The Gift Card Regulation sets out laws about gift cards (called prepaid purchase cards). A prepaid purchase card is a paper certificate, electronic card or other voucher or payment device with a monetary value that is loaded on a prepaid basis and honoured by a supplier. A supplier cannot engage in an unfair practice with gift cards such as: selling gift cards with an expiry date charging or deducting a fee from the balance remaining (except for allowable fees for activating, replacing a lost/stolen or customizing a gift card ) refusing to accept a gift card as partial payment withholding any unused balance remaining after a card has been used. (For example, if you have a gift card for $50 and only spend $40 on the purchase, you still have $10 left to use another time.) The gift card and its packaging must have: contact information where you can get more information about the card, including the remaining balance (money left on the card) any restrictions or conditions for using the card. For example, whether the card can be exchanged for cash or used to make a payment on a credit amount, or the return policy for purchases made with the card. The supplier must give you a receipt when you purchase the card. For more information, see the Government of Alberta’s tip sheet on Gift Cards. Last Reviewed: March 2022