Have you ever wondered what you could do with all of your unused gift cards? While spending them is the easiest approach, there are two other ways growing in popularity. Those ways are to either exchange your plastic for another that has a higher likelihood of getting used or simply sell it for cash.

When it comes to trading or getting cash for your gift card the idea is really nothing new. While in the past, there may have only been a couple of places that consumers could go and look to find a good deal, today there are literally thousands of websites that are available. As the numbers of sites continue to increase, cardholders are finding that there are great deals as a result of the growing competition in the gift card market. Now consumers can find many websites that are looking to pay top dollar (60 – 90%) for unused gift cards depending on a number of factors. In many cases those factors include the available balance amount, brand name that the gift card is associated with, and the time of the year (seasonal products).

While it may seem that the gift card selling or trading market would not needed, when looking at the numbers of gift cards that go unused one can see why this market is continuing to draw interest. Reports show that on average around $73 billion is spent using gift cards each year with an estimated $6.8 billion going unused. The amount that goes unused for a prolonged period of time in many cases are either reverted back to the retailer (where it is counted as revenue) or is collected by the state where the gift card was issued.

As things start to warm up all over the United States, millions of people have started to get ready for the busy travel season that lies ahead. While in many cases the travel is fun and relaxing, in others it will be quite different. As credit card theft has risen every year, this year will most likely be the same. For those that don’t check their credit card statement closely, traveling can be more of a headache once you get back home and find that unauthorized purchases have been made with your account.

According to an article entitled "Staying in a Hotel? Watch your Credit Cards", it looks like credit card thieves are eagerly targeting hotels for hopes of paying for goods at your expense. While you may think that thieves are looking for hotel patrons to simply leave a door unlocked or put a purse or wallet down; the thefts occur in a much different way. This way is not as personal and includes hacking into the hotel’s computer network. When it comes to why hotels are becoming more prone to card theft, in most cases it is because many are often poorly protected against these types of dangers.  Once a thief gets into the hotels network they can then go and collect credit card information that is stored along with any other personal information that is needed to make purchases.

So what can you do to protect yourself from thieves focusing on hotels? Unfortunately there is not much, but there is plenty you can do to make sure you have not become a victim. One of the most important things that cardholders can do is simply keep an eye on your statement shortly after traveling. While this is good to do on any occasion, it is especially a good thing to do following any traveling that may have been done.

When it comes to giving to those that are less fortunate, what is the first thing that comes to mind? In many cases it is simply giving some monetary amount to a favorite charity or organization hoping that the donation will help those in need. While in the past this method was one of the most popular choices, things are constantly changing and companies like American Express have decided to do more. Now programs like the “Member Project” are leading the way, and simply giving money to charities in much more involved.

For American Express there are many ways to help give to those in need; and believe it or not, it is not all about using your credit card to make purchases. One of those ways, which was recently announced, is by simply performing volunteer work. By volunteering at participating organizations cardholders earn up to 500 reward points for every hour, up to a total of 10,000 points. If you are not a rewards cardholder there is no need to fret, as you can still donate the points you would earn to charities instead, by going through their giving interface located at AmericanExpress.com/give.

Another great way to give to those in need is by simply giving a few minutes of your time to vote at TakePart.com/MembersProject. Here cardholders are able to vote once a week for their favorite charity or the charity that they believe needs financial support. Every quarter, five charities are chosen and each receives $200,000. While you may not find the specific charity you are looking for, you will definitely find one that well deserving of the contribution and will put it to good use.

As the newest laws set by the Federal Reserve concerning overdraft fees are scheduled to take effect July 1, 2010, many researches and experts have been waiting to see how banks would react. While in the past, banks have decided to make drastic changes to help make up for what could be a potential revenue loss (good example being credit cards), nothing major has been reported as of yet. Instead the biggest news so far has been by Bank of America, which stated they have decided to do a little something extra to help ensure that consumers don’t spend more than what is in their account.

Under the regulations set to take place in the next couple of months, banks will not be allowed to charge overdraft fees unless the customer first gives permission by opting in to the service. In Bank of America’s case instead of just stopping overdraft fees until consumer have decided to opt in; they have decided to not allow any debit card purchases to go through if there is not enough money in the user’s account. While this is directed solely toward card purchases, cardholders will have to opt in to pay a fee at the ATM for withdrawing more than their avaliable balance for ATM transactions. As for when the change in bank members’ terms will go into effect; for new accounts the date is June 19, while existing accounts have to wait until early August.

When going to and beyond what is required by law, Bank of America has been one of the few financial institutions that make public announcements on exceeding what is going to be necessary. When looking back, they also were the first one to let it be known that they were no longer going to raise interest rates on their credit cards. They also made public statements on the restructuring of their credit card statements that were simplified to give cardholders a better understanding of what was owed.

When it comes to the way that millions of consumers are paying for goods and services, there has been a major shift in the world of plastic. While at one time consumers on average carried around four credit cards, in today’s economic environment many are carrying just one. Instead people are opting to use cash and other forms of alternative payment methods such as prepaid cards, which are growing in usage month after month.

As for the potential that prepaid cards have, there is no better indication than numbers reported by one prepaid issuer for the month of February. It was reported that NetSpend, one of the largest prepaid card companies within the United States, hit a record number for the amount that cardholders deposit on prepaid plastic. That record breaking amount was around $1.04 billion, and surprisingly that number could just be the beginning of what prepaid card issuers could see moving forward into 2010.

When it comes to the amount of money loaded on re-loadable prepaid cards in one given month, the billion dollar number is an industry first; but it seems that many have expected it for some time. While prepaid cards have been around for some time now, it was not until very recently that consumers started to heavily depend on them more than their credit cards or cash. What started out as being heavily targeted toward the un-banked and underbanked has spread to the average consumer (including students). With prepaid debit cards, cardholders still get the convenience of using plastic to make purchases, without the interest rates associated with credit cards.

