I save lots of money using raise. Sometimes the card goes bad by fraud of the seller. Raise is quick to respond and refunds your money within 3 days. Yes some cards go bad, so if you gift cards to people ask them to use ASAP and let you know if it goes bad. I usually buy just for myself for this reason. You could buy direct from sellers on Ebay for bigger discounts, but then you take the risk. With raise they take the risk and refund money promptly. Most cards can be verified at retailer website before you go into store to use it.