Buying or receiving a gift card in the U.S.? Treat the card number and PIN like cash. Buy from the issuer or a trusted retailer, check that the packaging hasn't been altered, keep the receipt, and never give the code to someone who demands it as payment.

A gift card problem usually turns on three separate things: federal rules, the issuer's terms, and the law of the state where the card was sold or used. Federal rules can limit expiration dates and certain fees, but they don't guarantee a refund or replacement after a loss, theft, or scam.

Which U.S. rules apply?

Many gift certificates, store gift cards, and general-use prepaid cards are covered by the CARD Act and Regulation E. The federal gift card statute generally provides that:

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Regulation E rule contains the disclosure requirements for fees, expiration dates, and related terms.

These rules aren't a promise that every card will remain valid forever or that every fee is unlawful. Promotional, loyalty, and some specialized cards may be treated differently. State law may also provide stronger protection. The National Conference of State Legislatures' gift card overview is a useful starting point for finding state rules, but check the current statute or state agency guidance before relying on a state-specific exception.

Federal gift card rules also don't decide every practical dispute. Returns, cash redemption, replacement of a lost card, digital delivery errors, and a merchant's closure may instead depend on the seller's policy, the issuer's terms, and applicable state law.

Before you buy or give the card

A few checks at the register or checkout can prevent a difficult dispute later.

  1. Choose the seller carefully. Buying directly from the brand or a well-known authorized retailer lowers the risk of an altered card. Be wary of marketplace listings and social media sellers offering cards outside normal retail channels.
  2. Examine the packaging. Don't buy a card if the PIN is visible, the protective strip looks scratched, the barcode appears changed, or the package looks resealed. The FDIC's consumer guidance advises checking that the codes on the back haven't been scratched off.
  3. Identify the card's limits. A store card normally works only with the named merchant or the locations listed in its terms. A general-use prepaid card follows its payment network's rules and may carry purchase or usage fees. Digital and specialty cards can be limited to one brand, account, or service.
  4. Read the terms before paying. Look for expiration information, inactivity fees, redemption limits, online-use restrictions, and replacement rules. Check whether a fee is charged at purchase.
  5. Keep the records. Save the purchase and activation receipts, order confirmation, delivery email, and a note of the card's value. These records can help establish ownership if the card is lost, damaged, drained, or never activated.
  6. Confirm activation and value. Check the receipt or the issuer's official balance tool before leaving the store. For an online purchase, resolve any checkout or delivery error before giving the card to the recipient.

If you keep the card details for your records, protect them as carefully as the card itself. A photograph or file containing the full number and PIN shouldn't be left in an unsecured account or shared storage.

An unexpected gift card request is a scam warning

Scammers contact people by phone, email, text, or social media and tell them to buy cards in specific amounts. They may pretend to be a government agency, employer, utility, technology company, family member, or retailer.

Stop the transaction if someone:

Don't use a telephone number or link supplied in the suspicious message. Instead, contact the organization through its official website, a statement, or a telephone number you already know. A legitimate biller or agency won't require a gift card code as payment.

If you haven't shared the code, end the conversation, keep the card and receipt, and contact the issuer through the number on the card or its official website. If you did share it, report the incident immediately. The issuer may need the card number, purchase records, and details about when and how the code was disclosed.

If the card is lost or stolen

Contact the issuer as soon as you notice the card is missing. Use only the issuer's official support channel, not an unofficial balance-checking website or an unknown caller.

Have these details ready:

Some issuers may be able to check the balance, freeze the card, or replace some or all of the remaining value. The FDIC says you might recover the money left on a lost or stolen card, or part of it, and that a fee may sometimes apply. Recovery isn't automatic, so reporting the loss quickly and proving where the card came from matter.

For a missing digital card, search the original email or text, your retailer account, order history, spam folder, and payment confirmation. If the message was deleted or sent to the wrong address, contact the issuer or seller with the order number and delivery details.

If the card was tampered with or drained

If the PIN was exposed before purchase, choose another card and alert the retailer. A card hanging on a display isn't necessarily safe.

If you find signs of tampering after buying it:

  1. Stop using the card.
  2. Photograph the card, packaging, and visible alteration without posting the number or PIN online.
  3. Keep the receipt and activation record.
  4. Contact the issuer and retailer through official channels.
  5. Ask whether the balance can be investigated, the card blocked, or a transaction history provided.
  6. Request a case number and write down the date, time, and name or reference for each contact.

If the balance was already spent, the issuer may ask for proof that you bought or received the card. A replacement isn't guaranteed; the outcome depends on the issuer's investigation and terms.

Using digital gift cards safely

Digital cards avoid some physical tampering risks, but they introduce account and delivery risks.

Pay attention to brand restrictions. For example, Google's gift card scam guidance says specialty gift cards purchased through Google Play should be used with their respective brands, not as general payment cards elsewhere.

Expiration, fees, refunds, and cash

Expiration dates

For many covered cards, federal law protects the underlying funds for at least five years from issuance or the most recent load. A printed date on the plastic card and the expiration of the funds aren't always the same issue. If the card itself is expiring, ask the issuer what happens to any remaining balance.

Some cards have no expiration date, while others are subject to state rules or special terms. Check the current packaging and issuer terms rather than relying on an old blog post or a verbal statement from a seller.

Inactivity fees

An inactivity fee isn't automatically valid just because it appears in the terms. For covered cards, federal rules generally require at least 12 months without activity, clear disclosure of the fee and conditions, and compliance with limits on how often the fee may be charged. State law may prohibit the charge or impose stricter requirements.

If a fee appears to have been charged too early, note the date of the last transaction and ask the issuer to explain the charge in writing.

Returns and cash redemption

A seller's return policy is separate from federal expiration and disclosure rules. Before buying, ask whether the seller accepts returns on unredeemed cards and how it handles duplicate purchases, delivery mistakes, or failed activation.

If you want to return a card, take the receipt and unused card to the seller. Don't assume that an unredeemed balance creates an automatic right to a cash refund. Whether a small remaining balance can be converted to cash depends on state law and the card's terms.

If another payment method was used

A dispute over the transaction used to buy a gift card is different from recovering value after the code was redeemed. If you paid with a credit card, debit card, bank transfer, or payment app, contact that provider quickly through its official channel. Explain exactly what happened and ask which dispute or fraud-review process applies to the purchase.

Be precise. An authorized purchase that was later handed to a scammer isn't the same as a transaction you never authorized. The provider's review will depend on the payment method and its rules.

Keep this action plan

Before purchase

After purchase

If something goes wrong

Keep the receipt and report a missing, tampered, or misused card promptly. Those two steps won't guarantee recovery, but they give the issuer and payment provider the best information to investigate.