The Gift Card
RCW 19.240.020 — no expiration date and no fees, and cash for a balance under five dollars
In Washington, except as the chapter provides, it is unlawful to issue, or to enforce against a bearer, a gift certificate that contains an expiration date, any fee including a service fee, or a dormancy or inactivity charge. A gift certificate is valid until redeemed or replaced.
Cash under five dollars. After a purchase for less than the certificate's value, the issuer makes the rest available in cash or as a gift certificate, at its option. If what remains is less than five dollars, it is redeemable in cash on the bearer's demand.
The section does not require an issuer to replace a lost or stolen gift certificate unless other law requires it. The exceptions are in a neighboring section, not reproduced here. Whether a card is covered is a question for a licensed Washington attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- RCW 19.240.020 — Expiration dates and service fees
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Washington attorney.