Raise Review 2025: Pros, Cons and How It Works (2026)

Trying to make the most of raise review pros cons? You are in the right place. Below we break it down in plain English, with practical tips you can actually use.

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Raise is a marketplace where you can sell a gift card you don't want, or purchase a gift card to a major retailer at a discount. Here's how it works and what you need to know before using Raise.

Written by Trinity Owen Last Updated: April 1, 2025

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Have you ever wondered what happens to old gift card balances that never get used?

Sadly, they frequently either expire or are forgotten forever. This is excellent news for big retailers like Walmart and Target.

Think about the millions of dollars that shoppers spend on gift cards each year. Even a small percentage of that kind of money is massive.

As consumers who forget about gift cards, we’re basically handing out free loans to major companies. And what’s worse, we’re never asking those companies to pay the loans back (by using the gift cards).

But that’s not the subject we’re diving into today. In this review of Raise Marketplace, Inc., I am going to share exactly how to never waste another unused gift card and how to benefit from the gift cards that others don’t need.

Enter Raise.

What Is Raise And How Does It Work?

Raise is an online marketplace for both digital and physical gift cards. You can frequently find Raise gift cards at a discounted rate between 1% and 30%. Think about this for a minute. If you purchased a discounted gift card before making any major (or even minor) purchase, you can save big money with Raise gift cards.

Stack these discounts with store deals and cash back apps for an even bigger chunk of change back in your pocket.

Stores Found on Raise Marketplace

Because Raise is an open marketplace, there is no limitation as to what type of gift card you can purchase or sell. Keep in mind that the more popular a store, the lower the discount and the higher the competition.

You will frequently find popular brands like these on Raise (and numerous numerous more):

• Best Purchase
• Lowe's
• Nike
• Macy's
• Sears
• Kohl's
• Airbnb

• Cabela's
• iTunes
• Target
• Walmart
• Starbucks
• JCPenney

I have noticed, however, that gift cards to the more popular stores get snatched up quickly no matter how little they are discounted. That’s because people shop at these stores all the time (with or without the savings).

If you could get a 1 to 5% discount every time you shopped at Target, that extra saving would add up in time!

Additionally, keep in mind that discounted gift cards do not need to be purchased as gifts. You can literally purchase them for household purchases just to save money! I’ll share more about this later.

Related: Top 10 Best Shopping Apps for Epic Savings in 2025

Is Raise Legit?

Raise Marketplace is 100% legit. I know this because I have used Raise for more than 3 years now and I’ve never been swindled.

Raise even promises a fantastic 1 Year Money-Back Guarantee on gift cards that are not active, hold an inaccurate balance, are not as described or are not received within 30 days (physical gift card orders).

In my 3 years using Raise to purchase and sell discounted gift cards, I contacted them two times regarding a specific local coffee shop. When I purchased the gift cards, they mysteriously arrived with no balance.

Raise immediately issued a refund with no question or hesitation. Was I sad that I couldn’t get discounted coffee? Yes. But was I happy with Raise’s customer service? Also yes.

How to Use Raise

Using Raise Marketplace as a buyer and/or seller is extremely simple. Here are the steps.

How to sell gift cards on Raise

1. Sign up for a free Raise account.
2. On the top navigation bar, select “SELL GIFT CARDS.”
3. Enter the store name of the card you wish to sell (name typically populates) and select “GET STARTED.”
4. Enter the serial number, PIN, card balance and selling cost of your card and select “Continue Listing.”
5. Review the details entered and list your card!

The amount that sellers discount their cards largely depend on current competition. For example, if other cards from a certain store or restaurant are selling at a 5% discount, you may choose to list your card at a 5.1% discount so that your card filters to the top of the list.

Raise gift cards can sell almost instantly or they may never sell. As you list your card, Raise will show the going discount rates for other gift cards to the same store. If you list your card at the lowest rate, it is likely to sell quickly if it’s a recognizable brand.

How to purchase gift cards on Raise

1. On the top navigation bar, select “Purchase GIFT CARDS.”
2. Enter the store name of the card you wish to purchase (name typically populates) and select the desired result.
3. Filter the results by discount percent (highest to lowest) to view the best deals. Or filter the gift cards by balance if you need a specific amount (discounted rates will vary).
4. Select “Purchase Now” on the card of choice.
5. Visit your Raise cart to complete your order by selecting the shopping cart icon and then selecting “Review and Checkout.”
6. Complete your payment details and opt to save them for next time for a quick checkout experience.
7. Physical cards are mailed to the address provided and digital eGift cards are stored in your Raise account and sent to your email address.

Because Raise gift cards are listed on a live marketplace and sell out at any time, it’s key to complete your order within 10 minutes of adding gift cards to your cart. Raise will only reserve gift cards for a short amount of time before returning them to the live marketplace to give others a chance to purchase them.

You can also save stores to your favorites list or sign up for email alerts so that you never miss new discounted cards.

More Ways to Purchase Discounted Gift Cards

Within the last year, Raise branched out with its business methods and offered an additional opportunity for its members to save money on gift cards.

Raise pay allows you to purchase a gift card and send to the recipient of your choice (including yourself) and receive Raise cash to use toward future gift card purchases. This means that even if no one is selling a gift card to the store you need, you can still purchase a gift card at full cost and receive Raise cash in return.

At the time of the writing of this Raise review, 154 brands are listed in the section of stores that allow you to earn Raise Cash. Additional Raise gift cards will be added to this area as they become available.

How to Earn Raise Cash

1. On the top navigation bar, select “EARN RAISE CASH.”
2. Enter the name of the store you wish to purchase a gift card to (name populates if available on Raise Pay) and select the desired result.
3. Enter the exact amount of the gift card you’d like to purchase and select “Purchase NOW” (Raise instantly calculates the amount of Raise cash you’ll earn).
4. Review your order details and select “SUBMIT ORDER.”

When using Raise to purchase discounted gift cards, always compare the Raise Cash percentage against the discount percentage on the Raise Marketplace. You may want to go with the best value in order to save the most money!

Keep in mind that the Raise Marketplace offers an immediate discount whereas Raise Cash offers a credit to be used toward a future gift card purchase. Know the difference because it may affect your buying decision.

How Buying Gift Cards Can Save Money

By now you may be wondering how buying gift cards can actually save you money.

First, it’s key to ignore the fact that these are “

Final Thoughts

Before you check out, double-check raise review pros cons against current offers and any coupons you can stack. Small habits like this add up to real savings over a year.

Originally published at dollarsprout.com.