Businesses across Ireland will need to review the terms and conditions of the gift vouchers they sell to ensure that they comply with new legislation, the Consumer Protection (Gift Vouchers) Act 2019.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has published guidance to help businesses understand the new legislation and assess how the new rules may impact on their current gift vouchers policy.
Some of the main changes that businesses need to be aware of include:
A gift voucher cannot have an expiry date less than 5 years from the date it was purchased;
You must provide a record of the expiry date to your customers in writing for example on paper or by email. If there is no expiry date then it should be stated;
You cannot limit the amount of vouchers used in a single transaction;
You cannot refuse to accept gift vouchers that are not in the user’s name;
Traders cannot charge a fee for changing or amending the name on a gift voucher.
Public Awareness Campaign
Gift vouchers that were sold before the new legislation came into effect on December 2nd 2019 do not have to comply with the new requirements.
However, any gift vouchers issued since must be provided under the conditions detailed in the new legislation.
If a business has vouchers pre-printed, they can give the customer written confirmation of whether there is an expiry period and if so the date that applies.
The information for businesses is available by visiting www.ccpc.ie. The CCPC’s website also provides information for those who are buying gift vouchers.
A public awareness campaign has also commenced to help consumers understand their rights and get the most from the gift vouchers they buy or receive.
