Gift Card = Credit Card

Did you get a gift card to a mall, but the mall doesn't have what you want? Good news: you don't need to use the card at that mall after all. There are many card specific to a store. There are also a lot of prepaid credit cards masquerading as gift cards. While a gift card can only be used at a specific merchant, a credit card can be used ANYWHERE that accepts credit cards and where the clerk at the cash register is willing to take the card.
In January, retailers are hard up for sales. Credit cards companies would kill their grandmothers over a 2% transaction fee. So, try to use your gift card anywhere as a credit card: you might get lucky.