Gift card survey: Details of biggest issuers' cardsBy CreditCards.com
Click on your favorite gift card for more information:
See related: "Gift card survey shows it pays to comparison shop," "Free money: how to claim expired gift card funds."
| Gift card name | How long until expiration? | Any maintenance, dormancy fees? | Insurance against loss or theft? | Card denominations | Available with a PIN? Reloadable? Electronic card available? |
| 7-Eleven |
Never expires |
No |
Present original receipt at store |
Any amount |
Yes, Yes, No |
| Ahold USA (6 different chains) |
Never expires |
No |
Not available |
$5, $10, $25, $50, $100 denominations |
No, No, No |
| American Express |
Never expires |
Yes after 12 months |
Call issuer with card number |
Regular - $25, $50, $100, $200 and $500; Personalized - $25, $35, $50, $75, $100, $150, $200, $250 and $500; In-person locations - variable |
No, No, No |
| Best Buy |
Never expires |
No |
Call issuer with proof of purchase and record of remaining balance |
$5-$500 |
No, Yes, No |
| Bloomingdale's |
For most states, the card expires two years from date of last value added; card never expires in Calif., Fla., Md., Mass., Minn. and Nev. |
No |
Call issuer with original proof of purchase for replacement |
$10-1,000 |
No, Yes, Yes |
| Gift card name | How long until expiration? | Any maintenance, dormancy fees? | Insurance against loss or theft? | Card denominations | Available with a PIN? Reloadable? Electronic card available? |
| Circuit City |
Never expires |
No |
Present issuer with original reciept for replacement |
Regular - $5-500; Electronic - $5-$2,000 |
Yes, No, Yes |
| Costco |
Never expires |
No |
Not available |
$25-$100 |
No, Yes, No |
| CVS |
Never expires |
No |
Call issuer with original reciept/proof of purchase |
$5-$500 |
No, Yes, No |
| Delhaize America (7 different chains) |
Expires 24 months from date of first use |
After 24 fees (retroactive) |
One-time courtesy replacement |
Any amount from $5-$499 |
No, Yes, No |
| Discover |
Expires 24 months from date of first use |
Yes after 12 months |
Call issuer with card number |
$20-$500 |
No, No, No |
| Gift card name | How long until expiration? | Any maintenance, dormancy fees? | Insurance against loss or theft? | Card denominations | Available with a PIN? Reloadable? Electronic card available? |
| Federated Dept. Stores (now Macy's Inc. - see below) |
Expires two years from date of last value added, except in Calif., Conn., Fla., Kan., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Minn., Mo., Nev., N.H., N.D., Okla., Ore., R.I., Vt. and Wash. |
No |
Call issuer with original proof of purchase for replacement |
$10-$1,000 |
No, Yes, No |
| Gap |
Never expires |
No |
Present issuer with original reciept for replacement |
$10-$200 |
No, Yes, No |
| H.E.B. |
Never expires |
No |
Call issuer with card number |
$5, $10, $20, $25, $50 and $100 increments |
No, No, No |
| Home Depot |
Never expires |
No |
Contact local store for details |
$10-$500 |
No, Yes, No |
| JCPenney |
Never expires |
No |
Call issuer with proof of purchase as required by JCPenney |
$10, $25, $50, $100 |
No, Yes, Yes |
| Gift card name | How long until expiration? | Any maintenance, dormancy fees? | Insurance against loss or theft? | Card denominations | Available with a PIN? Reloadable? Electronic card available? |
| Kmart |
Never expires |
No |
Present issuer with original proof of purchase |
denominations $10-$100 |
Yes, Yes, No |
| Kohl’s |
Never expires |
No |
See local store for details; must have proof of purchase |
$10-$100 |
No, Yes, Yes |
| Kroger |
Never expires |
No |
Not available |
denominations $10-$250 |
No, Yes, No |
| Lowe’s |
Never expires |
No |
Present issuer with original/gift reciept |
$5-$5,500 |
No, Yes, Yes |
| Macy's |
Expires two years from date of last value added, except in Calif., Conn., Fla., Kan., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Minn., Mo., Nev., N.H., N.D., Okla., Ore., R.I., Vt. and Wash. |
No |
Present issuer with original proof of purchase for replacement |
$10-$1,000 |
No, Yes, No |
