Wait! Before you run off to the beach for Memorial Day 2011, remember that Memorial Day is a remembrance day for US soldiers who have served in combat. We honor those who have fought for us.

Now, try your luck at a giveaway or a sweepstakes to help your wallet bounce back from vacation leakage. We here at PJ want you to get the most from your time on the Internet, so most of these are very easy to enter, and pay off with something great.

Do you need funds right now? If you have an unused gift card floating around your house, you can Sell or Swap your gift card at Plastic Jungle to get cash, an Amazon.com Gift Card, or even fund a PayPal account. Some payout options are instantaneous. Check out our Gift Card Seller Learning Center for details and ideas.

*Almost* Free!

Trying to feed a large group? Dying to get a night out even just on your own? Restaurant.com has a new 80% off code: just enter the promo code FLAG at checkout on the site when you buy your Restaurant.com gift card on their site. You can get a $25 gift card, normally for $10 or $15 (depending on restaurant) on the site, but when you use the promo code, you’ll pay only $2 or $3 each. What a deal!

Giveaways & Sweepstakes Open Now

TripAdvisor & Couples Resorts Romantic Escapes Sweepstakes – You’re limited to entering this one only five times (per person or email address), but get your S/O to enter too, because the prize is a trip for two to the winner’s choice of Couples Tower Isle, Couples Sans Souci, Couples Negril or Couples Swept Away resort. The prize package consists of roundtrip airfare for two, six nights’ stay including unlimited meals and beverages, resort gratuities and taxes, and unlimited use of resort sporting equipment. See the Couples Resorts Sweepstakes official rules for details; sweepstakes ends June 1, 2011.

Win 1 of 10 Spa Vacations from Self magazine – See the slideshow of your Free Spa Vacation options on the Self.com website, which include the Seagate Hotel & Spa in Delray Beach, Florida, a Total-Body Makeover at The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge in Malibu, California, a scenic stay at the Springs Eternal Spa at the historic Omni Bedford Springs Resort, in Bedford, Pennsylvania, and much more. See Self’s Official Sweepstakes Rules for details; spa giveaway ends June 15, 2011.

What Cost What School’s Out $150 Amazon.com Gift Card Giveaway – Just share your summer plans with What Cost What on Facebook, and you could win a $150 Amazon.com Gift Card. Gift Card giveaway ends June 1, 2011; see What Cost What giveaway official rules for details.

Scotts Let’s Go Outside Sweepstakes – For every “Like” on Facebook, Scotts Lawn Care Products will donate $1 to a local pet charity. Once you’ve liked Scott’s, sign in and you’ll be entered to win a $500 Gift Card. For details, see Scotts Let’s Go Outside Sweepstakes Official Rules. There are two entry periods: the first ends on May 31, 2011, the next entry period begins on June 1, 2011 and runs through August 3, 2011.

Are you using Gift Cards for your Memorial Day plans? Let us know how they come in handy for you, and we’ll highlight you on the blog! Just leave us a comment with how Gift Cards played a part in your Memorial Day weekend 2011.

That’s all for this week. Enjoy the long weekend!

The PJ 10

What were we buying in March? Well, there weren’t any spectaular retail “events” that drove us to specialty stores, so as expected the top three gift card sellers were big box chains offering groceries and fishing supplies and everything in-between. Spring was a bit late late this year, so clearly we were driven to hot, caffeinated coffee, putting Starbucks into our Top 10 Gift Cards in March. And iTunes, with the diversity of media on offer these days, from music to books to TV and movies, proves it’s a great gift card to give and get.

Honorable mentions from March? JC Penney, Pottery Barn, Cabela’s, Barnes & Noble, and Nordstrom.

Salivating over the potential savings at a favorite store? If you’re ready to ditch your unused gift card and trade up to one of the favorites, you can safely and securely SELL or EXCHANGE your gift card on Plastic Jungle, with many different payout and trade options, including an Amazon.com Gift Card, Facebook credits and Paypal account funding.

Top 10 Gift Cards in March, 2011

10 SEARS

Purchase discount Sears Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently at up to 9% OFF.

9 KOHL’S

Purchase discount Kohl’s Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently at up to 14% OFF.

