Gift Card Expiration & Value Checker
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules are compiled from secondary sources and can change — confirm with your card's terms and conditions or your state's consumer protection office before relying on this for a real dispute.
Enter your state and the card's issue date to see whether your gift card should still be legally valid. Covers the federal 5-year minimum, 9 states that ban expiration entirely, and 3 states with longer minimums. Americans let roughly $23 billion in gift cards go unused every year — some of it simply because people assume a card has expired when the law says it hasn't.
How it works
- Choose the state the gift card was issued or purchased in
- Enter the card's issue date (or last reload date, if it was recharged)
- See the rule that applies and whether the card should still be valid
Frequently asked questions
What's the federal rule on gift card expiration?
Under the Credit CARD Act of 2009, most gift cards cannot expire for at least 5 years from the date they were issued or last loaded with funds. This is a floor — states can require longer or ban expiration entirely, but can't allow shorter.
Which states ban gift card expiration completely?
California, Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington. In these states a compliant gift card should never expire, though inactivity fees may still apply after a period of non-use.
Which states require longer than 5 years?
Massachusetts requires a 7-year minimum, Maryland requires 4 years, and Hawaii requires 2 years for certain card types. All other states and Washington, D.C. follow the federal 5-year floor.
Is this legally binding — can I use this to dispute a merchant?
No. This tool summarizes general rules from secondary sources and is not legal advice. If a merchant refuses to honor a card you believe is still valid, check the card's actual terms and conditions and contact your state's consumer protection office or attorney general.
Do gift cards for a specific experience or service follow the same rules?
Cards issued for a specific good, service, or experience without a stated dollar value are generally exempt from the federal Credit CARD Act gift card rules, so the calculation here may not apply to them.
What happens to unused gift card balances?
Roughly $23 billion in gift card value goes unused in the US every year, according to WalletHub. Some states require unclaimed balances to eventually go to the state (escheatment) after a long period of inactivity, separate from the expiration rules shown here.
Related tools
From the blog
Update history
- 2026-09-24 Launched: gift card expiration checker covering the federal 5-year floor, 9 states with no expiration and 3 states with extended minimums, with exact expiration-date math from the card's issue date.