Gift Voucher Template (UK)

Updated on 13 August 2026

A gift voucher is a prepaid obligation of the business that issues it — someone has paid money today for goods or services the business will deliver later. In the UK there is no statute setting a minimum expiry period the way there is in the US, but that does not mean an issuer has a free hand: an expiry term that is buried in small print, or unreasonably short given what was paid, can be challenged as an unfair term and simply not bind the customer.

The free templates in this market are almost all built around US law — a five-year floor, dollar signs, and 'gift certificate' rather than 'gift voucher'. This template is built around UK practice: fair, prominent expiry terms, the correct VAT treatment for single- and multi-purpose vouchers, and the fields a voucher actually needs to function as a traceable, replaceable instrument.

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Other details

Occasion

Gift Voucher

Voucher number:
Issue date:
Value:
Issued to:

This voucher entitles to goods or services to the value of from .

1. Where and how to redeem

Present this voucher, including the voucher number above, at .

2. Expiry

OptionalThis voucher has an expiry date

This voucher does not expire.

3. Balance and partial use

OptionalAllow partial redemption

The voucher may be used more than once. Any unspent balance remains available against the voucher number until used in full.

4. Issuer

Issued by:: (trading as )
Address:

Set an expiry term that would survive a fairness challenge

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a term in a consumer contract must be fair, and a term is unfair if it causes a significant imbalance in the parties' rights to the consumer's detriment. An expiry date hidden in small print, or set unreasonably short given the price paid, is the kind of term that risks being unenforceable — most UK retailers set an expiry of 12 to 24 months, stated clearly on the voucher itself.

This template makes the expiry a stated, prominent term rather than a default no one notices, and includes a no-expiry option that removes the question entirely — the simplest position to defend if it is ever challenged.

Get the VAT treatment right

UK VAT law distinguishes a single-purpose voucher, where the place of supply and the VAT due are known at the time of issue, from a multi-purpose voucher, where they are not. VAT is due on a single-purpose voucher at each transfer, including the issue; for a multi-purpose voucher, VAT is only due when it is finally redeemed. Which box a voucher falls into changes when a business has to account for the VAT, and it is a fact that changes depending on what the voucher can be spent on.

This template records what the voucher can be redeemed against, so the issuer can work out — with their accountant — which VAT treatment applies, rather than guessing.

Give the voucher a number and an issue date

A voucher number lets the issuer trace a sale, mark a voucher as redeemed so it cannot be used twice, and void one reported lost. The issue date matters for the expiry calculation and for the issuer's own accounting — money received for an unredeemed voucher is deferred income, not revenue, until it is used or expires.

Say what happens to a partly used voucher

The most common gift voucher complaint is a customer told the remaining balance on a part-used voucher is simply gone. This template asks the issuer to decide the position up front: either the balance stays available against the voucher number, or the voucher is single-use — stated on the voucher itself, so the position is clear before the argument at the till.

Identify the issuer properly

A voucher showing only a logo tells the holder nothing about who owes them the goods. This template records the issuing legal entity, its trading name and contact details, and where it can be redeemed — because if the business becomes insolvent, an unredeemed voucher is an unsecured claim against that entity, and the holder needs to know which one to claim against.

What each part of the voucher does

Voucher number: Traces the sale, marks the voucher redeemed, and lets a lost voucher be voided and replaced.
Issue date: Used to calculate the expiry period and for the issuer's own accounting.
Value and redemption: The face value and where and how it can be spent — which decides the VAT treatment.
Expiry: An optional, prominently stated period, or a no-expiry option — never buried in small print.
Partial redemption: States whether an unspent balance stays available or the voucher is single-use.
Issuer details: The legal entity that owes the goods, with an address and contact route.

UK compliance checklist

There is no UK statute setting a minimum voucher expiry, but fairness and VAT rules both apply.

Keep expiry terms fair and prominent
A term is unfair, and not binding on a consumer, if it causes a significant imbalance to the consumer's detriment — an expiry hidden in small print, or unreasonably short given the price paid, risks falling into that category.
Consumer Rights Act 2015 — unfair terms
Work out whether the voucher is single- or multi-purpose for VAT
VAT is due on a single-purpose voucher at each transfer including issue; on a multi-purpose voucher, only on final redemption. Confirm which applies with your accountant, based on what the voucher can be redeemed against.
UK changes to voucher VAT rules
Account for unredeemed vouchers correctly
Money received for an unredeemed voucher is deferred income, recognised when the voucher is used or when unused value is treated as breakage — not recognised as revenue on sale.
Consider ring-fencing or insurance for large voucher liabilities
An unredeemed voucher is an unsecured claim against the issuing business if it becomes insolvent. A business selling significant volumes of vouchers should consider what protection, if any, it can offer holders.
State the issuing entity clearly
Show the legal name of the business issuing the voucher, not only a trading name or logo, so a holder knows who they are dealing with.

How to fill out the gift voucher

Enter the issuer details. Add the legal entity issuing the voucher, its trading name, address and where it can be redeemed.
Number and date the voucher. Add a unique voucher number and the issue date, and record both in your own voucher register.
Set the value and occasion. Enter the face value, choose the occasion, and add a personal message if it is a gift.
Decide the expiry. Set a clear, prominent expiry period, or switch it off for a voucher that does not expire.
Decide the balance policy. Choose whether a part-used voucher keeps its remaining balance or is single-use.
Issue and record. Download and issue the voucher, and record the number, value and issue date so it can be traced or replaced.

Frequently asked questions

Do gift vouchers have to have an expiry date in the UK?

No — there is no legal requirement to put an expiry date on a UK gift voucher, and issuing one that never expires is the simplest position to defend. If you do set an expiry, it must be fair and prominent under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 — most retailers use 12 to 24 months, clearly stated on the voucher.

Can a gift voucher expiry be challenged?

Yes. A term causing a significant imbalance to the consumer's detriment can be unfair and therefore not binding — an expiry hidden in small print, or unreasonably short for the price paid, is exactly the kind of term that risks failing that test.

How is VAT charged on gift vouchers?

It depends whether the voucher is single-purpose or multi-purpose. If the place of supply and VAT rate are known at issue — a voucher redeemable only against one VAT-rated category of goods, say — VAT is due at each transfer including the sale of the voucher itself. If not, VAT is due only when the voucher is actually redeemed.

What happens to the money if a voucher is never redeemed?

It is treated as deferred income until the voucher is used, expires, or is written off as breakage — it is not revenue at the point of sale. Keep a voucher register so outstanding liability is visible in your accounts.

What happens to unredeemed vouchers if the business closes?

The holder becomes an unsecured creditor of the issuing business — usually a weak position in an insolvency. This is why the voucher should identify the issuing legal entity clearly, not only a logo.

Should I give change in cash for a part-used voucher?

There is no general legal requirement to in the UK, unlike some other markets. Decide your own policy — whether a balance stays available against the voucher number, or the voucher is single-use — and state it clearly on the voucher itself.

Can I use a voucher template for a promotional giveaway?

Yes, and it is worth marking it as promotional. A voucher given away free as part of a promotion or loyalty scheme is treated differently for some purposes than one a customer paid for, so keep the two visibly distinct.

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Disclaimer

This template and guide are for general information only. They are not legal, tax or accounting advice, and no solicitor or accountant has reviewed or approved them. Consumer fairness rules and VAT treatment of vouchers can change — confirm the position with HMRC and, where needed, a solicitor before issuing vouchers.