Gift cards: expiry, lost cards, shops that go bust

A gift card is a promise from a shop to give goods later, and promises have small print. In the UK there is no law saying a gift card must last any minimum time, no automatic right to replace a lost one, and if the shop goes bust you are usually at the back of a long queue. That is worth knowing before you buy or spend any at Christmas.

Do gift cards expire?

Yes, and the law does not set a minimum. The terms you were given when the card was bought are what count, so check the card, the packaging and the issuer's website. When Which? checked the terms of a range of retailers in December 2024:

• No expiry: Apple, Starbucks, TK Maxx and Theatre Tokens
• 12 months: B&M, Costa Coffee, Vue (extended by a balance enquiry) and Ticketmaster
• Two years or more: most supermarkets and department stores, with Aldi and Lidl at five years and Amazon at ten

Those are a snapshot and retailers change terms, so read the current ones. The clock can start at purchase, or reset each time you use or check the card, which is worth asking about.

An expiry date you were never told about can be challenged as an unfair term, but do not rely on that. If the date has passed or is close, ask the retailer to extend it. Many will, especially if you ask before it expires.

Lost or stolen gift cards

Treat them like cash. There is no legal right to a replacement. The retailer's policy decides, and a record of the card number and proof of purchase gives you the best chance. If you are the recipient, the buyer usually has to provide the proof. Photograph a gift card and the receipt the day you get it.

What if the shop goes bust?

If the retailer goes into administration, the administrators can decide whether to honour gift cards, and often stop or limit them. If it goes into liquidation, card holders are unsecured creditors, who sit low in the queue and often get little. When Which? surveyed its members in October 2021, two in five people with cards for retailers that had gone bust could not use the full balance, losing about £25 per card on average.

So when a retailer is in the news for the wrong reasons:

1. Spend the card now, in store or online, as soon as you can.
2. If you cannot, write to the administrators with proof of purchase and make a claim. Our guide to getting money back when a company goes bust explains the order of who gets paid.
3. If you bought the card yourself with a credit card, and it cost over £100, Section 75 may let you claim from the card company. Smaller amounts, or debit cards, try a chargeback. The two are compared in our Section 75 versus chargeback guide.

Gifts that turn out faulty or the wrong size

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 rights belong to the person who made the contract, which is the buyer. A recipient is not technically the customer, although most retailers will exchange with a gift receipt. If the gift is faulty, the buyer has the 30-day right to reject, and you can read how it works in our faulty goods guide. Many retailers extend their return windows over Christmas, but the extended date is a policy, not a right - so keep the receipt and check the date. Online orders also have a 14-day cancellation right.

Buying gift cards safely

• Buy from the retailer, or a seller you trust. Cards sold on marketplaces and by strangers are a regular scam route.
• Never pay a bill, fine or a "refund" with gift card codes. Nobody legitimate asks for it.
• Pay by credit card if you can.
• Keep the receipt and the card number.
• For a friend, a card with no expiry or a long one is the kinder choice.

FAQs

Can a shop refuse my gift card?

If it has not expired and the terms allow it, usually not. Some cards only work in certain stores or online, so check the terms.

Can I get cash instead?

Not as of right. Retailers sometimes give small change back, but it is their policy.

Is a gift card the same as a voucher?

In practice, yes. Both are the retailer's promise, and the same rules apply to both.

The shop says the balance is nil and I think that is wrong.

Ask for the transaction history in writing. If it does not add up, start a complaint and we will draft the letter.