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States that Provide Cash Refunds for Gift Card Balances |
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By: Duke Chen, Associate Analyst |
issue
Which states require retailers to return a gift card’s remaining cash value to the cardholder? What is the maximum statutory amount they must return? This report has been updated by OLR Report 2019-R-0185.
Summary
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), 10 states require retailers to provide a cash refund, up to a certain amount, for a gift card’s remaining value (see Table 1). The maximum amounts that these states require retailers to redeem range from $0.99 in Rhode Island and Vermont to $9.99 in California, with the most common amount being $4.99.
Table 1: States with Gift Card “Cash-Back” Laws
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State |
Maximum Amount |
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California (Cal. Civ. Code § 1749.5) |
$9.99 |
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Colorado (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 6-1-722(b)(2)) |
5.00 |
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Maine (Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 33, § 1953(G)(5)) |
4.99 |
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Massachusetts (Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 200A, § 5D) |
4.99 |
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Montana (Mont. Code Ann. § 30-14-108(4)) |
4.99 |
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New Jersey (N.J. Stat. Ann. § 56:8-110(c)) |
4.99 |
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Oregon (Or. Rev. Stat. § 646A.276(1)(d)) |
4.99 |
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Rhode Island (R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13-12) |
0.99 |
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Vermont (Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 8, § 2704) |
0.99 |
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Washington (Wash. Rev. Code § 19.240.020(3)) |
4.99 |
Source: NCSL: Gift Cards and Gift Certificates Statutes and Legislation
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