The New York State Division of Consumer Protection rolled out new regulations on gift cards over the weekend.
The legislation signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul and maintained by the consumer agency will remain in place for nine years after purchasing.
One big change is that anyone who has a gift card with a balance of less than $5 on it can opt to ‘cash it out’.
Fees on gift cards will also be prohibited except a one-time activation fee of $9 for those redeemable at multiple locations. That $9 represents the top-end of what businesses can charge.
It’s not mandatory, so most businesses are expected to remain fee-less.
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