Alberta Government Regulates Gift Cards

The regulation, part of the province’s Fair Trading Act:

• Disallows expiry dates on gift cards, gift certificates, and vouchers that have been purchased and have monetary value;
• Eliminates inactivity fees, also called dormancy fees, that reduce the value of gift cards the longer they go unredeemed;
• Prevents businesses from not honouring gift cards for purchases that are more or less than the value of a gift card; and
• Require merchants to fully disclose any restrictions on use of a gift card on both the actual card and its packaging.

The new regulation applies to valid gift cards purchased before, on or after November 1, 2008.

To find out more, click here.