Do Gift Cards Expire in Canada? The Rules by Province (2026)
Most store gift cards sold in Canada cannot expire and cannot be charged inactivity fees. The exceptions are where people lose money: mall cards, bank-issued Visa and Mastercard gift cards, charity and promotional cards, and cards for one specific service.
- Rules checked October 21, 2026
- By H Paul
- 8 min read
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We read each province’s own gift card rules and the federal rules for bank prepaid cards, then worked out how fast a monthly fee can empty a card that sits in a drawer.
The short answer
In most of Canada, a regular store gift card cannot expire and the store cannot charge you inactivity fees, so the balance stays until you spend it. Every province has rules like this. The cards that can expire or shrink are the ones those rules leave out: cards for a specific service such as a spa treatment in some provinces, charity and promotional cards, shopping mall cards that work at many stores, and prepaid Visa, Mastercard or American Express cards issued by banks.
The Northwest Territories does not regulate gift cards at all, according to its own consumer affairs bulletin. In this check we did not find a gift card rule on official Yukon or Nunavut sites, so ask the seller about expiry dates and fees before you buy there.
Gift card rules by province
This table covers store gift cards and gift certificates bought from a business. It does not cover loyalty points, which follow separate rules.
| Province | Can a store gift card expire? | Cards that can expire | Mall card fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | No, for most cards | A specific service (for example a spa massage), charity cards | Up to $1.50 to activate; up to $2.50 a month after 15 months |
| British Columbia | No, for most cards | A specific good or service, charity, promotional | Up to $1.50 at purchase; up to $2.50 a month starting 15 months after the month of purchase |
| Alberta | No | A specific service with no dollar value, promotional and loyalty cards | Inactivity fees banned. A one-time purchase fee is allowed |
| Saskatchewan | No | Charity cards, cards you gave nothing of value for | Not addressed on the provincial page |
| Manitoba | No, for most cards | A specific good or service, promotional, charity and loyalty cards | Up to $2.50 a month after 12 months of inactivity |
| Quebec | No, including cards for a specific good or service | Cellphone calling cards, unlimited-use passes for a set period such as a monthly bus pass | Either $3.50 when issued or $2.50 a month from the 15th month if never used |
| New Brunswick | No, for most cards | Charity, a specific good or service, promotional | Up to $2.50 a month, no earlier than 15 months after issue, sale or last use |
| Nova Scotia | No | Charity, promotional | No dormancy fee in the regulation text |
| Prince Edward Island | No, for most cards | Charity, a specific good or service, promotional | No dormancy fee in the regulation text |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | No | Charity, promotional | No dormancy fee in the regulation text |
| Northwest Territories | Not regulated | Check the card | Check the card |
Summarized from each province’s regulation or consumer protection page. Fees to replace a lost or stolen card or to customize a card are allowed in every province listed. In Quebec, a store can charge to replace a lost card only if it told you before you bought it. Rules apply to cards sold on or after each law’s start date.
The cards that can still cost you
Shopping mall cards
A mall card works at many unrelated stores in one shopping centre. Ontario, BC, Manitoba, Quebec and New Brunswick let mall operators charge a monthly fee after a set period. The fee comes out of the balance, so you only notice it when you go to spend the card.
Some provinces let you buy more time. In Ontario you can ask the card supplier for a 3-month extension during the 15th month, and no fees apply during the extension. BC and New Brunswick allow a request in the 15th month to push the start to 18 months. In Quebec, a request before the end of the 14th month delays fees until after the 18th month. In New Brunswick, the clock restarts every time you use the card.
Bank-issued Visa, Mastercard and Amex gift cards
These are prepaid payment cards, not store gift cards. Ontario’s rules do not cover prepaid credit cards, and PEI’s law excludes prepaid bank cards and credit card branded gift cards. When a federally regulated bank issues the card, the federal rules apply instead:
- The money cannot expire. The plastic card can have an expiry date, but the funds on it cannot.
- Maintenance fees can start 1 year after activation. The exceptions are promotional cards and reloadable cards where you gave express consent.
- Fees must be on the package. All charges have to appear in an information box on the outside of the packaging.
These federal rules do not cover prepaid cards issued by provincially regulated institutions or by retailers. Quebec’s consumer protection office also says a financial institution can charge activation and monthly fees on the cards it issues, as long as you are told about them.
Charity, promotional and service cards
A free card handed out with a purchase, or a card sold for a charity, can usually expire. So can a card for one named service in several provinces. Ontario’s example is a spa massage certificate. In Quebec, a card for a specific good or service cannot expire.
How fast a mall card fee empties a card
To show what a monthly fee does, we modelled a mall card that is never used, with the maximum $2.50 monthly fee starting the month after its protection period ends. That works out to $30 a year once fees begin.
| Fee-free period | $25 card | $50 card | $100 card |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months (Manitoba) | 22 months | 32 months | 52 months |
| 15 months (Ontario, BC, New Brunswick) | 25 months | 35 months | 55 months |
| 18 months (with an extension) | 28 months | 38 months | 58 months |
Hypothetical examples. Assumes the card is never used, the full $2.50 is charged every month once allowed, and fees begin the month after the fee-free period. Quebec fees can begin in the 15th month, so a Quebec card would run out about one month sooner than the 15-month row. Actual fees may be lower; check the back of the card.