8 STARBUCKS

Purchase discount Starbucks Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle — when they come into stock. Set an Alert Now.

7 MACY’S

Purchase discount Macy’s Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle — when they come into stock. Set an Alert Now.

6 BEST BUY

Purchase discount Best Buy Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently at up to 5% OFF.

5 LOWE’S

Purchase discount Lowe’s Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently at up to 7% OFF.

4 iTUNES

Purchase discount iTunes Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently at up to 7% OFF.

3 TARGET

Purchase discount Target Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently at up to 5% OFF.

2 HOME DEPOT

Purchase discount Home Depot Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently at up to 7% OFF.

1 WALMART

Purchase discount Walmart Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle — when they become available. Set an Alert Now.

What’s your favorite gift card of the moment? Something to get ready for spring — sporting goods or travel? Let us know in the comments below.

Gas prices are high, and it’s not even summer. Memorial Day weekend is typically the starting point for when gas prices go up for the length of the summer, when American road trips peak across the country.

For a quick look at how to save as gas prices keep climbing, check out consumer reporter Gregory Karp’s article in the Seattle Times. The quickest way to save on gas? Take the petal off the metal and drive less aggressively. The article is chock full of useful, up-to-date gas-saving tips.

If you’ve got a road trip you’re not going to miss, or you’ve just got a killer commute that demands an eagle-eye for the lowest gas prices around, check out the GasBuddy website, or fan GasBuddy on Facebook to follow pricing trends. By aggregating the prices recorded by members around a zip code, they can let you know where the cheapest (or most expensive) gas is around your city or state.

Do you have tips for saving on gasoline? Let us know your methods for keeping costs down when gas prices go up in your comments!

One way to save is discounted gas cards here on Plastic Jungle. If none are in stock, you can set a notification to be emailed an alert for when discounted gas cards become available.

Discounted Gas Cards you might find available at Plastic Jungle include:

• Exxon Mobil • 76 Gas Card •  Shell • ARCO BP • Citgo • Conoco • Flying J • Gulf • Phillips 66 • Sunoco • Tesoro • Texaco Chevron

How to Check the Balance on Your Exxon Mobil Gas Card

Online: Check your Exxon Mobil Gas Card balance online.

There are no phone numbers published for you to check your ExxonMobil Gas Card balance.

With thousands of Exxon stations and thousands of Mobil stations nationwide, you’re sure to find it easy to use your gas card when you need it. Exxon Mobil Gas Cards are redeemable at Exxon or Mobil gas stations in the US: check the Exxon Mobil station locator for one in your area (or where you’re going). Check out the Exxon Mobil Fuel Finder App, a GPS location and map application available as a mobile app.

To be the first to know when new, discounted ExxonMobil Gas Cards come in stock on Plastic Jungle, make sure to set an Exxon Mobil email alert. Exxon Mobil gas cards are valid at the pump and in ExxonMobil convenience stores, and when purchased or traded at Plastic Jungle, you’ll never pay service or shipping fees.

For the latest on Exxon Mobil Gas Cards Terms & Conditions, check the Exxon Mobil Gas Card page.

Sell Your Gift Card

Once you know your balance, you can sell or trade your gas card securely on Plastic Jungle. At Plastic Jungle, you can also trade any unused gift card for cash, or an Amazon.com Gift Card, or use it to donate the funds to charity (Gift Cards for Good—look for the green ribbon at checkout), or even fund a PayPal account.

To know how much your gift card is worth in exchange on Plastic Jungle, on the main page, click “Sell Gift Cards” at the top of the page. Look up the store and enter the gift card balance you’ve just acquired. You’ll see instantly what your gift card balance is worth in cash or trade.

Check other Plastic Jungle blog posts for the same “Check Your Gift Card Balance” information for other stores, including Sears, Land’s End, Macy’s, Best Buy, Lowe’s, and more.

If working on your taxes has worn the springs out your home-office chair, or you’ve run out of paper printing receipts, it’s time to pull out that Staples Gift Card and make some quick purchases to keep the momentum going. April 15^th is within shouting distance!

