How Long Are Trader Joe's Gift Cards Good For?

Gift cards can be a nice surprise, but can also be easily forgotten. After all, the average amount in unused gift cards is $244 per person, according to a 2024 Bankrate survey. In some cases, this unspent money is due to people misplacing their gift cards or simply forgetting about them. In other cases, it's related to companies adding confusing rules, expiration dates, and even inactivity fees. However, Trader Joe's goes a different route that keeps customers happy.

The California-based grocery chain follows state rules that protect consumers, meaning that Trader Joe's does not sell gift cards with expiration dates. Moreover, California law also prohibits the addition of service fees to gift cards and ensures that the card remains valid indefinitely. Regardless of whether it has been years since you were gifted a Trader Joe's gift card, it will still be redeemable for in-store purchases with no penalties attached.

While these laws are specific to California, Trader Joe's applies the same policy nationwide. Simply put, whether you shop at a location in New York, Washington, or Texas, your card will work just the same. Furthermore, depending on the balance, you can redeem the remaining amount in cash.

When a Trader Joe's gift card has a remaining balance that is less than $10, you can choose to redeem the remaining balance in cash rather than spending it in the store. This is, again, thanks to California law. The next time you're checking out and the gift card that Trader Joe's gave you for using reusable bags drops below $10, you can simply ask the cashier for cash instead. This $10 can get you a lot, thanks to Trader Joe's consistently low prices.

While this certainly helps manage the huge loss in unused gift cards, it's but a small win. Outside of California, there are some federal laws to give customers some baseline protections. This includes expiration dates set to at least five years after the card is purchased and requires a 12-month grace period before charging an inactivity fee.

Bear in mind that there is no federal rule stating that the gift card must never expire. California happens to have the strongest gift card protections, which Trader Joe's follows and uses in its stores nationwide. Moreover, if you're looking to buy bulk quantity gift cards for the holidays, there are some perks to buying gift cards at Costco, too.