# Rhode Island — Gift card expiration, fee and cash-redemption rules by state

For Rhode Island, expiration rule is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation of any kind to charge any surcharge or additional monthly or annual service or maintenance fees on gift certificates or to limit the time for the redemption of a gift certificate or to place an expiration date upon the gift certificate; dormancy/service fee rule is charge any surcharge or additional monthly or annual service or maintenance fees on gift certificates; cash redemption threshold is less than one dollar ($1.00); covered instruments is distributed to a consumer pursuant to an awards, loyalty, or promotional program without any money or other thing of value being given in exchange; statute citation is R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13-12, recorded from its source on 2026-08-18.

- **State:** Rhode Island _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Expiration rule:** unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation of any kind to charge any surcharge or additional monthly or annual service or maintenance fees on gift certificates or to limit the time for the redemption of a gift certificate or to place an expiration date upon the gift certificate _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Dormancy/service fee rule:** charge any surcharge or additional monthly or annual service or maintenance fees on gift certificates _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Cash redemption threshold:** less than one dollar ($1.00) _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Covered instruments:** distributed to a consumer pursuant to an awards, loyalty, or promotional program without any money or other thing of value being given in exchange _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Statute citation:** R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13-12 _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_

## What the source says

> It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation of any kind to charge any surcharge or additional monthly or annual service or maintenance fees on gift certificates or to limit the time for the redemption of a gift certificate or to place an expiration date upon the gift certificate. No gift certificate or any agreement with respect to such gift certificate may contain language suggesting that an expiration date may apply to the gift certificate. Any person, firm, or corporation who or that shall violate the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than two hundred dollars ($200). Due to the unlimited redemption period, the division of taxation shall not escheat the funds paid for those unredeemed gift certificates. Any unused portion of a redeemed gift certificate shall be afforded to the consumer by reissuing the gift certificate for the unused amount or providing cash where the balance due the consumer is less than one dollar ($1.00). This section shall not apply to the following: (i) Gift certificates that are distributed to a consumer pursuant to an awards, loyalty, or promotional program without any money or other thing of value being given in exchange for the gift certificate by the consumer.

## Source

- http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE6/6-13/6-13-12.htm

Last verified: 2026-08-18. Review by: 2027-08-18.
Part of [Gift card expiration, fee and cash-redemption rules by state](https://referencesource.org/gift-card-consumer-protections-by-state/).