Brought to you by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC)
New rules around gift vouchers came into effect earlier this month.
There is only one true king when it comes to getting a Christmas present you know someone will love, and it’s unquestionably a gift voucher. Be it for their favourite restaurant, a clothes shop or one that can be used just about anywhere, you can’t really go wrong.
We reckon they will be an even more popular choice this year as well, with new laws that came into effect earlier this month. Not only will gift vouchers now have at least five years on them before expiring, but it’s also a lot easier for people to get as much value out of them as possible.
We reckon they will be an even more popular choice this year as well, with new laws that came in for gift vouchers sold from 2 December 2019. Not only will gift vouchers now last for at least five years before expiring, but it’s also a lot easier for people to get as much value out of them as possible.
To find out more, check out the CCPC’s information on gift vouchers.
Minimum expiry date of five years
This is the news everyone was hoping to hear. From now on if an expiry date applies, it should be at least five years.
You should be given any expiry date in in writing or in an email, and it should also include the date the voucher was bought.
Using the voucher multiple times
In more good news, you do not have to spend the full value of the voucher in one go. If there is a balance of more than €1 on a gift voucher after you’ve used it, the retailer should refund you the difference in one of the following ways:
- Cash
- Debit/credit card
- Another gift voucher (the expiry date will be the same as the original voucher)
More than one gift voucher per 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.
Particularly useful for those of us who tend to build up a stockpile of forgotten gift cards!
No charge for name change
If a business requires the name of a person on a gift voucher, and the person’s actual name is different to 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.
Find out more by reading the CCPC’s information on gift vouchers, so you can shop with confidence this Christmas.
Brought to you by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC)
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