Consumer · Gift Cards
Can a Gift Card Expire in Maryland?
Whether a store gift card can expire in Maryland, plus the cash-back rule, the fee limits, the exceptions for bank and promotional cards, and how the state compares to the federal five-year floor. Cited to the statute.
The rules and exceptions in Maryland
What the law requires, when it does not apply, and how the state sits against the federal floor.
| The rule in this state | What it means |
|---|---|
| No expiration or fee for four years | A gift certificate may not be subject to expiration or any fee within four years after purchase, under Md. Code, Com. Law § 14-1319(b). Federal law then extends the expiration floor to five years. |
| Fees after four years need ten-point disclosure | Any expiration or fee that takes effect after year four must be printed in at least ten-point type, and terms may not be changed after purchase unless the change benefits the consumer. |
| A non-compliant card becomes immortal | A card sold in violation is valid and cannot be subject to expiration or any fee, under § 14-1319(e). The remedy is a permanent, fee-free card. |
| The state never claims the balance | Maryland expressly excludes both gift certificates and gift cards from unclaimed property, so an unused balance stays with the merchant. |
| When it is different | What it means |
|---|---|
| Telephone and technical-support cards | Prepaid telephone, technical-support, and internet-service cards, and discount coupons, are excluded from the definition. |
| Loyalty and promotional cards | A card distributed under an awards, loyalty, or promotional program with nothing given in exchange is excluded. |
| Open-loop bank cards | A card processed through a national credit or debit card service and usable at multiple unaffiliated sellers is excluded and follows federal rules. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if a gift-card balance is dishonored in Maryland. This is consumer information, not legal advice.
- Count on five years for expiration
Maryland's four-year figure is shorter than the federal five, so the federal floor controls. Do not accept a shorter date on a covered card.
- Refuse any fee in the first four years
A Maryland gift certificate may not carry any fee within four years of purchase. A dormancy, service, or inquiry fee inside that window is not allowed.
- A bad card is a fee-free card
If a card was sold with an unlawful short date or fee, it is valid and fee-free by operation of § 14-1319(e). Insist on that.
- Complain if a card is dishonored
File a complaint with the Maryland Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division.
If a retailer voids a balance or charges an improper fee, a state consumer-protection office can take your complaint and enforce the gift-card rules.
→ Maryland Attorney General · Consumer ProtectionThis is general consumer information, not legal advice. Card terms and exceptions vary, so check your card and the statute, and use the complaint route if a balance is wrongly dishonored.
What Maryland gift-card holders get wrong
Maryland's remedy is self-executing and unusually satisfying: sell a card that violates the rule and the card does not become void, it becomes immortal and fee-free. Under Md. Code, Com. Law § 14-1319(b), a gift certificate may not be subject to expiration or any fee within four years of purchase, and if a card is sold in violation, § 14-1319(e) makes it valid and permanently free of expiration or any fee. Maryland is also one of the few states to legislate the type size, requiring any post-year-four term in at least ten-point type, and to forbid post-purchase changes to terms unless the change helps the consumer. One point of confusion: Maryland's four-year minimum is shorter than the federal five years, so for the expiration question the federal floor is the longer, controlling number. Maryland's real strength is fees, which it bans entirely for four full years. Maryland also excludes gift certificates and gift cards from unclaimed property, with the words or a gift card added to the carve-out in 2025, so an unused balance stays with the merchant. Open-loop bank cards are excluded and follow federal rules.
Common questions
Maryland says four years but I heard gift cards last five. Which is it?
Five for expiration. Maryland's four-year rule is shorter than the federal five-year floor, which controls expiration for covered cards. Maryland's four years is really a fee-free window.
Can a Maryland store charge a monthly fee after four years?
Possibly, if the fee term was printed in at least ten-point type. Within the first four years no fee of any kind is allowed.
My Maryland gift card had a two-year expiration printed on it. What is it worth now?
Full value, forever. Under § 14-1319(e), a card sold in violation is valid and cannot be subject to expiration or any fee.
Does the Maryland rule cover a mall gift card with a Visa logo?
No. A card processed through a national credit or debit card service and usable at multiple unaffiliated sellers is excluded and follows federal rules.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.