Gift card expiration rules in the Netherlands: what the law says and what you choose as a business owner
Gift card expiration in the Netherlands is regulated by law: a gift card bought by a consumer after 1 January 2022 must be valid for at least two years. A shorter term is considered unreasonable and can be annulled by the consumer. As a business owner, you choose a longer validity period or no expiry date at all. Below you will find the gift card expiration rules in the Netherlands, how to set the expiry date in the Gifty dashboard and how to extend an expired card.
Gift card expiration in the Netherlands at a glance
- Legal minimum: two years for consumer gift cards, since 1 January 2022.
- Longer is always allowed: three years, ten years or no expiry date is your choice as a business owner.
- On the expiry date: the remaining balance is written off and the card gets the status expired.
- After that: you can extend the card, as long as the strict expiry date is switched off.
What does Dutch law say about gift card expiration?
Article 6:236 of the Dutch Civil Code lists terms that are considered unreasonably burdensome in a contract with a consumer. Part t covers a term that limits the validity of a gift card to less than two years (legal text on wetten.overheid.nl). A term that short can be annulled.
According to the Rijksoverheid, the rule applies to all gift cards, including digital gift cards and cards for an experience or a product (Rijksoverheid).
What does this mean in practice?
- Do not issue a new consumer gift card with a validity shorter than two years.
- If a shorter date is printed anyway, the consumer can have that term annulled.
- A longer term or no expiry date does not create a legal problem.
Note: this article covers gift cards for consumers in the Netherlands. We make no statement about cards bought before 2022, free promotional cards or cards for business customers. Please ask a legal advisor about those.
Which gift card validity can you set as a business owner?
In the Gifty dashboard you set the validity yourself under the gift card settings, in the section Expiry date. You choose no expiry or a fixed term in years, up to a maximum of ten years.
The law only sets a minimum, so use two years as your lower limit. Above that, your choice affects your guests and your bookkeeping.
| Choice | Suits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Two years | A clear end to the open balance | More questions from guests close to the expiry date |
| Three to ten years | Guests who get plenty of time to spend | The balance stays open in your books for longer |
| No expiry | No expiry dates to track | The open balance never comes to a natural end |
Our tip: choose a validity you can easily explain to a guest at the till. Two years is clear and meets the minimum. Discuss longer terms with your accountant first, because the open balance then stays on your balance sheet for longer.
What happens on the expiry date of a gift card?
On the expiry date, Gifty writes off the remaining balance. The card gets the status expired and can no longer be used. You can extend it afterwards, unless you have switched on the strict expiry date.
Does a guest want to know whether their card is still valid and how much balance is left? Point them to the balance checker.
Why does the old date still appear on a physical card after extending?
A physical card keeps its original date, the date of issue. If you extend the card, the new expiry date lives in the system. The printed card is not changed.
Tell your staff in advance. That way nobody is surprised by a card with a past date that still works.
How do you extend an expired gift card?
An extension only works if three conditions are met:
- The card has the status expired. You do not extend a card that is still valid.
- The strict expiry date is switched off. If it is on, an expired card cannot be extended.
- The new expiry date is in the future. A date in the past is rejected.
How to do it:
- Find the card in the dashboard and check that the status is expired.
- Check that the strict expiry date is switched off for your account.
- Choose a new expiry date in the future.
- Confirm the extension. The card can be used again.
In the settings you choose how long an extension lasts by default. This can be anything from one month to ten years.
Accepting a card that has just expired at the till
A guest comes in with a card that expired last week? Then you do not have to say no. If you use unTill, a goodwill arrangement may be switched on. When the employee scans an expired card, the system asks whether the card should be extended. After confirmation, the card is valid for one more month and the guest simply pays. See the Gifty documentation.
Ask Gifty whether this is switched on for your account. For other till systems, the employee extends the card in the dashboard.
Keep an eye on gift card expiration
In the reports you will find the report Expected expiry. It shows which cards will expire soon, with issue date, expiry date and remaining balance. That way you can remind guests in time. The report is available if your subscription includes reports.
Frequently asked questions about gift card expiration
At least two years for consumers, for gift cards sold since 1 January 2022. A shorter term can be annulled. A longer term or no expiry date is always allowed.
Yes, a card may expire after two years if that was agreed. As a business owner you can also choose a longer validity or no expiry. In the Gifty dashboard you set this under Expiry date.
On the expiry date, Gifty writes off the remaining balance. The card gets the status expired and can no longer be used, unless you extend it.
Yes, as long as the strict expiry date is switched off for your account. Find the card in the dashboard, choose a new expiry date in the future and confirm the extension.
In the Gifty dashboard you choose no expiry or a fixed term of up to ten years.
Via the balance checker. There the guest sees whether the card is still valid and how much balance is left.
Prefer watching to reading? Watch the short video on setting the gift card validity.