What are my rights with gift vouchers and cards?

Did you purchase or receive the gift card?

Whether your problem is with the expiry date of an afternoon tea voucher or you’ve lost a gift card you got at Christmas, your rights will depend on whether it was you who purchased the voucher or whether you received it from someone else.

When purchasing a gift voucher or card, you're bound by the terms made or known at the time of purchase - even if you’ve given the gift voucher to someone else as a present. 

If you didn’t purchase the voucher, you'll need to ask the person who gave it to you what the T&Cs are.

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What are my gift card rights?

The company that's issued the voucher should include any important terms at the point of purchase.

Always check the terms written on the voucher (or the packaging around it). 

If the terms were not prominently brought to your attention when you purchased the gift voucher - for example, they were hidden on the reverse side of the card or voucher and this couldn’t have been seen because the card was stuck down or enclosed in packaging - then you may be able to argue that the terms are contrary to the requirements of good faith.

To meet the requirements of good faith, the terms must be designed, negotiated and entered into with you in a fair and open way.

My gift card's expired, what can I do?

Gift vouchers and cards do expire eventually and the time you have to use your voucher can vary.

Expiry dates are allowed as long as the person buying the voucher was made aware of this at the time of purchase.

So, if you’re thinking of gift voucher ideas for someone else, you’ll want to check the expiry date to make sure the recipient of your gift voucher still has enough time to spend it.

If you're the recipient of a gift voucher, it's worth looking at the expiry date as soon as you receive it, so you're aware of how much time you have to use it.

If you have a voucher for an experience day, find out whether you need to book and take the experience before the expiry date printed on your voucher, or whether you just need to book it before the expiry date.

Look on the voucher issuer's website or get in touch with its customer service team to clarify if you're unsure.

Can I extend my gift voucher?

If the voucher has expired without you realising, you may be able to extend it for a fee. 

You may struggle to get it extended for free unless the purchaser can prove the expiry date conditions weren’t clear to them at the time of purchase

I lost my gift card, what should I do?

Gift cards and vouchers are like cash. So, if you lose one you might be out of luck.

Your chances of getting a new gift card issued will depend on the gift voucher's terms and conditions and the retailer's policy.

Contact the retailer to ask if they can help you and remember to include important information such as the date the gift card was purchased and any proof of purchase.

Include the unique gift card number when you contact the retailer if you've kept a record of it.

If the retailer is able to help, the purchaser of the gift card will usually have to show a proof of purchase.

This is so the retailer can verify the purchase was genuine and start the process for sending you a new gift card.

If you got the gift voucher or card as a present, you’ll need to ask the person who purchased it for you to help you prove this with the retailer.

How to exchange unwanted gift vouchers

If you wish to exchange an unwanted voucher, you would need to check its terms and conditions.

You may have more luck changing vouchers for experience days (bought from experience-dedicated websites) than a gift card for a specific retailer.

It’s unlikely you'll be able to exchange an unwanted voucher for cash.

What happens to gift vouchers when a company goes bust?

Unfortunately, if a retailer you have a gift card for goes into administration, you may struggle to get your money back.

This is because the administrators can decide to stop honouring gift vouchers at any point.

You can try to get your money back by making a claim in writing to the administrators with proof of your vouchers.

But before you do this, it is worth calling or visiting the store to check if the voucher can still be used. Sometimes, the administrators of a company in trouble will decide to honour gift vouchers and cards. If they do this, it's worth spending the gift card as quickly as possible in case the administrators change their mind.

In cases when businesses are bought up by another business, gift cards and vouchers from the previous operation are sometimes accepted, so it’s always worth checking.

If the gift card or voucher was bought through a third party, it's worth seeing if the purchaser can approach them for a refund. The purchaser has no right to a refund but the third-party company may choose to refund you as a gesture of goodwill.

Section 75 and chargeback

Another route for getting your money back is to make a Section 75 claim under the Consumer Credit Act.  

The purchaser can do this if the gift cards or vouchers were bought on a card and the value of the single purchase was over £100.

If the voucher or gift card is under this amount, you may be able to make a claim under chargeback rules to your credit or debit card provider, but this is not always successful.

You can read our detailed guide on what to do if a company goes bust and how to get your money back.

What are my rights with experience day vouchers?

If you receive a voucher for an experience day - such as a spa break or theatre show - you might be able to get a refund if you don't think you'll use it or if something goes wrong.

Most voucher firms such as Virgin Experience Days, Buy a Gift and Red Letter Days offer refunds (to the original purchaser) on unused vouchers within 30 days of purchase. After 30 days, you can try to exchange your voucher.

If you go to book your voucher and find it's no longer offered or is fully booked up until the expiry date, you should be able to secure a refund or ask to exchange it.

Voucher sites may be in breach of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 if they sell vouchers for an experience they know is fully booked.

If you have problems with your experience, most voucher companies say you should bring up any issues with the provider on the day. Contact the voucher company if you're not happy with its response - but note that with Virgin Experience Days you'll need to get in touch within a week of your experience.

Depending on the voucher provider, you might be able to get a refund if the experience doesn't match its description online.

Red Letter Days and Buy a Gift say they will provide alternative options or refund the voucher in some cases if the activity no longer represents what was outlined on their website. Virgin says that experience descriptions online are presented as a ‘general idea’ and shouldn’t be considered as binding.