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Did you receive a gift card you don't want this holiday season? It's time to educate yourself on gift card exchange websites. I'm Clark Palmer with your Bankrate.com personal finance minute.

Before you sell the gift card, take a minute to decide if you really want to get rid of it. After all, thanks to the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, gift cards are good for at least five years.

If you still want to sell the card on a gift card exchange site, make sure to deal with well-vetted, respected sites and research before you sell. And double check the URL. You don't want to land on a look-alike site.

Also, research the site's reputation. Do a search on the site name plus the word "complaints" and see what comes up. You can also find complaints on BetterBusinessBureau.org.

Next, compare how much money each site will give you for your card. Be sure to factor in the transaction fee.

And finally, make sure the site will compensate you in a convenient way. You want a site that makes getting cash easy for you.

For more gift card tips, visit Bankrate.com. I'm Clark Palmer.