The Woolworths Group has announced all its gift cards will be sold without expiry dates from March 31, 2018. This flexibility will also be extended to customers with active gift cards bought on or after March 31, 2017.
The move improves on Woolworths’ previous commitment to extend expiry dates from one to three years on cards bought from March 31, 2018.
“We know our gift cards make incredibly popular presents for family and friends and understand how disappointing it can be if they expire before customers get a chance to use them,” Woolworths Head of Financial Services and Insurance Chris Cramond said.
“It’s why we outlined plans late last year to extend expiry dates from one to three years nationwide from March 2018.
“After talking to more of our customers about this in recent months, we’ve decided to go one better and scrap gift-card expiry dates for good.
“It means one less thing to worry about for our busy customers, who will have complete flexibility to use gift cards as and when it suits them.”
The changes apply across the Woolworths Group, meaning the following suite of gift-card products will no longer expire: WISH and Store Gift Cards (available to redeem at Woolworths Supermarkets, BIG W, Dan Murphy’s, BWS, Cellarmasters and Caltex Woolworths Petrol), Essentials Gift Card (available for use in supermarkets and petrol outlets only) and Groceries Gift Card (available for purchases on groceries only at Woolworths supermarkets).
The national move by Woolworths exceeds the new rules coming into place in NSW from March 31, 2018, which will require all retailers to honour gift cards for at least three years after purchase.
To avoid wasting plastic gift cards already produced, some gift-cards stock will continue to have a 12-month expiry-date notice printed on the back.
