GEORGIA
Definition of Gift Card/Gift Certificate:
Ga. Code §10-1-393(b)(33)(B)
‘General use gift card’ means a plastic card or other electronic payment device which is usable at multiple, unaffiliated merchants or service providers; is issued in an amount which amount may or may not be, at the option of the issuer, increased in value or reloaded if requested by the holder; is purchased or loaded on a prepaid basis by a consumer; and is honored upon presentation by merchants for goods or services.
‘Gift certificate’ means a written promise that is usable at a single merchant or an affiliated group of merchants that share the same name, mark, or logo; is issued in a specified amount and cannot be increased in value on the face thereof; is purchased on a prepaid basis by a consumer in exchange for payment; and is honored upon presentation for goods or services by such single merchant or affiliated group of merchants that share the same name, mark, or logo.
‘Store gift card’ means a plastic card or other electronic payment device which is usable at a single merchant or an affiliated group of merchants that share the same name, mark, or logo; is issued in a specified amount and may or may not be increased in value or reloaded; is purchased on a prepaid basis by a consumer in exchange for payment; and is honored upon presentation for goods or services by such single merchant or affiliated group of merchants that share the same name, mark, or logo.
Expiration Date Provision:
Ga. Code §10-1-393(b)(33)(A)(ii)
An expiration date must be conspicuous.
Fee Provision:
Ga. Code §10-1-393(b)(33)(A)(ii)
Amount of dormancy/non-use fees must be conspicuously printed.
Escheat Provision:
Ga. Code §44-12-205
A gift certificate issued in the ordinary course of an issuer’s business which remains unclaimed by the owner for more than five years after becoming payable or distributable is presumed abandoned. The amount presumed abandoned is the price paid by the purchaser for the gift certificate.
SOURCE: National Conference of State Legislatures
PLEASE NOTE: Please note the summaries should be used for general informational purposes and not as a legal reference. DropZone Marketing is unable to answer questions or provide guidance to business owners regarding gift cards and gift certificate laws and practices. If you have questions regarding issuing or redeeming a gift card or gift certificate or a retailer’s practices, please contact the Office of the Attorney General in your state.
