just go to our Facebook page, ‘Like’ Plastic Jungle and fill out the simple entry form.

Winners will be announced daily on our Facebook page so be sure to check back to see if you’ve won !

Hurry because our Father’s Day sweepstakes is on now and runs through June 19.

Just let Plastic Jungle know what kind of dad you are and you will immediately be entered into our daily $50 gift card give-away.  Whether you’re a Sporty dad, a DIYer, a Mechanic, a Gadget Geek, a Coffee Lover or a Grill Master, we have the perfect gift for you (see prizes below)!

Don’t forget to share with your friends because if they WIN you WIN too!  If a friend that you refer wins, you’ll get a $25 gift card!!

The Sporty Dad will receive a $50 Target Gift Card or a $50 Big 5 Sporting Goods Gift Card

The Mechanic Dad will receive a $50 76 Shell Gas Gift Card or a $50 Sears Gift Card

The Gadget Geek Dad will receive a $50 Apple Store Gift Card or a $50 Best Buy Gift Card

The Coffee Lover Dad will receive a $50 Starbucks Gift Card or a $50 Peet’s Coffee Gift Card

The DIY Dad will receive a $50 Home Depot or $50 Lowe’s Gift Card

The Grill Master Dad will receive a $50 Omaha Steaks Gift Card or a $50 Outback Steakhouse Gift Card

For more information see official rules here.

We are excited to announce that we have partnered with ChargeSmart, an online consumer bill paying portal, to help deliver an even better way for you to redeem your unused gift cards.  This joint venture will allow customers to apply unused gift cards towards the payment of car, mortgage and utility bills.

This new gift card exchange feature, which was debuted yesterday, will be available for public use in a few months.  Don’t worry; we’ll be sure to update you when it’s live.

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ChargeSmart, an online consumer bill payment portal, and Plastic Jungle, the web’s largest secured gift card exchange, today announced a partnership to enable customers to use unredeemed gift cards to make payments on utility, car and mortgage bills. This new gift card exchange solution was officially debuted this afternoon at FinovateSpring 2011, the high-profile banking technology conference held in San Francisco, and will be available to the public within the next couple months. Customers can learn more about this offering and sign up to be notified about the launch by visiting http://chargesmart.com/giftcards.

Merchant-issued – or closed loop – gift cards now represent $90 billion of the U.S. economy, and an estimated $30 billion in gift cards are unredeemed at any given time. Plastic Jungle brings liquidity to the secondary gift card market by allowing consumers to buy gift cards at their favorite stores for savings up to 35 percent, sell unredeemed gift cards for up to 92 percent of the gift card value, or donate the value of unused cards to their favorite cause. Through ChargeSmart and Plastic Jungle, consumers will be able to apply up to 92 percent of the value of a gift card toward an outstanding bill.

“As the statistics suggest, people love to buy and receive gift cards, yet many cards are never used,” said Tim Brinkman, CEO of ChargeSmart. “ChargeSmart and Plastic Jungle ensure that customers capture value from those gift cards, even if it means redirecting their intended use toward making more practical purchases like paying their bills.”

“Utility, car and mortgage bills have to be paid, so every dollar applied from these gift cards puts real money in the pockets of our customers,” said Bruce Bower, CEO of Plastic Jungle. “Our joint solution with ChargeSmart will get gift cards out of American sock drawers and provide a valuable, seamless and instant way to reduce these non-discretionary expenses.”

About ChargeSmart

Founded in 2008, San Francisco-based ChargeSmart is an online consumer bill payment portal, providing consumers a secure, convenient way to fund their bill payments using Visa, MasterCard or Discover. Once a consumer submits a payment, the funds are typically deposited into the company’s bank account within one to two business days. More than 300,000 consumers nationwide currently use ChargeSmart to facilitate card payments to their utilities, auto finance, student loan and mortgage companies, among others. For more information, visit the company’s website at http://www.chargesmart.com/.

Read the full press release on ChargeSmart and Plastic Jungle Announce Partnership Enabling Customers to Pay Bills with Gift Cards

Don’t you just love October? The cool breezes carries the scent of Fall into homes everywhere. Looming in the distance, there is the faint but sure sound of the upcoming holidays. With a simple flip of the calendar our thoughts turn to Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

It is never too early to begin preparing for the holidays. To help make your holidays more beautiful and less stressful this season, while saving your dollars and stretching your pennies, we have gathered a short list of discounted gift cards with suggestions on how to use them toward your holiday decorating to-do list.

1. No Fall dining table is complete without an ornate centerpiece, whether it is just for your own decorating enjoyment or for your Thanksgiving dinner. 1-800-Flowers.com has an awesome selection of Fall holiday centerpieces, and this gift card could be yours for 25% off.  You will also be able to find the perfect arrangement for your Christmas dinner table decorations.

2. Home Depot is a great place to buy pumpkins, carving tools and other items to make your holidays festive. These Home Depot Gift Cards won’t last long and when the time comes, you will be able to save up to 8% on your Christmas tree.

3. Deck the halls with beautiful decorations from Pier One Imports. Right now Pier One Imports Gift Cards are 15% off. But hurry, that discount is subject to change.

4. You are going to need juice to light up your pumpkins and also your Christmas tree. You can find all of your extension cords and electrical at Radio Shack. Save up to 9% on all your electrical supplies when you shop with a Radio Shack Gift Card.