Staples’ online “Hot Deals Center” is a great place to find favorite products the store makes special purchases on. Today in Hot Deals, find a quality “managers” office chair for $89.99 or a case of 20 lb copy paper for $29.99 – a savings of $17.00 off the regular price. Or check the Staples Weekly Ad for local deals.

Save even more when you purchase a discounted Staples Gift Card or eCODE (eGift Card) on Plastic Jungle >>>

None in stock? Make sure to set a Staples email alert to be notified when they become available at Plastic Jungle. Remember, when purchased or traded at Plastic Jungle, you’ll never pay shipping fees on any gift card.

Check the Balance on Your Staples Gift Card or Staples eGift Card (eCODE)

In Store: You can check the balance at the register of any Staples store.

Online: Go to Staples online card-balance check tool.

Via Phone: Call Staples Customer Service at 1-888-609-6963. When you call, be sure to have your Staples Gift Card number and PIN in front of you.

Sell Your Gift Card or eGift Certificate

Once you know your balance, you can sell or trade your Staples Gift Card or Staples eGift Card securely on Plastic Jungle. At Plastic Jungle, you can also trade your Staples Gift Card for an Amazon.com Gift Card, use it to donate the funds to charity (Gift Cards for Good—look for the green ribbon at checkout), or even fund a PayPal account.

To know how much your gift card is worth in exchange on Plastic Jungle, on the main page, click “Sell Gift Cards” at the top of the page. Look up the store and enter the gift card balance you’ve just acquired. You’ll see instantly what your gift card balance is worth in cash or trade.

Check other Plastic Jungle blog posts for the same “Check Your Gift Card Balance” information for other stores, including Sears, Land’s End, Macy’s, Best Buy, Lowe’s, and more.

Let us know what your favorite Staples products are – is there something you get a great deal on at Staples, time after time? We’d love to hear your feedback!

If the price of gasoline seems scary, it’s probably time to start saving any way you can. The expense of going out to dinner might make you think twice about getting out and about, so getting a deal might make getting out more fun.

Of course, you can start by purchasing discounted gift cards to restaurants right here on Plastic Jungle. Chili’s is part of a restaurant group, called Brinker Restaurant Group, and you can use gift cards interchangeably between locations. Just click any of the restaurants in the list below to see if any discount gift cards are currently available for that restaurant.

Chili’s Grill & Bar

Romano’s Macaroni Grill

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina

Maggiano’s Little Italy

One gift card equals a lot of choice! Enjoy dining at over 1,500 Brinker Restaurants around the country. Check Brinker Restaurants Terms and Conditions page or Brinker Restaurants’ FAQ page for the latest details or offers on their gift cards.

Save at Chili’s, or any of the restaurants when you sign up for their email alerts. They often send coupons and specials, and right now, Chili’s is offering a free chips & queso appetizer coupon just for singing up.

Check the Balance on Your Brinker Restaurants Gift Card

Not sure how much is left on your Brinker Restaurants Gift Card?

Online: Go to Chili’s balance check tool to check any Brinker Restaurant card balance.

Phone: 1-888-532-6092. When you call, be sure to have your Brinker Restaurants Gift Card number and PIN in front of you.

In Restaurant: You can ask at the restaurants. See Brinker Restaurants’ Restaurant Locator

Once you know your balance, you can safely sell or trade your Chili’s or Brinker Restaurants Gift Card on Plastic Jungle. At Plastic Jungle, you can also trade your Chili’s or Brinker Restaurants Gift Card for an Amazon.com Gift Card and even fund your PayPal account.

To know how much your restaurant gift card is worth in exchange on Plastic Jungle, on the main page, click “Sell Gift Cards” at the top of the page. Look up Chili’s, enter the gift card balance you’ve just acquired, and you’ll see instantly what your gift card balance is worth in cash or trade.

Check other Plastic Jungle blog posts for the same “Check Your Gift Card Balance” information for other stores, including Sears, Land’s End, Macy’s, Best Buy, Lowe’s, and more.

