Frequently asked questions

What we do and how a sale begins.

What is SellCardNow?

SellCardNow is an online platform that buys unwanted gift cards from sellers in the United Kingdom. You tell us the brand and balance, we make an offer, and if you accept and the card checks out, we buy it from you and pay you electronically. We are a private business, not a bank or a regulated financial institution.

How does SellCardNow work?

You select your brand, enter the card details and review the payout offer shown before you commit. If you submit, we verify the card. If it passes, we email you an authorisation request. Only after you approve do we redeem the card and release your payout. The full walkthrough is on our How It Works page.

Who can sell gift cards?

You must be at least 18, resident in the United Kingdom, and the lawful owner of the card with the right to sell it. Payout details must be in your own name — we do not pay third parties on a seller's behalf.

Which gift cards are accepted?

We accept a wide range of well-known UK retail, entertainment and digital brands. The brand list in the sell form is the live picture of what we can currently take, and it changes from time to time based on demand and buyer availability. If your brand is not listed you can still submit it as an unlisted card for review.

Does submitting a gift card guarantee acceptance?

No. Submission is a request for us to review the card, not a completed sale. Cards can be declined if the balance cannot be confirmed, the brand is not currently eligible, the card has already been submitted, or our checks raise a concern.

What we check before accepting a card.

Why is my gift card verified?

Verification protects everyone. It confirms the balance we are paying for actually exists, that the card is genuine and usable, and that it has not already been sold or reported as stolen. Without that step we could not offer competitive rates or keep the platform safe.

What happens during verification?

We confirm the balance, check card validity and expiry, confirm the brand is eligible, run the card against our registry to detect duplicates, apply fraud prevention screening and carry out an overall risk assessment on the transaction.

How long does verification usually take?

Many cards are checked within minutes. Others take longer — larger balances, less common brands, unclear card images and submissions made outside retailer opening hours can all extend the check. We would rather take a little longer than rush a verification and get it wrong.

Can additional information be requested?

Yes. We may ask for clearer photographs of the card, a screenshot of an e-code, proof of purchase or confirmation of your identity. These requests are part of our fraud prevention process, and a submission cannot progress until we receive what we have asked for.

Why was my gift card declined?

Common reasons include a zero or lower-than-declared balance, an expired or already-redeemed card, a brand we cannot currently place with a buyer, a duplicate match in our registry, or a risk indicator raised during screening. Where we decline, we tell you the reason and the card is not redeemed.

Nothing is redeemed without your approval.

Why do I receive an authorisation email?

Because verification often changes the picture. The email sets out what we actually found — the verified balance and the payout amount on that basis — so you can make an informed decision rather than an assumed one.

Is my gift card redeemed immediately after submission?

No. A card is never redeemed at the point of submission. It is verified first, and redemption only follows your explicit authorisation.

Can I cancel before giving authorisation?

Yes. Up until you authorise the sale you can tell us you no longer wish to proceed and we will close the submission without redeeming the card. Once you have authorised and the card has been redeemed, the transaction cannot be reversed.

What happens if I do not approve the authorisation request?

Nothing happens to your card. If we do not hear from you we close the submission after a reasonable period, and the balance stays on your card for you to use or sell elsewhere.

Why is seller approval required?

Because it is your property and your decision. No verified gift card is redeemed without the seller's explicit authorisation — that rule sits at the centre of how we work and is written into our Seller Agreement.

How and when payouts are released.

When will I receive payment?

Payouts are released after verification, your authorisation and completion of the transaction. Many sellers are paid quickly, but the timing depends on our review and on the payment provider handling the transfer, so we do not guarantee a specific arrival time.

Which payment methods are supported?

We pay electronically to UK payment rails, including bank transfer to a UK current account. The methods available to you are shown in the sell form when you choose how to be paid.

Are cash payments available?

No. All payouts are electronic. Payouts are sent straight to your UK bank account.

Can payment processing take longer?

Yes. Bank cut-off times, weekends, public holidays, additional compliance checks on higher-value transactions and provider-side delays can all extend processing. We will keep your submission status updated if that happens.

Why has my payment been delayed?

The usual causes are payout details that do not match the name on the account, an incomplete verification step, an outstanding information request, or a delay at the payment provider. Email support with your submission reference and we will tell you exactly where it is sitting.

How your data and transactions are handled.

How is my personal information protected?

Information is sent over an encrypted connection, stored on our secured platform and access is limited to team members who need it to process your transaction. We collect what we need to verify a card and pay you, and no more.

Does SellCardNow sell my personal information?

No. We do not sell personal information. We share data only with the service providers needed to run the platform and make payments, and where we are legally required to do so.

Why do you perform fraud prevention checks?

Gift cards are a common target for fraud. Duplicate detection, registry matching and manual review keep stolen and previously sold cards off the platform, which protects honest sellers and allows us to keep our rates competitive.

Is my information secure?

We use encryption, access controls and monitoring to protect your data, and we review those measures regularly. No online platform can promise absolute security, so we are careful not to claim it — what we can say is that we take reasonable and appropriate measures and act quickly if a problem is identified.

What happens when something goes wrong.

Can I request a refund?

You can ask us to review any transaction. Because a redeemed gift card cannot be returned to you, refunds are not available for cards that have been authorised and redeemed. Where a card has not yet been redeemed, we can usually close the submission and leave the balance with you.

How are disputes handled?

Email support with your submission reference and a description of the problem. We review the transaction record, the verification outcome and your authorisation, and we explain our findings in writing. Every request is reviewed individually on its facts.

Are refunds guaranteed?

No. Refunds are considered case by case and are not guaranteed. Our Refund & Dispute Policy sets out when a review is possible and what we take into account.

Who do I contact if I have a payment issue?

Email support@sellcardnow.co.uk with your submission reference, the payout method you chose and the date you authorised the sale. That is enough for us to trace the payment.

Help with the site, forms and your submission.

How do I contact customer support?

Email support@sellcardnow.co.uk, or use the form on our Contact page. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We aim to reply within a few hours, though busy periods and public holidays can extend that.

What should I include when contacting support?

Your submission reference, the gift card brand, the amount involved, your payout method and the date you submitted or authorised. Please do not include a full card number, PIN or password in your message unless our team has specifically asked for it.

What happens if I enter incorrect information?

If a card code or PIN is mistyped, verification will usually fail and we will come back to you rather than decline outright. If you spot a mistake in your payout details, contact support before authorising so we can correct them — details cannot be changed once a payment has been released.

Policies, documents and where to find them.

Can policies change?

Yes. We update our policies as our services, brand list and legal obligations change. The current version is always published on this website with its effective date, and continuing to use the service means the current version applies to you.

Where can I read the Privacy Policy?

Our Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it and your rights under UK GDPR. It is linked in the Helpful resources section below and in the site footer.

Where can I read the Seller Agreement?

The Seller Agreement covers your declarations as a seller, the authorisation requirement and what happens if a card turns out not to be yours to sell. It is linked below and in the site footer.

Where can I read the Terms & Conditions?

Our Terms & Conditions set out the contract between you and us, including offers, verification, redemption, payouts and liability. They are linked below and in the site footer.