Do gift cards expire?Updated 11 hours ago

Koh gift card validity depends on how the card was issued. Purchased gift cards (cards bought directly, where someone paid for the card itself) must be valid for a minimum of 3 years from the date of purchase under Australian Consumer Law (Section 99A of the ACL, in force since November 2019). The expiry date must be prominently displayed on the card or in the issuing email. Promotional gift cards are different. Cards issued free of charge as part of a temporary marketing promotion, customer loyalty program, referral reward, or competition prize are legally exempt from the 3-year rule. The ACCC and the Competition and Consumer Regulations 2010 confirm this exemption. Promotional cards have whatever expiry was set by the original promotion, which is usually shorter than 3 years (often 30, 60, or 90 days). The expiry date for promotional cards is set out in the terms attached to the original promotion.

The 3-year minimum applies to cards purchased and supplied in Australia. New Zealand has similar consumer protections under the Consumer Guarantees Act, the UK has no statutory minimum, and individual promotion terms apply in all regions.

To tell which type of Koh gift card you have, look at how it was issued. If the card was purchased (someone paid money for the card itself, then sent it to you, or you bought it directly), it's a purchased gift card and the 3-year ACL protection applies. The original purchase confirmation email will show the transaction. If the card arrived automatically without anyone paying for it, as a referral bonus, a competition prize, a Koh Perks reward, a campaign promotion, or any offer where no one paid for the card itself, it's a promotional gift card and the 3-year rule doesn't apply. The original email or campaign terms will show the expiry date that applied at the time of issue. If you're still unsure, check the email or SMS where the card was sent, the expiry date should be visible on the card itself, in the email body, or in the linked terms.

If a Koh gift card has expired, it can't be reactivated or extended. This applies to both purchased and promotional gift cards. If you believe your card was a purchased gift card (where someone paid for it) and it expired in less than 3 years from the date of purchase, that would be a breach of Australian Consumer Law. Contact our team with the original purchase details (purchase confirmation email, gift card code, recipient name) and we'll review the case. If the card was promotional and has expired according to the original promotion's terms, the expiry stands and we can't reactivate it. The terms of the original promotion are binding under both consumer law and contract law.