From March 2026, New Zealand will introduce new legislation that directly impacts how gift vouchers can be sold, managed, and communicated to consumers. While the change is designed to protect customers, it also places new operational and compliance responsibilities on businesses, particularly those using gift vouchers as a key revenue channel.
If your business sells gift vouchers in New Zealand, understanding this update now and ensuring your systems can support it, is critical.
What’s Changing in March 2026?
From March 2026, all gift vouchers and gift cards sold to consumers in New Zealand must have a minimum expiry period of three years from the date of sale.
This requirement is part of the Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Act 2024, which amends the Fair Trading Act to prevent short expiry periods that disadvantage consumers.
In practical terms:
- Any gift voucher sold on or after 16 March 2026 must be valid for at least three years.
- Expiry information must be clearly and prominently disclosed.
- Vouchers sold before this date are not retrospective and remain under their original terms.
Which Vouchers Are Affected?
The law applies to all paid gift vouchers, including:
- Digital gift vouchers.
- Physical gift cards.
- Vouchers redeemable for goods, services, or experiences.
Clear Expiry Disclosure Is No Longer Optional
Expiry details must be obvious and easy to understand, such as:
- A specific expiry date shown on the voucher.
- A statement like “Valid for 3 years from date of purchase”.
How HyperGift Supports Compliance and Control
HyperGift was built specifically to handle the operational realities of modern gift voucher programs including evolving compliance requirements like New Zealand’s three-year expiry rule.
With HyperGift, businesses benefit from:
- Configurable expiry rules aligned to regional legislation.
- Clear, customer-facing expiry disclosure across digital vouchers.
- Centralised tracking of voucher validity and redemption.
- Reduced operational risk through consistent, compliant setup.
Rather than relying on manual workarounds or system limitations, HyperGift gives businesses confidence that their voucher program is both compliant and scalable.
We’re Here to Help
Current Clients
The update to the 3-year expiry will be applied automatically by our team, so no action is required on your part. We’ll be sending a follow-up email shortly with additional details and insights.
Have Questions?
If you have questions about how the New Zealand gift voucher changes affect your business, or want help reviewing your current gift voucher setup, our team is here to support you.
