Treat the card number and PIN like cash. Buy through the issuer or an authorized retailer, inspect a physical card before paying, and never hand over the code because an unexpected caller says you must.

For U.S. consumers, a covered gift card or general-use prepaid card generally can't have an expiration date earlier than five years after the card was issued or the funds were last loaded. That is a limit on expiration, not a promise that a lost card will be replaced, a scam payment reversed, or a U.S. card accepted abroad. The product terms, issuer's procedures, and state law still matter.

A five-minute gift card safety check

Before buying or using a card:

• Buy from the retailer, card issuer, or an authorized seller.
• Inspect physical packaging for damage, replacement stickers, an exposed PIN, or an altered barcode.
• Watch the cashier activate the card and check that the amount on the receipt is correct.
• For a digital card, use the issuer's official website or app. Check the recipient's email address and delivery date.
• Check the balance through the issuer's website, app, phone number, or store desk.
• Keep the receipt, order confirmation, original terms, and card carrier until the balance reaches zero.
• Don't share the card number, PIN, security code, or a photo of the back with an unexpected caller, texter, or email sender.
• Report suspicious use to the issuer promptly. An investigation may be harder after the remaining funds have been spent.

Which gift card rules apply?

The product type comes first. Federal gift card provisions generally cover store gift cards, gift certificates, and many general-use prepaid cards. Under the federal gift card provisions, a stated expiration date generally can't be earlier than five years after the gift certificate was issued or the card funds were last loaded.

Federal rules also generally restrict inactivity, dormancy, and service fees. A fee may be allowed only when:

• There has been no activity for at least 12 months.
• The fee was clearly disclosed.
• No more than one such fee is charged in a month.

The Federal Reserve's overview of the gift card rule describes these federal requirements.

Promotional, loyalty, rebate, and other special-purpose cards may not receive the same treatment. State laws can add protections, and state unclaimed-property rules may affect older balances. The National Conference of State Legislatures' gift card overview is a starting point for checking state differences.

A five-year federal expiration floor doesn't mean that:

• Every merchant must accept the card at every location.
• A lost or stolen card must be replaced.
• A payment made to a scammer will be reversed.
• A U.S. card will work on an international version of the same retailer's website.

Check the cardholder agreement for those questions.

Buying a physical gift card

Buy a card displayed inside the retailer's store or sold through the issuer's official website. A card on a store rack isn't automatically safe, so look closely before paying:

• The packaging should be sealed and undamaged.
• The PIN scratch-off area should be intact.
• The card number and barcode shouldn't be covered or altered.
• The denomination should match the amount you asked the cashier to load.
• The receipt should show the purchase and, when provided, activation details.

Don't leave the store without the receipt. If possible, check the balance at the register or through the issuer's official balance tool. If the card looks tampered with, choose another one and tell the retailer about the damaged card.

Buying a digital gift card

Start at the retailer's website by typing the address yourself or opening its official app. An unexpected email, text message, social media link, or pop-up discount isn't a safe way to begin a purchase.

Before paying, confirm:

• The domain name is correct.
• The recipient's email address and delivery date are right.
• The card's country, retailer, and online-use restrictions fit the recipient.
• You have saved the order confirmation.
• The delivery message won't be sent to the wrong person.

Don't send a screenshot that shows the card number or PIN. A digital card can be exposed through the recipient's email account, a compromised retailer account, or a fake delivery page. Use a unique password and multi-factor authentication on the account that stores the card.

Gift card scam warning signs

The Federal Trade Commission's gift card scam guidance describes a familiar pattern: someone contacts you, creates urgency, tells you which card to buy, and asks for the number and PIN.

Be cautious if:

• A caller claims to be a relative, employer, government official, utility, or technical-support agent.
• Someone says your account, job, benefits, or service will be suspended unless you pay immediately.
• A message says you've won a prize but must pay a fee with a gift card.
• The person insists that you stay on the phone while buying the card.
• You're told to photograph the card or read the code aloud.
• A supposed retailer or delivery service asks you to activate a card through a link or make a verification payment.
• A stranger offers a steep discount and wants payment outside the platform.

Pause and verify an urgent request through a known phone number or a separate conversation. Don't use contact details in the suspicious message. If someone who contacted you unexpectedly demands the code, don't provide it.

If you've already shared the code

Move quickly, but don't pay anyone who promises to recover the money.