When it comes to your privacy, what companies do you believe rank the highest at protecting your personal information and data? While the answer will probably be different for many, there is one company that has been a consumer’s favorite for the past five years. That company is American Express and being the most trusted company in the United States is just one of the many distinctions that they have garnered.

In a post written earlier entitled "American Express Claims Happiest Cardholders", American Express was listed on a J.D. Power and Associates survey as the issuer with the happiest cardholders. While that was well before the drastic changes millions have seen with their card accounts, it now seems that consumers are ranking them among the best when it comes to another group of companies, and this time it is for privacy according to the Ponemon Institute’s annual Most Trusted Companies for Privacy Study. While the happiest cardholders’ list comprised solely of the U.S. largest issuers, this time well known companies such as IBM, Wal-mart, Hewlett Packard, and E-Bay were in the running.

Over the last two years we have hit record numbers of consumers’ personal information or data being breach or collected, and 2010 will probably be up there as new technology and payment methods are being created. For this reason identity theft and credit card fraud is defiantly something that majority if not all Americans are worried about. For any company, a person’s trust on whether or not they think that their information is safe plays a vital role. As many cardholders see American Express as a safe company to do business with, it will help them increase cardholders especially if factors such as interest rates and fees are equal.

What started out as simple and intriguing ways to get rid of your credit card and move your money somewhere else is now something that has spawned "credit card revolts" around the country.  According to an article entitled "Banks, Credit Card Issuers Face Simmering Uprising", the most recent action of the ever-growing credit card revolt is that of a movement entitled, "Move Your Money". Under this campaign, organizers are utilizing the anger that millions have toward big banks and credit card issuers, and are encouraging the move of their finances to both credit unions and smaller community banks.

When it comes to why movements like these have been growing everyday, consumers don’t have to look too far. Websites such as youtube.com have literally millions of videos where cardholders have vented and how their financial institution has done very little to help. As of date, the most prominent video as been between one woman from Red Bluff, California and Bank of America, in which by the time it was all said and done her interest rate was lowered (not as low as she hoped).

Even with new laws and regulations, millions of people have decided enough was enough with the dramatic changes to their credit card terms last year. Credit unions have been the choice of many as they have seen benefits that far outweigh the initial amount that must be deposited to become a member. In addition to that we are now seeing credit unions start giving options such as reward credit cards that were once obsolete, making their card portfolio something potential cardholders would not mind getting to replace their current cards.

With the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 implementation date just days away it looks like credit card issuers are not the only ones that are paying close attention to consumers’ actions. Now many prepaid card issuers are also paying attention because many are seeing the perfect opportunity to gain valuable consumers now more than ever.

For prepaid cards, there are many great opportunities but two seem to have priority. Those two are that of college students and those that are unhappy with their current financial institution. When it comes to students under the age of 21, credit cards will be one thing that will be much harder to come by as they will not be able to get one without an adult co-signer or proof of ability to pay off the debt. With prepaid cards, those that offer card-to-card transfers have the best chances of getting utilized the most by students, as these will give families the same benefits of a joint credit account.

When it comes to those that are unhappy with their current bank or card issuer, prepaid card are hoping to make the case that they are a better, cheaper option. When cards are advertised many times you will see the benefits highlighted as being without this such as overdraft charges, which have become major news as of late. Instead consumers can simply pay a lower monthly fee (some void is certain amount is spent per month) that is said to save more money in the long run.

As we move closer to the implementation date of the Credit CARD Act, it has seemed that the amount of changes from credit card issuers that plagued headlines in recent months has dwindled. Instead we are now hearing that issuers have started to put money back into marketing (direct mail as an example) where they had pulled back heavily during the last quarter of 2009.

Even with increased marketing, credit card issuers are now fighting an uphill battle that will probably turn out to be a long one. Since cardholders have had multiple dramatic changes to their terms, many have turned away from credit cards, which they had relied on for years to make purchases. Instead they have moved to using debit cards and cash, which have become popular not only among consumers but also with many retailers.

When it comes to how long it will take before consumers feel comfortable in using credit cards again there is a mixed opinion by experts. Many have put the timeline a couple of months after the CARD Act is fully implemented to allow consumers the ability to familiarize themselves with the new laws. Others have put the date sooner than later as credit card issuers have slowly started to ease credit restrictions that have caused a majority of Americans to get declined for the cards that they have applied for. Even with both these timelines set, no one really knows more than the consumer because when it is all said and done they will be the one deciding if using a credit card fits into their financial lifestyle.

What can credit card issuers do to get cardholders to make more purchases? As this question would seem comical, it is one that has probably been brought up in every credit card issuers’ boardroom across the country. While it may seem like the answer is simple, now that many people have shifted to other forms of payment, card issuer may have more to worry about than lowering interest rates.

While lowering interest rates is one thing that could possible get consumers to start using their plastic more, it is only part of the answer. After a year of increased interest rates and decreased limits on majority if not all cardholders, many have had no other choice but to rethink how they will pay for goods and services. During this time, consumers have had the ability to restructure their financial goals and determine if using a credit card would fit in with them.

For issuers, when it comes to answering the question of how to increase card usage it would seem that they have quite a dilemma. On one hand, while delinquencies have declined for many issuers over the last few months, they are still much higher than years past. On the other, many issuers as well as experts really are not sure of the exact moves that will need to be made after the new laws have been fully implemented. Since both of these issues directly correlate with future changes it would seem any changes that influence credit card usage may take some time to be implemented if at all.