Toys R Us is no longer accepting gift cards - here's what you can do with them instead
- Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores are no longer honoring gift cards as of April 21.
- That doesn't mean they're useless, however.
- Stores like Michael's and Kmart will offer discounts and credit for shoppers with Toys R Us gift cards.
Toys R Us is no longer accepting gift cards as it holds clearance sales at its liquidating stores.
That doesn't mean the gift cards are completely useless hunks of plastic, however. Some other retailers are running promotions to holders of Toys R Us gift cards and loyalty cards to try and lure its wayward customers back to the land of retail.
Kmart announced in April a plan to accept Toys R Us and Babies R Us gift cards in exchange for its own Freecash points. It doesn't matter if they're expired or empty - everyone gets $10 worth. Any customer can also get $5 in points by texting "TOY" to 56278.
Kmart's promotion runs until July 31.
Craft-supply store Michaels will also give discounts to holders of Toys R Us gift cards. Shoppers need only flash a Toys R Us or Babies R Us gift card or loyalty card to get $5 off any purchase of $20 or more from Michaels. The promotion is running until May 12.
Main Event, a nationwide entertainment and restaurant chain, will give $20 for each unredeemed Toys R Us gift card, regardless of the amount of money still left on it. That money can be used to play games at Main Event's locations. The promotion is limited to two cards per visit, per person, and it goes on through the end of May.
"We wanted to take a challenging situation and make it more positive for our guests,"Brendan Mauri, head of marketing at Main Event, said in a statement. "We understand that parents and kids all across the country were upset by the closing of one of their favorite retail brands, so we wanted to offer a silver lining to them."