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Restaurant gift certificates or cards in MA

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 03/12/2011 - 08:18

Hello. I purchased a gift certificate for a friend to celebrate her anniversary. The local restaurant where I purchased the card placed an expiration date on the card for 2015, or four years from the purchase date. Is that legal? I thought gift cards had to be good for 7 years in MA. I asked the manager about it and she told me that there's a different rule for restaurants.

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Restaurant gift cards

Submitted by The Editor on Sat, 03/12/2011 - 09:52.

No, there is no special rule for restaurants. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 200A, Section 5D, all gift cards and certificates must be valid for at least 7 years.  I would suggest you talk to the owner before giving the gift and ask her to re-write the gift certificate to comply with the law.  Good luck.

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