AQW 47326/22-27

Mrs Sinéad Ennis
Sinn Féin
South Down

Tabled Date: 28/05/2026
Answered On Date: 02/06/2026
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any (i) rights; and (ii) protection, consumers have in relation to gift vouchers and their period of validity.

Answer:

There is no specific statutory regime here prescribing minimum validity periods for gift vouchers or gift cards issued by retailers or service providers. Accordingly, expiry dates, validity periods and any inactivity fees are determined by the contractual terms and conditions set by the issuer.

Consumers therefore do not have specific statutory rights requiring a minimum validity period for gift vouchers or gift cards. However, such contractual terms are subject to the general consumer protection framework, including the fairness and transparency provisions of the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Under that Act, a term may be unfair if, contrary to the requirement of good faith, it causes a significant imbalance in the parties’ rights and obligations to the detriment of the consumer. The fairness assessment is case-specific and takes account of factors such as transparency and whether the term was clearly brought to the consumer’s attention.

Where gift cards are purchased using a credit card and the value exceeds £100, consumers may have recourse under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 in the event of misrepresentation or breach of contract in the transaction, including where the product was not as described at the point of sale. However, this protection is not specific to gift voucher validity periods and would not normally apply solely where a consumer is unable to use a voucher due to a short expiry period that was clearly set out in the contractual terms. Where the value is below £100, consumers may also be able to pursue a claim through chargeback schemes operated by certain credit or debit card providers.

Consumers seeking advice on gift vouchers or gift cards may contact my Department’s Trading Standards Service consumer helpline on 0300 123 62 62 or via Consumerline at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/contact-consumerline-make-complaint-or-ask-advice.