Gift cards sold in Australia must have a minimum three-year expiry date.
Purchasing gift cards
When purchasing a gift card, always check the terms and conditions, including:
- the value of the gift card
- the expiry date
- any restrictions on its use.
Receiving gift cards
When receiving a gift card, there are a few things you should remember:
- keep the card somewhere safe - businesses are under no obligation to replace a lost gift card
- use the full value of the gift card before the expiry date - businesses don't have to honour an expired gift card
- if a business is no longer trading or changes hands and you haven’t yet used your gift card, you might not be able to redeem it.
Expiry dates
Gift cards must have a minimum three-year expiry date.
The expiry date must be displayed on the gift card. If there's no expiry date to redeem the card, this must also be stated.
Exempt cards
The three-year minimum expiry period doesn't apply to cards or vouchers that are:
- supplied as part of a customer loyalty or employee rewards program
- supplied as part of a temporary marketing promotion to reward anyone who purchases particular goods or services
- given to consumers free of charge for promotional purposes
- sold for a particular good or service at a genuine discount- e.g. $50 card for salon services valued at $100
- redeemable only for a particular product or service that's available for a limited period, such as entry to an art exhibition or a concert.
- second-hand gift cards.
The requirements also don't apply to:
- ATM cards, charge cards, credit cards or debit cards
- cards that are able to be reloaded or topped up, such as mobile recharge cards.
Fees
Fees that can be charged
A business can charge a fee:
- for the gift card purchase
- for reissuing a lost, stolen or damaged card
- to cover the cost of processing a payment such as:
- overseas transaction fees
- booking fees
- credit card surcharge
Fees that can't be charged
Once a gift card has been issued, post-purchase fees can't be charged, including
- activation fees
- account keeping fees
- balance enquiry fees.
Problems with sellers
If you believe a business isn't doing the right thing in relation to gift cards, raise your concerns with the business. If the matter can't be resolved, contact Consumer and Business Services (CBS).
