Consumer · Gift Cards
Can a Gift Card Expire in Oregon?
Whether a store gift card can expire in Oregon, 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 Oregon
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 and no declining value | It is unlawful to sell a gift card with an expiration date, or one whose face value declines with time or nonuse, under ORS 646A.276. |
| No fees of any kind | No inactivity, maintenance, or service fee is allowed. There is no dollar cap or waiting period, because no fee is permitted. |
| Cash back under 5 dollars, after one purchase | Once the balance falls below 5 dollars and the card has been used at least once, you can redeem the remainder in cash, defined as money or a check, under § 646A.276(1)(d). |
| A discounted card may expire | The one exception, under ORS 646A.278, is a card sold below face value that says EXPIRES ON with the date in ten-point type and lasts at least 30 days from sale. |
| When it is different | What it means |
|---|---|
| Free and promotional cards | A card given for free or below full consideration as a donation or promotion is outside the cash-redemption duty. |
| Open-loop and transit cards | Any card usable with more than one seller, a prepaid telephone card, and a prepaid transit, road, or parking card are excluded from the definition. |
| Online-account cards | A card redeemed to an online account for goods or services is outside the cash-redemption duty. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if a gift-card balance is dishonored in Oregon. This is consumer information, not legal advice.
- Ignore any printed expiration date
A full-price Oregon gift card cannot carry an expiration date or lose value over time. The balance stays good indefinitely.
- Ask for cash under 5 dollars after one use
Once you have used the card at least once and the balance falls below 5 dollars, you can demand the remainder in cash under § 646A.276(1)(d).
- Check a daily-deal voucher's date
A card sold below face value may expire under ORS 646A.278, but only with a ten-point date and at least 30 days from sale. The amount you paid may still be honored after.
- Complain if a card is dishonored
A violation is an unlawful trade practice. File a complaint with the Oregon Department of Justice, Consumer Protection.
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.
→ Oregon Department of Justice · 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 Oregon gift-card holders get wrong
Oregon writes the rule as a ban on the sale, not on the term: it is unlawful to sell a card that expires, so the violation happens at the register, and ORS 646.608(1)(eee) converts it directly into an Unlawful Trade Practices Act claim. Under ORS 646A.276, a person may not sell a gift card with an expiration date, one whose face value declines with time or nonuse, or one that carries any inactivity, maintenance, or service fee. Oregon is also one of only three states nationally with a genuine cash-back right on the statute's face: once a card has been used at least once and its balance falls below 5 dollars, the holder can demand the remainder, and Oregon defines cash as money or a check so a merchant cannot substitute store credit. The one way an Oregon card may legally carry an expiration date is if it was sold at a discount, under ORS 646A.278, which is how daily-deal and below-face-value vouchers are handled, and even then it must show a ten-point date and last at least 30 days. Oregon also expressly pulls transit and parking cards, and any multi-seller card, out of the definition. This page was read from the official Oregon session-law text.
Common questions
Can any Oregon gift card have an expiration date?
Only a discounted one. Under ORS 646A.278, a card sold below face value may expire if it shows a ten-point date and lasts at least 30 days. A full-price card cannot expire.
How do I get the last 4 dollars off an Oregon gift card in cash?
Once you have used the card at least once and the balance falls below 5 dollars, you can demand the remainder in cash, money or a check, under § 646A.276(1)(d).
Does Oregon's no-expiration rule cover a Visa or Mastercard gift card?
No. Any card usable with more than one seller is excluded from the definition, so an open-loop card follows federal rules.
My Oregon daily-deal voucher expired. Is the amount I paid still good?
Often yes. A below-face-value voucher may expire under ORS 646A.278, but the amount you actually paid frequently remains honorable as store credit.
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.