1. Stop communicating with the scammer. Don't send another card or pay a supposed recovery fee.
2. Contact the issuer using the number on the card or the issuer's official website. Explain that the card was obtained through a scam and ask whether the remaining funds can be protected or investigated.
3. Gather the receipt, card number, purchase date, amount, transaction history, messages, phone numbers, and email addresses.
4. Contact the bank or card provider used to buy the card. Ask whether a dispute or other recovery process is available. Approval isn't guaranteed, particularly when you authorized the purchase yourself.
5. Report the fraud to the FTC through the reporting instructions in its gift card scam guidance. Consider contacting local law enforcement if the incident involved identity theft or a substantial loss.
6. Change passwords and strengthen multi-factor authentication if you clicked a phishing link or exposed account information.

The issuer may not recover funds that have already been redeemed. Waiting can leave less to investigate.

Checking the balance and using the card

Use one of these routes:

• The issuer's official website, reached by typing the address yourself.
• The issuer's official mobile app.
• The customer-service number printed on the card or its original packaging.
• A cashier or customer-service desk at the issuing retailer.

Don't use a balance link from an unsolicited message or an unfamiliar third-party site. Visa's gift card balance guidance tells consumers to confirm activation, check available funds, and call the issuer at the number on the card if a purchase is declined.

Check the available balance before choosing items. If it won't cover the full purchase, ask whether the merchant allows a split payment. Some transactions can place a temporary authorization for more than the final bill, including fuel-pump and gratuity-related transactions. As a result, a prepaid card can be declined even when the displayed balance looks high enough.

Keep the transaction receipt until the purchase posts and the remaining balance is correct. If only a few dollars remain, use them in another purchase if the merchant permits split payments.

Expiration dates, fees, and unused balances

Read the card's terms for:

• The expiration date of the card or underlying funds.
• Inactivity or service fees.
• Activation or purchase fees.
• Replacement terms for a lost or damaged card.
• Online, in-store, merchant-group, or country restrictions.
• Whether the card is promotional or otherwise excluded from standard protections.

If the card has an expiration date, set a reminder and plan to use it beforehand. If a fee appears, ask the issuer to identify the disclosure and the period of inactivity that triggered it. If the answer conflicts with the card's terms or applicable state law, contact your state consumer-protection office for guidance.

Don't assume that a card covered by the five-year federal rule can be used at every location for the entire period. Acceptance restrictions and special terms may still apply.

When a gift card doesn't work

Don't give money or card details to an unfamiliar company that promises to recover a stolen gift card. Use the issuer's official support channel.

Is a physical or digital card safer?

Neither format removes the main risk. A physical card can be lost, stolen in transit, or tampered with before purchase. A digital card arrives quickly and may be easier to track, but the recipient's email account and retailer account become part of the security chain.

Choose the format that fits how the recipient will use it. Give the recipient the original terms and receipt, protect the PIN, and delete or securely destroy the card details after the balance reaches zero.

Can a U.S. gift card be used abroad?

Not necessarily. Store cards are often limited to a particular country, retailer, or website. A card with a Visa or Mastercard logo isn't automatically accepted worldwide; the issuer's terms control. Visa's U.S. guidance, for example, says the gift card described there isn't accepted outside the United States.

Before sending a card overseas, confirm that:

• The recipient's country is supported.
• The card works on the intended website or in local stores.
• Currency conversion and foreign-use fees are disclosed.
• The recipient can contact the issuer from abroad.

A country-specific digital card from the recipient's local retailer may be more useful than a U.S. card that can't be redeemed.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to give a gift card number to someone who calls me?

No. If an unexpected caller, text, or email asks you to buy a card and provide the number or PIN, treat it as a scam sign. Verify the request independently and contact the organization through its official website or phone number.

Do all U.S. gift cards have to last five years?

No. The federal five-year rule generally covers common store and general-use cards, but promotional, loyalty, and other special-purpose products may be treated differently. Read the disclosures and check state rules.

Can I get a refund after a gift card scam?

There is no automatic refund. Contact the issuer and the payment provider immediately, preserve your evidence, and report the scam to the FTC. Recovery depends on the transaction, the issuer's investigation, and whether the funds remain available.

What's the safest way to check a gift card balance?

Use the issuer's official app, website, or phone number printed on the card. If you receive a balance link from a stranger, close it and type the issuer's address yourself instead.

What should I keep after buying a gift card?

Keep the receipt, activation record, order confirmation, original terms, and card until the balance is gone. Those records can help with a failed activation, unauthorized use, or delivery problem.

If a card may already be compromised, call the issuer now using the number printed on it and have the receipt and transaction details ready.