Bonus Gift Card Expiration: Why the Free Holiday Card Can Expire in Weeks
Bonus gift cards from holiday promotions can expire much sooner than the gift cards you buy. Federal law gives a bought card at least five years, but promotional cards are excluded, and their expiration date has to be printed on the front.
Bonus gift cards from holiday promotions can expire much sooner than the gift cards you buy. Under the federal gift card rule, a card you pay for cannot expire in less than five years. Cards given away in a promotion, a loyalty program or a reward are left out of that rule, so the store can set a short window. In return, the expiration date has to be printed on the front of the card. That date is the one to write down the day you get it.
Bought card or bonus card: two different rules
The holiday offer usually looks like this: buy a $50 gift card, get a $10 bonus card. You give the $50 card as a present and keep the $10 one. They look alike, but the law treats them differently.
The federal rule on gift cards is Regulation E, section 1005.20. For a gift card you pay for, the money on it cannot expire until at least five years after the card was issued or last loaded. The same section lists cards that are excluded, and one of them is a "loyalty, award, or promotional gift card". That covers the bonus card from a promotion.
For those excluded cards, the rule asks for something else instead. The card has to say on its front that it was issued for a promotion, loyalty or award, and the expiration date of the money has to be on the front too. Fees, if any, must be disclosed. So the store can give the bonus card a short life, but it has to tell you on the card.
Some states have their own gift card laws as well. For the bonus card, the date printed on it and the terms of the promotion are what to go by.
Why the bonus card gets lost
The bonus card usually comes in December, when you are busy and buying for others. It goes into a wallet, a drawer or the gift bag pile. Some promotions also say the bonus can only be used in a later window, for example starting in January, so it cannot be spent right away. By the time it can be used, it is easy to forget it exists, and the window may end soon after it starts.
Some bonuses are not plastic cards at all. They arrive as an email code, a reward in the store's app, or a line on the receipt. The rule on the front of the card does not help much when there is no card to look at, so the receipt and the promotion terms matter more.
What to write down the day you get it
From the card and the receipt, note:
- The store, and whether the bonus works online, in store or both
- The amount, for example $10
- The first day you can use it, if the promotion has one
- The expiration date, from the front of the card or the terms
- Any minimum purchase or items it cannot be used on
- The card number or code, or a clear photo of both sides
A photo of the card next to the receipt covers most of this in one picture.
Before you use it
- Check the start date. A bonus card used too early can be declined.
- Read the fine print on the receipt. Some bonuses need a minimum spend, and some cannot be used on gift cards or certain brands.
- Keep the receipt until the bonus is spent. If the card does not work, it is the proof of the promotion.
For the bought gift cards in your drawer, our guide to keeping track of gift cards covers balances and where to keep them. If the bonus came with a return, check our holiday return policy guide, and read what the promotion terms say about returns.
Where Tracy fits
Tracy, the assistant in dEssence, keeps the things you send her. Send a photo of the bonus card and the receipt in Telegram or iMessage, or save the promotion page from Chrome. She keeps the amount and the dates, and reminds you when the card can be used and again before it expires. She does not check the balance on the card or use it for you.
Frequently asked questions
Do bonus gift cards expire?
Yes, often quickly. Bonus cards from promotions are excluded from the federal five year rule, so the store sets the date. It has to be printed on the front of the card.
How long does a gift card have before it expires?
A gift card you buy cannot have its money expire for at least five years from when it was issued or last loaded, under federal rules. State laws can add more protection.
Where is the expiration date on a promotional gift card?
The federal rule requires it on the front of the card, along with a statement that the card is promotional. For email codes or app rewards, check the promotion terms or the receipt.
Can I use a holiday bonus card right away?
Not always. Some holiday bonuses can only be used in a later window, for example in January. Check the start date on the card or receipt.
Can a store refuse an expired bonus card?
Usually yes, once the printed date has passed. That is why the date is worth writing down when you get the card.