I really like receiving gift cards. I can redeem them at that store or web site when I want to purchase what I want. In rare cases there is an expiry date put on the card. Why I’m not sure because the issuer has been paid in full for face value of the card but it still does happen.

I recently used a portion of a gift card for a local restaurant and I was quite impressed how they handled the transaction. They not only issued a receipt showing the balance remaining, they also showed the ‘effective dates’ for the card. The card was set to expire 100 years from the date of issue. I’m quite sure I will have enough time to use up the balance!