Saving money is not always easy. Many of us have to weigh a cost of time : benefit ratio. It’s got to be simple, foolproof, and secure. We do our best to make the gift card-swap process as easy as it can be. Plus, Plastic Jungle offers a few ways to redeem your gift card. You can exchange your unused gift card for an Amazon.com Gift Card; for cold, hard cash; to fund a PayPal account; and you can even exchange your gift card for Facebook Credits.

More stores are taking PayPal as a method of payment on their websites. For example, the Abercrombie & Fitch network of clothing stores that also includes Hollister Co., and Gilly Hicks. While you can’t use the same gift card to pay at all three sites, you can use a PayPal account as payment at checkout at each of these stores. It becomes really efficient to exchange a gift card for instant PayPal account funding on Plastic Jungle and check out at Hollister in the same day you make the gift card swap.

Other online merchants who accept PayPal as payment include: Sears, Walmart, Best Buy, eBay, newegg.com, Delta Airlines, 1800Flowers.com, Zappos and many more. The PayPal Store Directory will give you a complete list of retailers who accept PayPal for payment.

Check the Plastic Jungle “Sell Gift Cards” page to see what the exchange value will be for your unused gift card.

Plastic Jungle’s Top 10 Gift Cards for January 2011 (in reverse order)

10. iTunes (down from #4 in December)

Check Plastic Jungle for Discounted iTunes Gift Cards >>

9. Nordstrom

Check Plastic Jungle for Discounted Nordstrom Gift Cards >>

8. Kohl’s

Check Plastic Jungle for Discounted Kohl’s Gift Cards >>

7. Apple Store

Check Plastic Jungle for Discounted Apple Store Gift Cards >>

6. Macy’s (down from #2 in December)

Check Plastic Jungle for Discounted Macy’s Gift Cards >>

5. Best Buy (up from #9 in December)

Check Plastic Jungle for Discounted Best Buy Gift Cards Now

4. Lowe’s (up from #10 in December)

Check Plastic Jungle for Discounted Lowe’s Gift Cards >>

Check Plastic Jungle for Discounted Target Gift Cards >>

2. Home Depot (up from #5 in December)

Check Plastic Jungle for Discounted Home Depot Gift Cards >>

Check Plastic Jungle for Discounted Walmart Gift Cards >>

View gift cards you loved in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, Fall 2010, and December 2010.

“Like No Other Store in the World”

The Bloomingdale's Flagship Store, New York City

In today’s “get-it-yesterday-on-sale” shopping climate, what drives anyone into a traditional department store, such as Bloomingdale’s?

Well, Bloomie’s has got the goods. It’s easy to find your favorite designer, because Bloomingdale’s lays out the store so that you shop by collection. Online, shop by boutiques, designer collection, or categories. Bloomie’s sales associates are set up to help you not only once, but to keep in touch, to let you know when sales are coming on your favorite items or designers. Called “clienteling”, this sales approach keeps you abreast of what’s new at the store, store events, and store sales.

The Bloomingdale’s flagship department store, a staple of New York City since 1930, stands at the corner of Lexington and 59^th streets just at the northern edge of Midtown Manhattan and the Upper East Side. Its artful trademark window displays attract visitors on the sidewalk, but as you approach the store you can’t help but admire the distinctive Art Deco building. In the ‘60s, Bloomingdale’s trademark “brown bag” shopping bags debuted, and then in the ‘70s the “bloomies”-stamped undies drove tourists to the store in droves. Thanks to this popularity, Bloomingdale’s delivered its haute taste and unique sales strategy around the country and now sports about 100 stores nationally, in addition to managing a robust online presence where current chic rules. Use Bloomingdale’s store locator to find one near you.

Bloomingdale’s discounts and Bloomingdale’s sales on all that cool designerwear can be happened upon, but Bloomie’s would prefer to call or email you with the news or the offer. You’ll have to register with Bloomingdale’s to get in on the deals. Or you could purchase a discounted Bloomingdale’s Gift Card or Bloomingdale’s eCODE here on Plastic Jungle.