Once you finish decorating for the holidays you are going to be tired. Why not treat yourself to a nice meal at a Claim Jumper Restaurant? Or you could take in a film at an AMC theater near you using this 14% off gift card. Decorating for the holidays should be a joy not a chore. Hopefully, these gift cards will make that possible.

If you have a gift card you would like to sell for up to 92% to Plastic Jungle to help with your holiday decorating expenses, we will gladly accommodate you.

What are your decorating plans for the holiday?

Hello all and happy Friday to you! It’s a gorgeous day and a fine weekend for being outdoors. Before you head out into the sunshine, be sure to enter in these great gift card giveaways.

Have a wonderful weekend and good luck! Be sure to come back and let us know if you win a gift card from any of these giveaways.

This first listing is a triple treat! My Bargain Buddy has three, yes three, gift card giveaways you can enter with one form. There is a $50 gift card from Restaurant.com, drawing 10/15/2010, a $50 Kohl’s gift card, drawing 11/1/2010, and a $50 Best Buy gift card, drawing 11/15/2010.  One heck of a deal here.

Woman’s Day has done it again. This gift card giveaway is for TEN lucky ladies. Up for grabs are ten $50 gift cards to Perfumania.  There is an entry form and you can enter up through December 6, 2010.

Contest Bee always has such great listings for gift card giveaways. This one is for a $30 gift card to Rust Belt Threads, where you will find some very cool vintage clothing and accessories.

You and Me Plus Three has a gorgeous blog and a great gift card giveaway that ENDs TODAY, Friday Oct. 8, 2010, so be sure to enter now. The gift card is $65 to CSN stores, with over 200 online stores to shop at, and the gift card is digital so you don’t have to wait for it to show up in the mail.

We have listed Free Grechen in our gift card giveaway lists before and now she has another opportunity to win. This time win a $100 gift card to Rent the Runway. This is the sweetest thing since sliced bread! Rent clothes and accessories for a formal event then return them when you are done. How cool is that!

Our gift card giveaway would not be complete without a gift card from Amazon.com. Rachel’s Reviews and Giveaways has a contest for a $25 gift card from Amazon.com. There are only a few entries so far, so your odds are looking good.  This is the very first giveaway for Rachel so show your support and follow her on Google Friend Connect to enter. It will take less than a minute to connect. The contest ends when she reaches 100 followers, so hurry over there. Tell her Plastic Jungle sent you!

If you have or know of a gift card giveaway you would like us to mention just leave a comment below. And don’t forget, let us know if you win!

Oh boy, can you believe it’s already Friday again, and the first of October to boot? Time to celebrate both events, don’t you think?

Let’s get this party started with a great list of gift card giveaways from around the Internet. Just pay close attention to the deadlines when you visit each link below. These events are time-sensitive. (Oh, and comments on our blog are greatly appreciated, but unfortunately won’t enter you into any of the giveaways.)

Who would like to win a $150 J.C. Penney Gift Card?! Blommi is running a giveaway through October 12 which can help make that happen. To enter you must visit J.C. Penney’s website or store and go to the children’s department, pick out two outfits you would buy and leave this information in a comment to the post in the link above. There are plenty of ways to get extra entries too, like tweeting or ‘liking’ on Facebook.

When you visit this link you will think you have discovered the mother load! The Mommy Reviews has a page dedicated just to listing sites that hold giveaways, and she even has them ordered by the days the sites list their giveaways. Love this one!

How would you like a one-night complimentary stay at any Embassy Suite Hotel nationwide, a value of $179? Woman’s Day will make this possible for 10 people by giving away 10 “Be My Guest” gift cards from Embassy. This great giveaway runs through October 5th.

Contest Bee has a listing for a sweepstakes to win 2 $500 Walmart Gift Cards and a suitcase full of crafting products from Elmer’s glue and Exacto. They also have a lot of other great contests and gift card giveaways listed. Great site, but be forewarned, you will find yourself there for hours!

Post Grad, Now What? is giving away a $55 CSN Stores gift card. Visit the CSN online store and pick out what you would buy, then leave a comment with your selection. This giveaway ends on Oct.7th.

Ok, that ought to keep you busy for a little while! If you win any of these gift cards please come back and let us know. Or if you have a listing for a gift card giveaway you want us to know about, share the details below!

Have a great weekend!

Sam’s Club Gift Cards can be redeemed for wholesale merchandise where you can find exceptional deals on thousands of items. Did you know that you may use your Sam’s Club Gift Card at Walmart and Walmart.com?

Similarly, a Sam’s Club member can use a Walmart plastic gift card that has a PIN at any Sam’s Club store location in the United States, as well as online at Samsclub.com. If your card does not have a PIN, you can use it only in a Walmart store or Sam’s Club.

Learn more about Walmart gift card information.

More Sam’s Club Gift Card Information:

• A Sam’s Club Gift Card is not an official membership card
• No expiration date
• If you have several Sam’s Club Gift Cards, you can consolidate them by buying one new card with the balance of your cards
• Sam’s Club Gift Cards are used by presenting to the cashier during checkout or online by entering the PIN number when completing your purchase

So whether you are wanting to save at Sam’s Club or Walmart, save up to 4% when you buy a Walmart Gift Card from PlasticJungle.com. We just uploaded over $4K worth of Walmart Gift Cards to the site, so act fast while supplies last.