Gift Certificate Template (US)
Updated on August 13, 2026
A gift certificate is not a greeting card. It is a prepaid obligation of the business that issues it: someone has paid money today for goods or services the business will deliver later, and federal and state law regulate what the certificate may say about expiry, fees and cash redemption. This template produces a certificate that carries the fields that obligation actually needs — a unique certificate number, an issue date, a stated value and currency, redemption terms, and an expiry position that is stated rather than assumed.
The widely copied free birthday certificate templates carry a recipient name, a decorative balloon and the recipient's age. They have no certificate number, so two identical certificates cannot be told apart or voided when one is reported lost; no issue date, so the five-year federal expiry floor cannot be calculated; no statement of whether change is given in cash; and no issuer identity beyond a logo. This template fixes each of those and explains the expiry, fee and voucher-tax rules that decide what a business may lawfully print on the certificate.
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Gift Certificate
- Certificate number:
- Issue date:
- Value:
- ()
- Issued to:
- Purchased by:
This certificate entitles to goods or services to the value of from .
Happy birthday, — enjoy something on us.
1. Where and how to redeem
Present this certificate, including the certificate number shown above, at .
2. Expiry
This certificate does not expire, and no dormancy, inactivity or service fee is charged against it.
3. Balance and partial use
The certificate may be used more than once. Any unspent balance remains available against the certificate number until it is used in full, and the issuer will record the balance at each use. Where state law requires a small remaining balance to be paid out in cash, the issuer will do so on request.
4. Transfer, loss and replacement
This certificate may be given to another person, who may redeem it on the same terms. It is not exchangeable for cash except where state law requires it. If it is lost or stolen, contact the issuer with the certificate number: the issuer can cancel the original and reissue the unredeemed balance, but cannot replace value already redeemed by someone else.
5. Issuer
- Issued by:
- (trading as )
- Address:
- Queries:
Authorised by
Date:
Give every certificate a number and an issue date
The certificate number is what turns a printable design into a controllable instrument. It lets the issuer record what was sold, mark a certificate redeemed so it cannot be used twice, void one that is reported lost, and reconcile outstanding certificates against the deferred-revenue balance in the accounts. The issue date matters for a second reason: the federal expiry floor runs from the date of issue (or the date funds were last loaded), so a certificate with no issue date on its face cannot demonstrate its own compliance.
This template puts both on the certificate and repeats the number in the terms block, so a photocopied or forwarded image still carries its identifier.
State the expiry position — do not leave it blank
Under the federal CARD Act rules for gift certificates and store gift cards, an expiry date is permitted only if it is not earlier than five years from the date the certificate was issued or funds were last loaded, and only if the expiry terms are stated clearly and conspicuously on the certificate. A dormancy, inactivity or service fee is permitted only where there has been no activity for at least 12 months, and no more than one such fee may be charged per month.
Several states go further. California makes it unlawful to sell a gift certificate carrying any expiry date or service fee at all, subject to narrow exceptions for promotional certificates given without payment, certain discounted or donated certificates, and perishable food. Because the rules differ so sharply by state, this template makes expiry an explicit choice: switch the expiry clause off and the certificate says in terms that it does not expire, which is both the safest position and the one most states push issuers towards.
Say what happens to the remaining balance
The most common complaint about gift certificates is not expiry — it is a customer who spends $38 of a $50 certificate and is told the remaining $12 is gone. This template includes a partial-redemption clause so the issuer decides that question in advance: either the balance stays available against the certificate number until it is used, or the certificate is single-use and says so on its face.
Cash redemption is a separate question and in some states it is not optional. California requires a gift certificate with a remaining cash value of less than ten dollars to be redeemed in cash on request. Deciding the balance policy on the certificate, in advance, is what keeps that conversation out of the checkout queue.
Identify the issuer, not just the brand
A certificate that shows only a logo tells the holder nothing about who owes them the goods. The template records the issuing legal entity, its trading name, address and contact details, and the locations where the certificate can be redeemed. That matters most in the situation nobody prints on the artwork: if the business closes, an unredeemed certificate is an unsecured claim against the issuer, and the holder needs to know which entity to claim against.
Keep the occasion, lose the guesswork
Birthday certificates are the highest-demand version of this document, and there is nothing wrong with the occasion framing — a certificate can carry a personal message and still be a properly drafted instrument. This template keeps the occasion as a selectable field with a personal-message line, so the same document serves a birthday, an anniversary, a thank-you or a seasonal promotion without rewriting the terms each time.
Account for it as deferred revenue, not a sale
Selling a certificate is not the same event as earning the money. Until it is redeemed, the amount is a liability — a promise to supply goods later — and unredeemed value that expires or is never used (breakage) is recognised separately. Sales tax in most US states is charged when the certificate is redeemed for taxable goods, not when the certificate itself is sold, and unclaimed-property rules in some states require unused balances to be reported after a dormancy period. Those three points decide how the certificate should be recorded, and none of them appear on any competing template page.
What each part of the certificate does
- Certificate number
- The unique identifier used to record the sale, mark the certificate redeemed, void a lost certificate and reconcile outstanding balances.
- Issue date
- The date the certificate was sold or loaded. The federal five-year expiry floor is measured from this date.
- Value and currency
- The face value the issuer is obliged to honour, stated in figures and words to prevent alteration.
- Recipient and occasion
- Who the certificate is for and the occasion, with an optional personal message. Neither affects the certificate's validity.
- Redemption terms
- Where and how it can be used, whether it applies to sale items, and whether it can be combined with other offers.
- Expiry
- An optional clause. Switched off, the certificate states plainly that it does not expire; switched on, it must respect the federal five-year floor and any stricter state rule.
- Partial redemption
- States whether an unspent balance remains available against the certificate number or the certificate is single-use.
