Gift vouchers
Irish consumers are protected when buying gift vouchers. The law does not apply to every kind of gift voucher. Make sure you check which type you have and what rights apply. Gift vouchers are also known as gift cards.
Your consumer rights include:
- A minimum expiry date of five years
The expiry date should be provided to you in writing or in an email. - You do not have to spend the full amount in one go
If you use only part of the gift voucher and the balance left is more than €1, the business should refund the difference. They can do this by cash, electronic transfer (debit/credit card) or give you another voucher. The expiry date must match the original gift voucher. - You can use more than one gift voucher at a time
For example, if an item costs €100 and you have two €50 vouchers, you can use them both to pay.
If you buy a gift voucher from a business elsewhere in the EU, the five-year expiry rule may not apply. There are no EU wide requirements. Make sure that you check the terms and conditions around the expiry date in advance.
Types of gift voucher included
Not all kinds of gift vouchers are covered by the legislation.
Covered
- One store voucher – for a particular shop or chain of stores, accepted nationwide.
- Shopping centre gift cards – can only be used in the shopping centre and not in shops elsewhere.
Not covered
- Gift cards that are not limited to one shopping centre – can be used there and in businesses elsewhere.
- Online deal vouchers – a discounted voucher bought for a specified good/service or experience that must be used within three months or on a specific date.
- Electronic money cards – prepaid debit cards that can be used anywhere a standard debit/credit card is used. These fall under the European Communities(Electronic Money) Regulations 2011.
- One4all gift cards – can be used in a wide range of retailers.
- Loyalty schemes – money coupons a business issues to customers for their loyalty
- Credit Note – when you return an item to a store, and they give you a voucher or credit note
Gift voucher FAQs
I was given a gift voucher with no expiry date. Should it not show one?
The business closed before I got to spend my gift voucher. Do I have rights?
I lost my birthday gift voucher. Can I get it replaced?
Will I get charged a fee if I have not used the gift voucher?
I bought a gift voucher on a deal website for a discounted hotel break. Is my contract with the website or the hotel?
I’m thinking of buying a discounted voucher for a virtual reality or helicopter ride experience. The expiry date is six months. Do ‘experience’ vouchers like this fall under the legislation?
