Aug 27, 2011

Gift Card Monkey Turns Unwanted Cards into CashBy Joanne BoeckmanDesMoinesRegister.com

Des Moines, IA – After carrying around a restaurant gift card for a West Des Moines restaurant for a couple of years, Chuck Irlmeier of Norwalk found a way to convert it to cash. He sold it to Gift Card Monkey, a new franchise with an outlet in Jordan Creek mall.

Irlmeier got $37.50 for the card, which had a face value of $50.

“That card just sat there in my wallet unused,” said Irlmeier. “My wife and I weren’t interested in eating at the restaurant, and I feel good about the chance to be able to spend the slightly reduced amount on something I really want to do.”

Gift Card Monkey can now sell it at less than face value to a consumer who may be more eager to dine in that restaurant, said Butch Smith, 39, who owns the Iowa franchise for Gift Card Monkey.

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