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Before you put your vouchers away on the shelf, you should check how long they are valid for. There are rules here too that the shop must follow. Find out what these are and whether you can still redeem your voucher in this practical tip.
General validity periods for vouchers
- According to the German Civil Code (BGB), vouchers generally expire after three years. The expiry period begins at the end of the year in which the voucher was issued.
- Example: If your voucher was issued on 20 June 2019, you have until 31 December 2022 to use it.
- However, as always, there are exceptions. For instance, the retailer may limit a voucher’s validity to one year. A period of less than one year is, however, not permitted.
- If the retailer limits the redemption period to six months, this is invalid. You then have three years to redeem the voucher.
Special rules for vouchers – how to still get some money out of them
Even if the voucher has already expired, legal experts and consumer advice centres believe you can still get some money out of it.
- For example, if you have not redeemed a hairdressing voucher that was valid for one year, the salon is no longer obliged to provide the service. However, as the voucher has already been paid for and does not expire until three years later, the salon must refund you at least part of the money.
- In such cases, 15 to 25 per cent is usually deducted from the voucher’s value. So, for a 50-euro voucher, you should still receive a good 30 euros.
- The situation is different for vouchers linked to a specific event, such as a football match or a visit to a musical.
- If you miss such a performance, the voucher also becomes void and you are not entitled to any compensation.
- The voucher also becomes void if the shop goes into administration – unless a legal successor for the business is found.
