Put clear rules around your gift cards

General website terms usually do not say enough about how a gift card works in practice. Customers often want to know where the card can be redeemed, whether it expires, whether it can be used on sale items, what happens if it is lost, and whether part-use balances remain available. If those points are unclear, customer complaints can follow quickly. A separate gift card document lets you set out the rules for that specific offer rather than trying to squeeze them into broader ecommerce terms that cover many other issues.

The document commonly covers how the card is purchased, when it becomes active, where it can be redeemed, whether it can be used online, in store, or both, and any product or promotional exclusions. It may also deal with expiry wording, partial redemption, balance checks, replacement of lost or stolen cards, refunds, and whether cards can be reloaded or transferred. If your business offers digital codes, app-based cards, or membership-linked credits, the terms may need extra wording to reflect how those systems work for customers.

We usually need to know how the gift card is sold, how customers receive it, where it can be redeemed, and whether it applies to all products or only certain categories. It also helps to understand whether the card is physical, digital, app-based, or linked to an account, and whether you run promotions, bonus credits, or expiry-based campaigns. Those operational details matter because the legal wording should match the customer journey. A retailer with in-store cards may need different clauses from a subscription business offering digital credit.

It can be, especially if the template does not reflect the way your checkout, redemption, or customer support process actually works. A generic form may leave gaps around expiry treatment, split payments, excluded products, promotional cards, or how balances are handled after part use. It may also use wording that is too broad or not suited to New Zealand consumer-facing sales. Tailored terms are useful when your gift cards operate across multiple channels or sit alongside memberships, subscriptions, or app features rather than a simple one-off retail sale.

The timing depends on how settled your gift card offer is and whether you already have draft wording in place. If the offer is straightforward, the work is usually relatively contained. If you have multiple redemption channels, promotional variants, or linked membership features, the drafting may take longer because the terms need to match those mechanics. After you instruct us, we will gather the key details of the offer, prepare the draft or review comments, and flag any points where a commercial decision is needed before the wording is finalised.

Submit an enquiry on this page or click 'Get started'. One of our legal consultants will review it within 1 business day and get in touch to understand what you need.

Your consultant will then email you a fixed-fee quote setting out the cost, scope and timing. If you're happy with it, you can accept the quote and sign our engagement letter online.

Once you've accepted, one of our Australian-qualified lawyers will work with you to complete your project. They'll contact you by email or phone if they need anything.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Gift Card Terms And Conditions service, pricing starts from $900.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We work online, so we can help wherever you are in New Zealand. Our team works remotely, mainly from Australia.

Your work is done by our Australian-qualified lawyers, who hold Australian practising certificates and specialise in business law. None of them are New Zealand lawyers or hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

Sprintlaw NZ Limited is a legal consultancy, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the New Zealand Law Society. We don't act in court or tribunal matters, conveyancing (including leases and business sales) or other reserved areas of work. Communications with Sprintlaw are unlikely to be protected by legal professional privilege. We still keep everything confidential under our engagement letter.