YOU may have been chuffed to get a gift card for your favourite brand for Christmas.
It means you can buy exactly what you want, rather than ending up with something you are not fussed about.
But there are pitfalls to watch out for with gift cards or tokens.
Here’s what you need to know . . .
FLEXIBLE FAILS: Gift vouchers can come with certain stipulations on how they are used.
For example, you may not be able to use them as a part payment towards an item, so you have the task of finding a purchase that is as close to the gift card value as possible. Or you may be able to use in-store or online only.
TICKING CLOCK: Many gift cards have to be used within a certain time period, usually two years.
However, some have a shorter window of 12 months.
So be wary about stashing your voucher away — you might forget about it, only to realise that it has expired when you come to use it.
If you are not going to imminently use your voucher, check its expiry date and put a note in your calendar a month before to spend it before you run out of time.
SNEAKY CHARGES: Another reason to use your gift card sooner rather than later can be because some operators whack on “inactivity” fees after a certain period of time if the credit isn’t redeemed.
These charges can bite into the value of your gift.
BROKEN BUSINESSES: If a retailer goes bust, you might be unable to spend a voucher or gift card.
Sometimes you could use it if you act quickly but it will depend on the terms of the particular administration.
This gives another reason to spend a gift card shortly after you receive it as you never know when a business might collapse.
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