- Lost or stolen
- Explains that the issuer can trace and replace a certificate by its number, and on what conditions.
- Transferability
- States whether the certificate may be given to someone else — most retail certificates are transferable, and saying so avoids an argument at the till.
- Issuer details
- The legal entity that owes the goods or services, with an address and contact route for queries and claims.
US compliance checklist
Federal law sets a floor for expiry and fees; several states are stricter, and a few practical rules decide how the certificate is taxed and accounted for.
Respect the five-year federal expiry floor
A gift certificate, store gift card or general-use prepaid card may carry an expiry date only if it falls at least five years after issue (or the last load of funds), and the expiry terms must be stated clearly and conspicuously.
15 U.S.C. § 1693l-1Charge dormancy fees only where federal conditions are met
An inactivity, dormancy or service fee is permitted only if there has been no activity for at least 12 months, only one fee may be charged in any month, and the fee must be disclosed clearly and conspicuously.
15 U.S.C. § 1693l-1Check the state rule before printing any expiry date
California makes it unlawful to sell a gift certificate containing an expiry date or a service fee at all, with narrow exceptions for promotional, discounted or donated certificates and perishable food. Other states impose their own limits, so confirm the rule in every state where you sell.
California Civil Code § 1749.5Handle small remaining balances correctly
California requires a gift certificate with a remaining cash value of less than ten dollars to be redeemed in cash on the holder's request. Check whether the states you sell in have an equivalent cash-back threshold before adopting a no-cash-back policy.
California Civil Code § 1749.5Confirm when sales tax applies
In most states, sales tax is charged when the certificate is redeemed for taxable goods or services, not when the certificate itself is sold. Confirm the treatment with your state's revenue department before configuring your point of sale.
Check unclaimed-property (escheat) reporting
Some states require unredeemed gift certificate balances to be reported and remitted as unclaimed property after a dormancy period, while others exempt gift certificates entirely. The answer depends on the state and on how the certificate is structured.
Record outstanding certificates as a liability
Money received for an unredeemed certificate is deferred revenue, not earned income, until the certificate is used. Keeping the certificate register keyed to certificate numbers is what makes that balance auditable.
How to fill out the gift certificate
- Enter the issuer details. Add the legal entity that will honour the certificate, its trading name, address and contact details, and where it can be redeemed.
- Number and date the certificate. Add a unique certificate number and the issue date. Record both in your certificate register at the point of sale.
- Set the value and the occasion. Enter the face value and currency, choose the occasion, and add a personal message if the certificate is a gift.
- Decide the expiry position. Leave the expiry clause off so the certificate states that it does not expire, or switch it on and enter a date at least five years after issue — subject to any stricter state rule.
- Decide the balance policy. Switch partial redemption on if unspent value stays available against the certificate number, or leave it off for a single-use certificate.
- Issue and record. Download as PDF or DOCX, print or send it, and record the number, value, issue date and purchaser so the certificate can be traced, voided or replaced.
Frequently asked questions
Can a gift certificate expire in the US?
Only on conditions. Federal law permits an expiry date only where it falls at least five years after the certificate was issued or funds were last loaded, and the terms must be stated clearly and conspicuously on the certificate. Several states are stricter — California prohibits selling a gift certificate with an expiry date at all, apart from narrow exceptions. The simplest compliant position, and the default in this template, is a certificate that does not expire.
What is the difference between a gift certificate and a gift card?
Commercially, very little: a gift certificate is usually paper and issued by a single business, while a gift card is usually plastic or digital and may be a store card or a general-use prepaid card. The federal expiry and fee rules cover gift certificates, store gift cards and general-use prepaid cards together, so the paper version does not escape the rules by being paper.
Do I have to give change in cash when someone part-uses a certificate?
It depends on the state. California requires a certificate with a remaining cash value of less than ten dollars to be redeemed in cash on request. Where no cash-back rule applies, the answer is whatever the certificate itself says — which is exactly why the partial-redemption clause in this template asks you to decide it in advance rather than at the counter.
Why does the certificate need a number?
Without a number you cannot tell two certificates apart, mark one as redeemed, void one that has been reported lost, or reconcile what is still outstanding. A numbered certificate can be traced and replaced; an unnumbered one is effectively bearer paper that anyone can photocopy.
Can I charge a fee if the certificate is not used?
Federal law allows a dormancy or inactivity fee only after at least 12 months of no activity, at no more than one fee per month, and only if disclosed clearly and conspicuously. Some states, California among them, prohibit service fees on gift certificates outright. Check the state rule before adding any fee.
Is the money from a gift certificate income when I sell it?
Not for accounting purposes. Until the certificate is redeemed, the amount is a liability — a promise to supply goods or services later — and is recognised as revenue when it is used or when unused value is treated as breakage. Sales tax in most states is likewise charged at redemption rather than on the sale of the certificate itself.
What happens to a gift certificate if the business closes?
The holder becomes an unsecured creditor of the issuing entity, which is usually the weakest position in an insolvency. That is why the certificate should identify the issuing legal entity rather than only a brand or logo, and why a business selling large volumes of certificates should keep the outstanding balance visible in its accounts.
Can I use this template for a promotional or free giveaway certificate?
Yes, but mark it as promotional. Certificates given away as part of a loyalty, awards or promotional programme, with no money paid for them, are treated differently under several state laws — California's expiry ban, for example, does not apply to them. Keep promotional certificates visibly distinct from ones customers have paid for.
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Disclaimer
This template and guide are for general information only. They are not legal, tax or accounting advice, and no attorney or regulator has reviewed or approved them. Gift certificate expiry, fee, cash-redemption and unclaimed-property rules differ by state and change over time — confirm the rules that apply in every state where you sell before issuing certificates.