| Gift card name | How long until expiration? | Any maintenance, dormancy fees? | Insurance against loss or theft? | Card denominations | Available with a PIN? Reloadable? Electronic card available? |
| MasterCard |
Variable expiration |
Variable fees for maintenance and dormancy |
Call issuer with card number |
Varies; $500 or $2,500 limit |
No, Varies, No |
| MasterCard - HSBC |
Expries 24 months from date of first use |
Yes after 12 months |
Call issuer with card number |
$25-$500 |
No, No, No |
| MasterCard - Keybank |
Usually expires two years from date of first use |
Yes after 12 months |
Call issuer with card number |
$5-$2,500 |
No, No, No |
| MasterCard - Springbook |
Never expires |
Yes after six months |
Call issuer with card number |
$5-$2,500 |
No, Yes, No |
| MasterCard - Washington Mutual |
Expires 24 months from date of first use |
Yes after 12 months |
Call issuer with card number |
$25-$500 |
No, No, No |
| Gift card name | How long until expiration? | Any maintenance, dormancy fees? | Insurance against loss or theft? | Card denominations | Available with a PIN? Reloadable? Electronic card available? |
| McDonald’s (Arch card) |
Never expires |
No |
Call issuer with card number; download lost and stolen card form, fill out and mail |
$5, $10, $25, $50 |
No, Yes, No |
| Meijer |
Never expires |
No |
Nothing |
$5, $10, $20, $15, $25, $50, $100 |
No, Yes, No |
| Office Depot |
Never expires |
No |
Nothing |
denominations $10-200 |
No, Yes, No |
| Pilot Travel Centers |
Never expires |
No |
Call issuer with card number to report |
up to $1,000 |
No, Yes, No |
| Publix |
Never expires |
No |
Not available |
$5-$500 |
No, Yes, No |
| Gift card name | How long until expiration? | Any maintenance, dormancy fees? | Insurance against loss or theft? | Card denominations | Available with a PIN? Reloadable? Electronic card available? |
| Rite Aid |
Never expires |
No |
Not available |
up to $500 |
No, No, No |
| Safeway (100's of different gift cards - gift card site currently not working) |
Never expires |
No |
Call issuer with card number to report |
$5-$500 |
Yes, No, No |
| Sears |
Never expires |
No |
Present issuer with original proof of purchase |
$5-$500 |
Yes, Yes, No |
| Sears Holdings |
Never expires |
No |
Present issuer with original proof of purchase |
$5-$500 |
Information not available |
| Staples |
Never expires |
No |
Not available |
$10, $20, $25, $50, $100 |
No, Yes, No |
| SuperValu Retail (over 15 retail chains) |
Expires 90 days from date of first use |
No |
Not available |
$5, $10, $25, $50, $100 |
Yes, No, No |
| Gift card name | How long until expiration? | Any maintenance, dormancy fees? | Insurance against loss or theft? | Card denominations | Available with a PIN? Reloadable? Electronic card available? |
| Target |
Never expires |
No |
Call issuer with original/gift reciept |
traditional - denominations $10-$1,000; electronic - $5-$5,000 |
No, Yes, Yes |
| TJX (8 different chains) |
Never expires |
No |
Contact local store for details |
Any denomination |
Yes, No, No |
| Toys “R” Us |
Never expires |
No |
Call issuer to report |
$1-$1,000 |
No, Yes, No |
| Visa |
Variable expiration |
Variable fees for maintenance and dormancy |
Call issuer with card number to report |
Varies |
No, Varies, No |
| Walgreens |
Never expires |
No |
Call issuer with card number to report |
$50 only
|
No, Yes, No |
| Wal-Mart |
Never expires |
No |
Not available |
preset amounts/electronic - $10-$200; entered yourself - $10-$2,500 |
Yes to use online, Yes, Yes |
Published: November 20, 2007
 |
 |
 |
|
Three most recent Research, statistics stories:
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
CreditCards.com's newsletter
Did you like this story? Then sign up for CreditCards.com’s weekly e-newsletter for the latest news, advice, articles and tips. It's FREE. Once a week you will receive the top credit card industry news in your inbox. Sign up now!
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weekly newsletter
 Get the latest news, advice, articles and tips delivered to your inbox. It's FREE. |
|
|
|
|
|
RSS news feeds