End to expiration dates near

End to expiration dates near

Newmarket

Queen’s Park announced a ban on expiration dates for gift cards will take effect Oct. 1, making Ontario the first province to do so.

The amount of money spent by consumers on gift cards, along with the number of retailers offering them, has been steadily climbing the past four years, according to Statistics Canada.

The law will not apply to loyalty cards used to collect rewards or points and will not apply to cards subject to federal jurisdiction, such as pre-paid phone cards.

Cards and certificates for a specific good or service from a retailer, such as buying a massage, are also exempt from the new regulations.

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