Buying a gift voucher this Christmas? Good news!

December 2, 2019

Good news! If you’re buying gift vouchers for your loved ones this Christmas, new laws mean they are now valid for at least five years.

New legislation which comes into effect today gives consumers increased rights when it comes to gift vouchers.

• Minimum expiry date of five years – from now on there should be no expiry date on gift vouchers. If an expiry date applies, it should be at least five years. You should be given any expiry date in a durable form, such as in writing or in an email, and it should also include the date it was bought.

• You don’t have to use the voucher in one go – you do not have to spend the full value of the voucher in one transaction. If there is a balance of more than €1 on a gift voucher, the retailer should refund you the difference in one of the following ways:
  • Cash
  • Electronic transfer (debit/credit card)
  • Another gift voucher (the expiry date will be the same as the original voucher)

• More than one gift voucher can be used in one transaction – you can use more than one voucher at a time. For example, if something costs €100 and you have two €50 vouchers, you can use them both to pay. 

• A business cannot refuse to accept a gift voucher because the name is wrong, or charge you to change the name on a gift voucher – If a business requires the name of a person on a gift voucher, and the person’s actual name differs from the name on the voucher, the business can no longer refuse to accept the voucher, or charge you for changing the name on the voucher.

However, not all gift vouchers are covered by the new legislation. Find out more by reading our information on gift vouchers, so you can shop with confidence this Christmas.

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