Chester businessman sets up new gift card recycling scheme

Apr 15 2010 by Antonia Merola, Chester Chronicle

UNWANTED gift cards can now be sold, traded or donated on a new website.

Finance industry worker, Allan Brown, has launched www.giftcardconverter.co.uk and plans to establish an office in either Chester or Liverpool.

Research shows the UK gift card market is worth about £3.2bn a year, but it is estimated that up to a quarter of gift cards go unspent.

Chester-based Mr Brown, who has worked at Bank of America and HBOS, said his site will allow consumers to either sell unwanted cards, trade them for more desirable cards, or donate them to charity.

“We want consumers to make sure retailers don’t benefit from cards gathering dust in purses, wallets and sock drawers around the UK.”

He said the concept of buying, selling and trading gift cards is popular in the USA and Gift Card Converter is aiming to become a consumer champion in the UK.

The site will take a commission from cards sold or traded, but not from charity donations.

“Listing is free, we only charge sellers once their card is sold. We only charge 10% of the selling price of the card and we will deduct this from the cheque we send you once the card is sold.”