Does a shop have to honour a gift voucher indefinitely if there’s no expiry date on it?
I have a gift voucher to a shop that has closed down. What are my rights?
I have a gift voucher for $50 from a store but have only spent $40. Can I demand the change in cash?
I’ve lost my gift voucher. Does the store have to replace it?
Does a shop have to honour a gift voucher indefinitely if there’s no expiry date on it?
Yes, unless the shop has closed down or changed ownership. Most gift vouchers will have an expiry period of 6 to 12 months to give you a reasonable time to use it. If there is no expiry date then you can use the voucher whenever you want.
I have a gift voucher to a shop that has closed down. What are my rights?
Your gift voucher actually makes you an unsecured creditor of that business so even if the shop has closed down, you may have rights to make a claim. Unfortunately, it can be hard to get what you are owed if the business has been put into liquidation or gone into receivership. For more information contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau.
To minimise the risk of losing your money you should:
- Buy vouchers that can be used at more than one store, e.g. petrol vouchers, or ones that are issued by trade associations
- Before buying a voucher, ask the store if they have a trust account to protect voucher holders
- If you are given a voucher as a gift, use it as soon as possible
I have a gift voucher for $50 from a store but have only spent $40. Can I demand the change in cash?
No, the shop doesn’t have to give you change unless it says that on the voucher. It is up to you to use the voucher’s full value. Some stores will give you another voucher instead of change depending on the store’s policy.
I’ve lost my gift voucher. Does the store have to replace it?
No, the store doesn’t need to replace it unless it was made out specifically to you and is not transferable to another person. If it was made out to you then the store may have to give you a new voucher and cancel the lost one. It is worth checking with the store about their policy.