Get a gift card for Christmas? New consumer-friendly law

The Arkansas Fair Gift Card Act, sponsored by Rep. Will Bond (D-Jacksonville), was enacted in March of this year to make gift cards friendlier to Arkansas consumers. Among other things, the new law requires merchants to disclose the expiration date on the face of the card in 10-point type. No card can be issued that that is subject to an expiration date earlier than two years from the date of issuance. Any dormancy, service, or activation fees must also be disclosed on the face of the card.

This legislation comes at the request of consumers who've long complained of hassles associated with gift cards. For me, a $25 gift card simply oughta be worth $25. For instance, Shell imposes a fee of $1.75 each month after a year of non-use on its cards, and the All-Access Visa Gift Card charges a processing fee, a $4.95 monthly fee after the first year, and 50 cents just to check the balance of the gift by phone. Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s gift cards expire two years after they were last used. States other than Arkansas that have recently enacted similar legislation include Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and North Carolina.