Do gift cards expire in Canada? Rules by province

Most gift cards sold in Canada cannot expire, and most provinces also ban fees that eat into the balance. The federal Financial Consumer Agency of Canada says that most cards “don’t expire and don’t have fees,” but exceptions apply depending on where you live. The usual exceptions are promotional cards, charitable cards and some cards for a single service.

Updated Nov. 14, 2026.

Gift cards are one of the most common holiday presents, and the rules sit in ten provincial laws rather than one national law. This guide puts what each government has published in one place and says plainly where we could not confirm a detail. The territories are covered at the end of the table.

Key facts	Answer
Can a store gift card expire?	Generally no, in every province
Common exceptions	Promotional cards, charitable cards, and in some provinces cards for one specific service
Fees allowed in most provinces	Replacing a lost or stolen card and customizing a card
Shopping mall cards (Ontario, B.C., N.B.)	Up to $1.50 at purchase, then up to $2.50 a month after 15 months
Territories	No specific gift card regulations, according to the federal agency

Do gift cards expire in Canada?

For a card bought at a regular retailer for a dollar value, the answer is generally no. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada says that depending on provincial or territorial rules, promotional or charitable cards and cards for a specific service, such as a haircut or a massage, may carry an expiry date. It also says that in general there are no fees to buy or use a gift card, though some provinces let retailers charge to replace a lost card, customize a card, activate a card or maintain a mall card after a set period.

The federal page names each province’s rules and links to them. It does not set the rules itself, so the table below follows each government’s own page.

What are the gift card rules in each province?

Province or territory	Expiry dates	Fees and other limits
British Columbia	Not allowed on cards for a set dollar amount. Exceptions: cards for a specific good or service, cards sold at a discount, charitable cards, and cards bought before 2009	Fees allowed to personalize a card or replace a lost or stolen one. Mall cards: up to $1.50 at purchase and, after 15 months, up to $2.50 a month. Prepaid bank cards such as prepaid Visa are not covered
Alberta	Province says cards are no longer subject to expiry dates and fees that lower their value over time. We did not confirm the regulation’s exceptions	Rules sit in the Gift Card Regulation under the Fair Trading Act. We could not read the regulation’s text
Saskatchewan	Balances do not expire. Exceptions: charitable cards and cards where nothing of value was provided. Cards bought before Nov. 10, 2008, may carry an expiry date	Generally no fees beyond the purchase price, except on those exempt cards, customizing and replacing a lost or stolen card
Manitoba	Not allowed, except for a specific good or service or where nothing of value was exchanged for the card	Replacement of a lost or stolen card and customizing are allowed. An expired card is treated as having no expiry, illegal fees are refundable, and penalties range from $5,000 to $20,000
Ontario	Bans most retail gift card expiry dates. Exceptions: cards for one specific service and charitable cards. Loyalty cards, club cards and prepaid credit cards are not covered	No activation, service or dormancy fees on most cards. Customizing and replacing a lost or stolen card are allowed. Mall cards: up to $1.50 activation, keep full value for 15 months, then up to $2.50 a month. Illegal mall fees must be refunded within 15 days
Quebec	The law prohibits merchants from indicating an expiry date. Unlimited-use cards such as monthly transit passes, and cellular calling cards, may expire	Fees are generally not permitted for activation, use or non-use. Replacement at the customer’s request and customizing are allowed
New Brunswick	Generally prohibited. Exceptions: cards for a specific good or service, charitable cards and promotional cards. The agency says the rules apply to cards bought on or after June 18, 2008	Fees allowed to customize or replace a card and, on multi-store cards, up to $2.50 a month after 15 months. Illegal fees must be refunded within 15 days of a written demand. We could not confirm the current statute number
Nova Scotia	A supplier must not issue a card with an expiry date, except charitable and promotional cards. Specific-service cards are exempt only if issued before Feb. 1, 2010	Fees allowed on charitable and promotional cards, for replacing a lost or stolen card and for customizing. Unauthorized fees must be refunded within 15 days. Expiry and fee terms must be printed on the card
Newfoundland and Labrador	No expiry dates since April 1, 2011, except charitable and promotional cards	Fees allowed on those exempt cards, for replacing a lost or stolen card and for customizing. Unauthorized fees must be refunded within 15 days of a written demand
Prince Edward Island	The Gift Cards Act bars issuing a card with an expiry date, except as the regulations provide. We did not find the regulations. The version we read is an unofficial consolidation current to Sept. 1, 2010	Fees are barred except as the regulations permit. Offences carry fines of $200 to $10,000 for individuals and $1,000 to $500,000 for corporations
Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut	The federal agency says the territories do not have specific gift card regulations	A Northwest Territories consumer affairs bulletin says the territory “does not regulate gift cards.” We found no statement from Yukon or Nunavut