As one of the hottest gift cards on Plastic Jungle, you’ll need to make sure to set a Bloomingdale’s email alert to be notified when new, discounted Bloomingdale’s Gift Cards and Bloomingdale’s E-Gift Cards become available. Bloomingdale’s Gift Cards and E-Gift Cards are valid for use at any Bloomingdale’s store, or online for goods at Bloomingdale’s.com. When Bloomingdale’s Gift Cards are purchased or traded at Plastic Jungle, you’ll never pay shipping or handling fees. For details on Bloomingdale’s Gift Cards, check the Bloomingdale’s Gift Card FAQ page.

Check the Balance on Your Bloomingdale’s Gift Card

Not sure how much is left on your Bloomingdale’s Gift Card?

• Check your Bloomingdale’s Gift Card or E-Gift Card balance online
• Call customer service at (800) 511-2752
• Ask at any Bloomingdale’s register

Once you know your balance, you can safely sell or trade your Bloomingdale’s Gift Card on Plastic Jungle.

The Benefits of Bloomingdale’s Gift Cards and E-Gift Cards

• Bloomingdale’s Gift Cards and E-Gift Cards both may be redeemed at Bloomingdale’s department stores, or at Bloomingdale’s.com
• Bloomingdale’s Gift Cards have no expiration date and no fees.
• For the latest terms and conditions, see the Bloomingdale’s Gift Card FAQ page.

Sell or Exchange Your Bloomingdale’s Gift Card on Plastic Jungle

Once you’ve acquired your Bloomingdale’s Gift Card balance, you can sell or exchange your Bloomingdale’s Gift Card to Plastic Jungle. At Plastic Jungle, you can also trade your Bloomingdale’s Gift Card for an Amazon.com Gift Card, Facebook credits (on Facebook.com), and even fund your PayPal account.

To know how much your Bloomingdale’s Gift Card is worth in exchange on Plastic Jungle, on the main page, click “Sell Gift Cards” at the top of the page. Look up “Bloomindale’s”, enter the gift card balance you’ve just acquired, and you’ll see instantly what your gift card balance is worth in cash or trade.

Check other Plastic Jungle blog posts for the same “Check Your Gift Card Balance” information for other stores, including Sears, Land’s End, Macy’s, Best Buy, Lowe’s, and more.

2/10/2011 It’s a Valentine’s weekend. I hope your reservations are made, your discounted gift cards are in-hand, and you’re ready for a sweet little weekend.

GRAMMY Fever

Justin Bieber and Usher at the Kids' Choice Awards

The 53^rd Annual GRAMMY awards are this Sunday, February 13^th (watch on CBS at 8 pm ET/PT). Promising to be a star-studded event, viewers can count on oddly paired (but definitely intriguing) tributes and performances by Bob Dylan, Justin Bieber, Arcade Fire, Lady Antebellum and many more musical artists. Need to start a GRAMMY pool or check your facts? Get the list of GRAMMY nominees, or check for past GRAMMY winners. I’m looking forward to the show – are you? Follow celebrity GRAMMY news on Twitter at #Grammys or check out @RedCarpet for E! Online’s coverage.

Check out with a discount at iTunes by getting a deal on an iTunes Gift Card, here at Plastic Jungle.

And the Winner Is?

That leads us to L’Oreal Paris’s Weekly Ultimate Red Carpet Experience Sweepstakes where entries can win one of eight weekly prizes of “Your Own Red Carpet Experience” Prize Package, consisting of a $250 Ticketmaster Gift Card, a $250 American Express Gift Card, and a L’Oreal Paris Gift Basket. The giveaway ends 6/30/2011; check sweepstakes rules for terms and conditions.

Get L’Oreal products now with discounted Walmart Gift Cards (free shipping).

Just for being a frugal follower on Facebook and Twitter, bargain blog BeFrugal.com is offering a BeFrugal.com $200 cash giveaway. Contest ends 2/23/2011, three entries per person; heck contest rules for details.

Woman’s Day magazine is host to the Target Amazon Kindle Wireless Reading Device Giveaway. If you’re a reader looking to lighten your shelves and the weight of a hardcover on your shoulder, click-through to win the Amazon Kindle reader from Target. The Kindle reader holds about 3,500 books. Contest ends 2/16/2011; check official Giveaway rules for details.

