Everything I end up
explaining twice a day.
Six things worth knowing before you trade.
How to find out which region your gift card is from
The single most common question I get, and the thing that changes your rate more than anything else.
- Check the currency symbol. $ usually means US (but also CA, AU — check further). £ is UK. € is one of several European countries.
- Look at the email it arrived in. The sender address is the giveaway: amazon.com is US, amazon.co.uk is UK, amazon.de is Germany.
- Read the small print on a physical card. The back almost always names the country and the terms of redemption.
- Check the card length and format. Some brands use different code formats per region.
- Still stuck? Send me a photo. I identify these all day and it takes me seconds.
E-code or physical card — what actually changes
Both are real, both are tradeable, but they behave differently and are priced differently.
- An e-code arrives by email or SMS as text. Nothing physical exists. It settles fastest because I can verify it the moment you send it.
- A physical card is plastic, with a scratch panel hiding the code. It needs handling, photographs, and carries the risk of a damaged panel or a code that was already scratched off in the shop.
- Never scratch the panel until a rate is agreed. An unscratched card is worth more and is far easier to prove is unused.
- When you do send photos, send the front, the back, and the code clearly — but only after we have agreed the number.
Why a purchase receipt gets you a better rate
People assume I ask for the receipt to be difficult. It is actually the easiest way for you to earn more.
- A receipt proves the card was bought legitimately, with a real payment method, by a real person.
- The main risk in this business is a card that gets reversed weeks later because it was bought with stolen card details. That risk gets priced into every quote.
- A receipt removes most of that risk — so the price I can offer goes up. It is that simple.
- The receipt can be the order confirmation email, a screenshot of the order page, or a shop till receipt for a physical card.
- No receipt is not a dealbreaker. Plenty of cards are gifts and never came with one. It just means the quote reflects the extra risk.
How to spot a gift card scam in Bangladesh
The patterns repeat. Once you have seen them, they are obvious.
- The too-good rate. Nobody pays well above market out of kindness.
- The urgency. “Send now, another buyer is waiting.” Pressure exists to stop you thinking.
- The check-first request. Asking for the code before agreeing a rate is not a balance check, it is a request for your card.
- The chain deal. Any structure where your payment depends on you sending a second card first.
- The channel switch. Being moved to a new number mid-deal, or a “colleague” taking over the chat.
- Full detail, plus what to do if it happens to you, is on the safety page.
My card says it was already redeemed. What now?
It happens, and it is not always a scam. Here is how to work out what went wrong.
- Check whether you or someone in your family already used it. Genuinely the most common answer, especially with App Store and Google Play cards.
- Ask whoever sent it to you. If it was a gift, the sender may have redeemed it to their own account by mistake, or bought it long ago and forgotten.
- Check the region. A card can look “invalid” simply because it is being checked against the wrong country’s store.
- If you bought it, contact the retailer with your receipt. Legitimate retailers do investigate, and some will replace a card that was compromised before you received it.
- If it was sold to you by an individual, you have most likely been scammed. Report it with screenshots, in the group and to Facebook.
Selling a gift card you received as a gift
The most common situation in Bangladesh, and the one people worry about unnecessarily.
- There is nothing wrong with selling a gift card that was given to you. It is yours.
- A relative sending an App Store card from abroad for Eid, a client paying a freelancer in an Amazon card, a tournament prize in Razer Gold — all completely normal, all tradeable.
- You will not have a receipt, and that is fine. Say so upfront and the quote will reflect it.
- Do check it hasn’t already been redeemed before you agree a rate, especially if it has been sitting in a drawer for a year.
- If you know which country the sender bought it in, mention that — it saves working out the region.
The words people use, in plain language.
The amount printed on the card — $100, £50. What the card is worth in its own store, not what it is worth in taka.
The percentage of face value you get paid. A $100 card at 70% pays you the taka equivalent of $70.
A gift card that exists only as text, delivered by email or SMS. No plastic involved.
The secret code that redeems the card. Once it is seen, it can be used — which is why it is never posted publicly.
A card only works in the country it was issued for. A US card cannot be redeemed on the UK store.
The silver strip on a physical card hiding the code. Once scratched, the card is much harder to prove unused.
Proof of purchase. Raises your rate because it removes risk for the buyer.
When a card’s original payment is reversed by the bank, killing the gift card — often weeks later. The reason stolen cards are refused.
Several cards traded together, usually at a better rate than one at a time.
Verifying that a card is live and holds the amount claimed, before payment is sent.
Peer to peer — an individual trading directly with another individual rather than through a company.
A trusted third party holding value until both sides deliver. In this market that role is usually played by reputation, not software.