Swapagift.com, Cardavenue.com and similar sites allow owners of unwanted gift cards to buy, sell and trade their store-specific cash, the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram reported Friday.

"Before this, people had no options," said Mary Jane Kelly, founder and chief executive officer of Swapagift.com. "You had no exchange and people tended to leave their gift cards lying around. This has created an opportunity to get value. No one would leave $100 lying around on their desk forever."

Statistics compiled by Consumer Reports show that $972 million worth of gift cards given during the 2005 holiday season are still unspent. Those cards can now be sold for a charge of $3.99 per card on Swapagift.com and other sites or 50 cents plus 3.9 percent of the card's value on Cardavenue.com and similar sites.