Need a Kindle now? Get a discount on a Target Gift Card (free shipping)–>

If you like decorating, travel, and entertaining, Elle Décor wants to get your attention. Check out the Elle Décor $115,000 Cash Sweepstakes Giveaway. There are 124 guaranteed winners in the sweepstakes, which ends 3/4/2011. Check Giveaway rules for details.

Have you won any gift cards yet? No doubt you still have some from the Holidays. If you’ve got a gift card and you need to check the balance, you can easily look up our “How to Check Balance” posts— just click on the category in our blog listing (on the right-hand side of the site page). Usually, you can find gift card balances by calling the number on the back of the card, or going to the merchant’s website and searching “Gift Card”. Once you know your balance, you can exchange, swap, or sell your gift card for cash here on Plastic Jungle.

We always want to know what you’re winning — whether it be a sweepstakes or when you’re just scoring extra savings by hitting a sale and using a discounted gift card. Let us know!

But first, you might grab yourself a deal!

The Winter Sale is on at “Nordie’s” (as they say) right now, offering deep discounts on the store’s general merchandise. There’s also a sale in Nordstrom’s Designer Collections, and Sweaters have taken a mark down. From Brass Plum to Tory Burch, it’s all for the taking. Lawd, it’s a good day to be shopping.

Through its excellence in customer service and talent at stocking its department stores with fashions finely suited to local tastes, Oprah’s go-to department store Nordstrom has made a name for itself among high-quality retailers. Shoes were once the highlight at the store; now designer collections and unique offerings bring customers back again and again at about 200 stores nationwide. Nordstrom Rack is the retailer’s discount outlet, offering clearance savings on the same chic brands and labels.

Nordstrom Deals

• Check for events and store locations (including Nordstrom Rack locations) at Nordstrom’s Store Locator.
• Be at the cutting edge of hot trends: get pre-season discounts at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sales or Half-Yearly sales events: check the Nordstrom FAQ page for this year’s sale dates.
• Register an online account to get email updates on Nordstrom sales and promotions in the departments you select.
• Shop the same great labels at Nordstrom Rack online!

Discounted Nordstrom Gift Cards and Virtual Gift Cards are Another Great Way to Save

Make sure to set an email notification and get an alert when new, discounted Nordstrom Gift Cards become available for purchase on Plastic Jungle. Nordstrom Gift Cards and Nordstrom Virtual Gift Cards are valid in stores, via phone orders, and online, and when purchased or traded at Plastic Jungle, you’ll never pay shipping fees. See “Benefits of Nordstrom Gift Cards”, below, for more on the store’s terms & conditions on the cards.

Check the Balance on Your Nordstrom Gift Card or Nordstrom Virtual Gift Card

Not sure how much is left on your Nordstrom Gift Card or Nordstrom Virtual Card? Check here:

STORES: Nordstrom Gift Cards and Virtual Gift Cards are valid at Nordstrom & Nordstrom Rack Stores. Check the Nordstrom Store Locator online for one near you.
ONLINE: Use the “Check Gift Card Balance” tool at Nordstrom online
PHONE: 1-877-283-4045, or try Nordstrom Customer Service at 1-888-282-6060. When you call, be sure to have your Gift Card number and PIN in front of you.

Once you know your balance, you can safely sell or trade your Nordstrom Gift Card or Nordstrom Virtual Gift Card on Plastic Jungle.

Sell or Exchange Your Nordstrom Gift Card or Nordstrom Virtual Gift Card on Plastic Jungle

Once you’ve acquired your Nordstrom Gift Card or Nordstrom Virtual Gift Card balance, you can sell or exchange your Nordstrom Gift Card to Plastic Jungle. At Plastic Jungle, you can also trade your Nordstrom Gift Card for an Amazon.com Gift Card, Facebook credits (on Facebook.com), and even fund your PayPal account.

To know how much your Nordstrom Gift Card or Nordstrom Virtual Gift Card is worth in exchange on Plastic Jungle, on the main page, click “Sell Gift Cards” at the top of the page. Look up “Nordstrom”, enter the gift card balance you’ve just acquired, and you’ll see instantly what your gift card balance is worth in cash or trade.

Check other Plastic Jungle blog posts for the same “Check Your Gift Card Balance” information for other stores, including Sears, Land’s End, Macy’s, Best Buy, Lowe’s, and more.

