CardCash
CardCash operates a secondary gift card marketplace where consumers buy discounted gift cards (up to 35% off) and sell unwanted cards for cash (up to 92% of face value) across 1,100+ retailers, generating revenue primarily through marketplace spreads and affiliate distribution.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersBrick, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What CardCash does
CardCash operates a secondary gift card marketplace where individual consumers and enterprises buy discounted gift cards (up to 35% off face value) and sell unwanted cards for cash (up to 92% of face value) across 1,100+ retailers. Founded in 2009 by Elliot Bohm and Marc Ackerman in Brick, New Jersey, the platform now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Giftify, Inc., which completed the acquisition in December 2023. CardCash.com serves as the flagship storefront, complemented by native iOS and Android apps, the CardCash Incentives and uChoose rewards platforms, and the Enterprise Exchange Program (white-label). Giftify has extended the company's footprint through the 2023 Restaurant.com merger and the May 2025 acquisition of Takeout7, Inc. for $609,000.
The platform's underlying technology centers on proprietary fraud-detection models and AI agents that automate order review. In Q1 2026, enhanced fraud models reduced fraud-related declines by 56% year-over-year while maintaining approval rates above 96% across 100,000+ processed orders, with the second AI agent deployed that quarter. Supporting integrations include Buy Now, Pay Later via Zip, instant seller payouts via Onbe, and legacy BitPay cryptocurrency acceptance. CardCash runs an effective multi-channel GTM combining direct e-commerce, content marketing, paid digital (2.75x–3.14x ROAS), and affiliate/distribution partnerships — most notably a Capital One Shopping partnership launching April 2026 through Rakuten that exposes the marketplace to tens of millions of US users.
The business model is a two-sided marketplace spread plus affiliate revenue. Q1 2026 gross billings of $45 million (25% YoY growth) generated 19.9% gross margin, implying net revenue in the mid-to-high single-digit millions per quarter. Customer segments span value-conscious individual buyers, gift-card sellers, and enterprise bulk programs. Distribution is concentrated in the US market, with an affiliate-led channel motion driving 2026 record affiliate growth. The parent Giftify reported a FY2025 net loss of approximately $10.5M with a going-concern qualification in SEC filings — a material capital-structure risk that contrasts with the operating business's growth trajectory.
CardCash firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CardCash
- Legal name
- Giftify, Inc.
- Website
- https://cardcash.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- CardCash operates a secondary gift card marketplace where consumers buy discounted gift cards (up to 35% off) and sell unwanted cards for cash (up to 92% of face value) across 1,100+ retailers, generating revenue primarily through marketplace spreads and affiliate distribution.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CardCash industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Gift Card Marketplace
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gift Card Processing, Issuance Platforms & Aggregators (FSAMANAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Multi-Merchant / Shopping Mall Gift Cards (FSAMANAC)
Keywords
Where CardCash is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brick
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CardCash business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Gift Card Transaction Spread: CardCash operates a two-sided marketplace buying gift cards from sellers (paying up to 92% of face value) and selling to buyers at discounts (up to 35% off face value). The company captures the spread between buy and sell prices as its primary revenue source.
- Affiliate & Distribution Partnerships: Revenue generated through affiliate network partnerships (Rakuten) and distribution deals (Capital One Shopping flat fee plus commission structure). CardCash's affiliate channel reported record growth in 2026.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Buyer discount pricing - up to 35% off face value |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Seller payout - up to 92% of face value |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Bulk enterprise programs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
CardCash product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CardCash operates a two-sided secondary gift card marketplace that buys unwanted gift cards from consumers at up to 92% of face value and resells them to buyers at discounts of up to 35% off across 1,100+ retailers. The platform also offers bulk enterprise programs for businesses needing large quantities of discounted gift cards or seeking to monetize excess inventory, plus white-label exchange partnerships.
Product overview
CardCash operates a secondary gift card marketplace as the core platform (CardCash.com), enabling consumers to buy discounted gift cards (up to 35% off across 1,100+ retailers) and sell unwanted cards for cash (up to 92% value). The company, acquired by Giftify, Inc. in December 2023, complements its flagship marketplace with mobile applications (iOS/Android), enterprise programs (Bulk Buy, Bulk Sell, Exchange Program), incentive platforms (CardCash Incentives, uChoose), and the acquired Restaurant.com dining deals brand. The platform also integrates Buy Now, Pay Later via Zip, Bitcoin payments via BitPay, and instant payouts via Onbe, with ongoing investment in AI-powered fraud detection and autonomous order review agents.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CardCash Incentives: Incentive program for bulk gift card purchases
- uChoose by CardCash
- Restaurant.com
Products and services
- CardCash.com Marketplace Primary gift card exchange marketplace enabling users to buy discounted gift cards (up to 35% off) and sell unwanted gift cards (up to 92% cash value) across 1,100+ retailers including Walmart, Target, Starbucks, and restaurants.
- CardCash Mobile App iOS and Android mobile application enabling users to buy, sell, and manage gift cards on the go, with digital wallet functionality to view purchased cards and access CardCash Incentives and uChoose rewards programs.
- CardCash Bulk Buy Program Enterprise solution for businesses to purchase discounted gift cards in bulk quantities for employee rewards, corporate gifts, and incentive programs.
- CardCash Bulk Sell Program Enterprise solution for businesses to sell large volumes of gift cards for cash, monetizing excess inventory through bulk exchange programs.
- CardCash Exchange Program White-label gift card exchange platform enabling partners to transform their own customers into marketplace users through a CardCash-powered exchange solution.
- CardCash Incentives Incentive and rewards platform powered by CardCash for partner integration, offering bulk gift card purchasing for employee rewards and incentive programs.