Put another way, a $50 Ontario mall card left untouched for two years would have about $27.50 left. After about three years it would be empty.
Purchase fees matter too, especially on small cards. A $1.50 fee on a $25 mall card is 6% of its value. Quebec’s one-time $3.50 option on a $25 card is 14%. On a $100 card, the same fees are 1.5% and 3.5%.
A quick check before you buy or tuck one away
Thirty seconds at the counter can save the whole balance.
- Read the back of the cardMost provinces require fees, expiry dates and contact details to be disclosed. If it says nothing, ask.
- Prefer a single-store cardA card from one retailer is usually fully protected. A mall card or a bank prepaid card can carry fees.
- Spend mall and prepaid cards firstUse them within the first year to stay ahead of any monthly fee.
- Keep the receiptIt helps if the card is lost or stolen and the store offers a replacement.
- Ask for a refund of illegal feesIn Ontario, a mall must refund an illegal fee within 15 days. Newfoundland and Labrador sets the same 15-day limit after a written request.
What to do if a store refuses your card
Start with the store or mall that issued it and ask them to honour the full balance or refund the fee. Point to your province’s rules: in Alberta, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador, an expiry date that breaks the rules has no effect, and the card is treated as if it had no expiry date. Manitoba can also fine businesses $1,000 to $5,000 for breaking its rules.
If the store will not fix it, file a complaint with your provincial consumer protection office. If a retailer has gone bankrupt, Ontario’s guidance is to contact the trustee in bankruptcy.
For a bank-issued prepaid card, call the toll-free number the issuer must provide, then escalate through its complaint process.
If you buy gift cards with a rewards credit card, check what your card actually earns on them. Our cash back card annual fee break-even shows how to work out whether a fee card is worth it. If you shop at Costco, our Costco Executive membership math lists the purchases that do not count toward the 2% reward.
Frequently asked questions
Do gift cards expire in Canada?
Most store gift cards cannot expire in Canada’s provinces, and stores cannot charge inactivity fees on them. Exceptions include charity and promotional cards, cards for a specific service in some provinces, and shopping mall cards, which can lose up to $2.50 a month after a fee-free period in some provinces.
Can a mall gift card charge a monthly fee?
Yes, in some provinces. Ontario, BC and New Brunswick allow up to $2.50 a month after 15 months, Manitoba after 12 months of inactivity, and Quebec from the 15th month if the card was never used. You can often request a short extension during the 15th month.
Do Visa and Mastercard gift cards expire?
If a federally regulated bank issued the card, the funds cannot expire, although the plastic card can. The issuer can charge maintenance fees starting 1 year after activation, and all fees must be shown in an information box on the packaging.
Can a spa or massage gift certificate expire in Ontario?
Yes. Ontario lets a card for one specific service, such as a spa massage, expire, along with cards issued for charitable purposes. In Quebec, a card for a specific good or service cannot expire.
Can a store charge a fee to replace a lost gift card?
Yes. Every province’s rules allow a fee to replace a lost or stolen card or to customize a card, although Quebec requires the store to tell you about a replacement fee before you buy. Keep your receipt, because some stores will not replace a card without a record of it.
What can I do if a store says my gift card expired?
Ask the store to honour the full balance and point to your province’s rules. In several provinces an illegal expiry date has no effect. If the store refuses, file a complaint with your provincial consumer protection office.
- Sources, checked October 21, 2026: Government of Ontario: Buying or using gift cards (updated August 14, 2026); Consumer Protection BC: Gift cards; BC Prepaid Purchase Cards Regulation, B.C. Reg. 292/2008; Government of Alberta: Gift cards; Saskatchewan FCAA: Gift cards; Manitoba Consumer Protection Office: Prepaid purchase cards; Office de la protection du consommateur: Expiry and Fees; New Brunswick Regulation 2008-152, Gift Cards Act; Nova Scotia Gift Card Regulations; PEI Gift Cards Act General Regulations and PEI news release; Newfoundland and Labrador Gift Card Regulations; NWT Municipal and Community Affairs: Gift cards; FCAC: Prepaid cards, know your rights.
- Method: Months to zero = fee-free months + (card balance ÷ $2.50, rounded up). Calculated by script and checked with a month-by-month simulation. Purchase fee share = fee ÷ card value. The table summarizes the rules; it is not the full legal text, and some provincial pages do not cover mall card fees, which we have noted.
Important: This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Gift card rules can change and some cards have their own terms; confirm with the issuer or your provincial consumer protection office. Gizly is not paid by any retailer or card issuer mentioned here, and this page has no affiliate links. See our affiliate disclosure.
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