The Benefits of Nordstrom Gift Cards

Check the Nordstrom Gift Cards and Nordstrom Virtual Gift Cards pages for details on possible terms & conditions on the gift cards.

• Nordstrom Gift Cards and Nordstrom Virtual Gift Cards may be redeemed at Nordstrom department stores and Nordstrom Rack stores, via phone order (1-888-282-6060), and online at Nordstrom.com as well.
• Nordstrom Gift Cards and Nordstrom Virtual Gift Cards have no expiration date and no transaction fees. Plastic Jungle charges no shipping fees.
• You may add value to Nordstrom Gift Cards and Nordstrom Virtual Gift Cards in stores at any time.

Secondary Gift Card Economy Sees Significant Growth in 2010

Plastic Jungle Reports Exponential Surge in Holiday Business and Consumer Trends Toward Electronic Payouts

SAN JOSE, CA–(Marketwire – January 20, 2011) – New data released today reveals that as the gift card economy continues to grow, consumers are increasingly looking to buy and sell previously-issued gift cards. The data, released by Plastic Jungle, the web’s largest secured gift card exchange, shows that consumers are now using secondary gift card marketplaces more than ever to extend their purchasing power and receive extra value at their favorite merchants.

Merchant-issued — or closed loop — gift cards now represent $90 billion of the U.S. economy. An estimated $30 billion in gift cards are unredeemed at any given time. Plastic Jungle helps consumers get the most value out of gift cards by allowing them to sell unredeemed gift cards for up to 92% of the gift card value, buy gift cards at their favorite stores for savings up to 30%, or donate the value of their unused cards to their favorite cause. Plastic Jungle has also enabled users to exchange gift cards for payment value which can be used at the millions of merchants that accept PayPal and for virtual currency which can be used at thousands of online games on social networks, such as Facebook.

During the 2010 calendar year, Plastic Jungle reports that gift card value sold on the website exceeded $10 million, an increase of 5 times over 2009.

“We are pleased to see that users are beginning to fully realize the extra value potential in gift cards,” said Bruce Bower, CEO of Plastic Jungle. “This holiday season was a perfect example of the growing popularity in buying and selling gift cards, and we know we helped Plastic Jungle users stretch their holiday dollars further.” During the 2010 holiday season, Plastic Jungle saw huge upticks in traffic and delivered nearly 6 times the gift card sales volume over the same period in 2009. Additionally, registered users nearly doubled in Q4 2010.

Plastic Jungle’s innovations have also sparked an increased interest in alternative payouts, and especially in electronic payouts. Plastic Jungle’s newly launched PayPal application on the Plastic Jungle website allows customers to sell their gift cards and to have funds quickly transferred into their PayPal account. In the two weeks following the December 23 launch, nearly one third of Plastic Jungle’s payout volume was processed into users’ PayPal accounts.

“Third-party developers like Plastic Jungle have truly harnessed the possibilities for payments innovation, and we’re pleased that PayPal users are responding enthusiastically to the application on the Plastic Jungle website,” said Damon Hougland, PayPal’s senior director of PayPal X. “We look forward to seeing even more PayPal users benefit and recapture the money often left idle in their gift cards.”

During the same two week period following the PayPal application launch, Plastic Jungle users took advantage of additional electronic payout options on the website; the share of Amazon.com Gift Card payout transactions jumped by nearly 30 percent.

For the 2010 calendar year, gift cards for big-box and department stores were the most transacted. Walmart proved to be the most popular card, followed by Home Depot, Target, Macy’s and iTunes. During the 2010 holiday season, Walmart was again the most popular card, followed by Macy’s, Sears, iTunes and Home Depot. Electronic representations of gift cards — or eCodes — represented more than 20 percent of total Plastic Jungle sales during the holiday season.

Plastic Jungle improves efficiency in the merchant issued gift cards market by redistributing gift cards to their highest and best use, taking gift cards from less productive consumers and selling them to a merchant’s most enthusiastic customer set.

Read the press release on Marketwire:  Secondary Gift Card Economy Sees Significant Growth in 2010

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.