Can a store charge a fee on my gift card?

Usually only for narrow reasons. Across the provinces whose rules we read, a retailer may charge to replace a lost or stolen card or to customize a card, and some provinces allow fees on charitable and promotional cards. Ontario and Manitoba say most other fees, such as activation, service or dormancy fees, are not allowed on retail cards.

Shopping mall cards, which can be used at many stores in one centre, are treated differently in British Columbia, Ontario and New Brunswick. Ontario’s government says a mall may charge an activation fee of up to $1.50, the card must keep its value for 15 months, and after that a fee of up to $2.50 a month may apply. A 3-month extension can be requested in the 15th month.

What does a mall gift card really cost? A worked example

These figures use the caps Ontario and British Columbia publish. The card and dates are an example, not a real product.

A shopper buys a $100 mall gift card on Dec. 1, 2026, and pays up to $1.50 at purchase, so the total is up to $101.50. The card keeps its full $100 value for 15 months, until about March 2028. If it sits unused after that, a monthly fee of up to $2.50 may begin. After 12 months of fees the most that could be taken is $30, leaving $70. The same $100 card from a single retailer in Ontario would carry no activation fee and no expiry date. Asking for the 3-month extension in the 15th month would push the first possible fee back by three months.

What if my gift card has an expiry date?

Check the type of card first. In provinces that ban expiry dates, a card that carries one anyway may be treated as having none. Manitoba’s government says an expired card is treated as having no expiry date, and Prince Edward Island’s Act says a card with an expiry date is redeemable as if it had none. If you think a retailer broke the rule, contact your provincial consumer office. Our Black Friday consumer rights guide lists the office for each province.

Cards that can legitimately expire include charitable cards, promotional cards such as a bonus card given with a purchase, and, in some provinces, cards for one service. Cards bought before the rules took effect may also carry a date: Saskatchewan’s cut-off is Nov. 10, 2008, and B.C.’s is 2009. Prepaid bank cards, loyalty cards and club cards fall outside many of these laws, so read the terms printed on the card.

Do the rules apply to cards bought online or from another province?

We found no province that addresses this in the pages we read. Alberta’s page refers to cards purchased in Alberta. If a card was bought in another province or from an out-of-province website, check the terms on the card and ask the issuer which province’s law applies.

Where should I report a gift card problem?

Start with the retailer, then take the complaint to your province’s consumer protection office. Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and the Atlantic provinces each run one. Keep the card, the receipt and any screenshots of the terms. If the problem is a hidden fee in an advertised price, the Competition Bureau handles that federally.

Is a gift card a good last-minute gift?

For holiday shoppers short on time, a card avoids shipping deadlines. Canada Post’s Regular Parcel cut-off is Dec. 10, as our last day to ship for Christmas guide explains. Our gift guide for someone who has everything has other ideas. If you buy a card, read its terms in the store, keep the receipt and tell the recipient to use it early.

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Sources: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, gift cards; Consumer Protection BC; Government of Alberta; Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan; Manitoba Consumer Protection Office; Government of Ontario; Office de la protection du consommateur; Financial and Consumer Services Commission of New Brunswick; Nova Scotia Gift Card Regulations; Newfoundland and Labrador Gift Card Regulations; P.E.I. Gift Cards Act; N.W.T. Consumer Affairs bulletin. Rules can change, so confirm with your provincial consumer office before relying on this guide for a dispute.