- uChoose by CardCash Choice-based incentive platform offering personalized gift card selection for rewards programs, allowing recipients to choose from multiple merchant options.
- Restaurant.com Restaurant-focused digital deals platform offering dining deals and restaurant gift cards, acquired by Giftify, Inc. in December 2023 as part of expansion into dining deals.
Quantifiable outcome
- Q1 2026 gross billings of $45 million, up 25% year-over-year
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use CardCash
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CardCash technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability3 records
Feature3 records
CardCash partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Capital One ShoppingcoreDistribution partnership launching April 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026, making CardCash's discounted gift card inventory available to tens of millions of Capital One Shopping US users. The deal is structured as flat fee plus commission through the Rakuten affiliate network, aligning incentives for both platforms. CardCash expects strong year-over-year growth in net sales and average order value from this partnership.
- RakutencoreAffiliate network partner through which CardCash's Capital One Shopping distribution deal flows. Rakuten's affiliate channel reported record growth for CardCash in 2026 in both net sales and average order value.
- Capital One Shopping (via Rakuten)coreCardCash's partnership with Capital One Shopping was facilitated through Rakuten affiliate network, creating a three-way distribution agreement. The deal provides Capital One Shopping users access to CardCash's discounted gift card inventory with performance-based upside tied to actual sales.
- ZipsupportingBuy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) partnership integrated into CardCash checkout. Zip allows customers to split CardCash purchases into interest-free installments, providing payment flexibility while CardCash maintains the same great savings. This targets Gen Z and Millennials seeking flexible payment options.
- OnbesupportingPartnership with Onbe, a corporate payouts platform, to introduce instant payouts on virtual card redemptions. This revolutionized the gift card exchange experience by enabling instant virtual card payouts to sellers.
- Gift of CollegesupportingPartnership to launch Cashback for College initiative, allowing customers to earn money for college when purchasing gift cards from hundreds of brands. The Giving product is an innovative mobile payment solution bringing together shoppers, brands, and charitable causes.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CardCash competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Raise: Raise is one of the largest direct competitors to CardCash, operating a secondary gift card marketplace where consumers can buy and sell unwanted gift cards at a discount. Both platforms compete head-to-head for the same buyer and seller supply with similar take-rate economics.
- Cardpool: Cardpool is a secondary gift card exchange where users can sell or buy unwanted gift cards at a discount, operating a near-identical two-sided marketplace model to CardCash.
- Gift Card Granny: Gift Card Granny is a gift card exchange aggregator that lets consumers compare discounts across multiple secondary marketplaces. It competes directly with CardCash for both buyer traffic and seller supply, and also serves as an indirect comparison-shopping channel.
- Gyft: Gyft (owned by First Data / Fiserv) is a digital gift card platform that enables buying, sending, and reloading gift cards, and has historically operated in the secondary/resale space. It competes with CardCash on digital gift card discovery and mobile-first buying.
Broad incumbents
- GiftCards.com: GiftCards.com is a broader gift card retailer (primary and resale) offering custom and discounted cards across many merchants. It overlaps with CardCash on the discounted/secondary side but is a larger incumbent across the full gift card value chain.
- eBay (Gift Cards Category): eBay operates a large secondary gift card marketplace alongside its broader e-commerce platform, providing C2C supply at competing discounts. It competes with CardCash for sellers seeking maximum payout and for buyers seeking the deepest discount.
- PayPal Honey: PayPal Honey aggregates coupon codes, cash back, and discounted gift card offers through a browser extension, competing with CardCash for the value-conscious consumer's wallet on the demand side and channeling demand through affiliate-style relationships.
Emerging players
- Bitrefill: Bitrefill operates a marketplace for buying gift cards and mobile top-ups with cryptocurrency, overlapping with CardCash's secondary/aggregator model in the digital gift card space, particularly for crypto-native users.
- Plastic Jungle: Plastic Jungle was a direct predecessor in the secondary gift card exchange space and was actually acquired by CardCash in 2014, illustrating the category overlap. It is included as a historical/peer reference point for the same model.
Regional players
- Coinstar (gift card exchange kiosks): Coinstar offers in-person gift card exchange kiosks where consumers can convert unused gift cards to cash, providing an offline alternative to CardCash's online marketplace in physical retail locations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CardCash social profiles
Digital presenceCardCash compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
CardCash financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CardCash leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
CardCash subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
CardCash funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CardCash M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CardCash
What does CardCash do?
CardCash operates a two-sided secondary gift card marketplace that buys unwanted gift cards from consumers at up to 92% of face value and resells them to buyers at discounts of up to 35% off across 1,100+ retailers. The platform also offers bulk enterprise programs for businesses needing large quantities of discounted gift cards or seeking to monetize excess inventory, plus white-label exchange partnerships.
Is CardCash a public or private company?
CardCash is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was CardCash founded?
CardCash was founded in 2009. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is CardCash based?
CardCash is headquartered in Brick, United States, in the North America region.
How does CardCash make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Gift Card Transaction Spread is the primary driver. The others are affiliate & Distribution Partnerships.
Who are CardCash's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Raise, Cardpool, Gift Card Granny and Gyft. Broad incumbents are GiftCards.com, eBay (Gift Cards Category) and PayPal Honey. Emerging players are Bitrefill and Plastic Jungle. Coinstar (gift card exchange kiosks) is listed as a regional player.
Does CardCash have an API?
No public API is recorded for CardCash.
What industry is CardCash in?
CardCash's product category is Gift Card Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMANAL, Gift Card Processing, Issuance Platforms & Aggregators, with a secondary code of FSAMANAC, Multi-Merchant / Shopping Mall Gift Cards.