Sunday a new federal rules go into effect that help make the gift cards more consumer friendly.
"Under the new rules gift cards have to last at least five years before they expire and they can't charge you service fees or inactivity fees for at least a full year after the gift card is purchased," explains the Consumer Union's David Butler.
The federal rules apply to store cards along with Mastercard, Visa American Express and Discover branded gift cards.
In addition to holding their value for five years, if you reload your card the five year limit starts on the new amount.
Companies can still charge fees for some services including replacing lost or stolen cards, but those fees must be disclosed on card packaging.
The Consumers Union says its received thousands of complaints in recent years about gift and credit card practices, which led the organization to fight for reform.
Companies can still charge fees for some services like replacing a lost card, but they have to clearly disclose those fees on card packaging.
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