Gift Card Rules in the UK: Expiry, Refunds and Lost Cards

We make cards, pin badges and prints in the UK. We don't sell gift cards or vouchers, so the guide below is a straight guide - the card at the end is the only thing we're selling.

Gift cards are governed by the retailer's own terms rather than one national rule, which is why answers differ shop to shop. There are still some reliable patterns worth knowing before you buy.

Check the terms on the card or the retailer's website for the specifics - the points below are the general UK picture, not legal advice.

Expiry

• There's no single legal minimum for gift card validity in the UK - the length is set by the retailer and printed in their terms.
• Twelve to twenty-four months is common, and some large retailers offer longer or no expiry at all.
• Expiry usually runs from purchase, not from when it was given, so a card bought in a sale and given at Christmas may have less time left than it looks.
• Some retailers will reissue a recently expired card as a goodwill gesture. It's always worth asking, politely and quickly.
• Write the expiry date on the card you give it in. It's the simplest way to stop the money disappearing.

Refunds and cash back

• Gift cards generally can't be exchanged for cash, and most terms say so explicitly.
• Small residual balances sometimes can be cashed out, but that's the retailer's own policy rather than a right.
• If you buy something with a gift card and return it, refunds are usually issued back as store credit rather than cash.
• Your normal consumer rights over faulty goods still apply regardless of how you paid.

If the retailer goes bust

• Gift card holders are normally unsecured creditors, which is the weakest position in an administration.
• Administrators sometimes keep accepting cards, sometimes only for part payment, and sometimes not at all.
• If a retailer looks shaky, spend the card rather than saving it. This is the one piece of advice everyone gives after the fact.
• Buying a card by credit card can give some protection on larger amounts - check the terms of your card provider.

Lost, stolen or part-used cards

• Treat a physical gift card like cash: most retailers won't replace one that's lost, and many say so in the terms.
• Registering a card online, where the retailer allows it, is the only reliable protection.
• Photograph the number and keep the receipt. It's the difference between a chance and none.
• Check the balance before you go shopping so a part-used card doesn't ambush you at the till.

Shop cards

How to write it so it lands

• Note the expiry on the card you write.
• Photograph the number and keep the receipt.
• Spend it early rather than saving it.

Where to shop next

• UK gift card buying guide
• What to write in a gift card
• Gift card or cash?
• How to give a gift card nicely
• Birthday card messages
• Buy a birthday card online
• Gift planner
• All guides
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges

Frequently asked questions

Do UK gift cards have to last a certain length of time?

No - expiry is set by each retailer in its own terms rather than by a single national rule. Twelve to twenty-four months is common, and some cards last longer.

Can you get cash for a gift card in the UK?

Usually not. Most terms rule out cash exchange, though some retailers will pay out very small remaining balances as a matter of their own policy.

What happens to gift cards if a shop goes into administration?

Holders are normally unsecured creditors. Administrators may accept the cards fully, partly, or not at all, so it's best to spend a card rather than hold it if a retailer looks troubled.