WASHINGTON — Consumers should be more careful about the gift cards they buy this year, according to the federal regulator that is charged with supervising national banks.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has formally warned consumers to pay close attention to the fine print on the gift cards they might buy this year. The announcement reminded consumers that "gift cards can have expiration dates, fees and other terms that can reduce their value. Other terms may limit where cards can be used or explain handling complaints and lost or stolen cards."

The agency also reported that consumers lost $8 billion in 2006 on gift cards they had received or purchased and repeated the National Retail Federation's estimate that 88% of consumers will buy two or more gift cards this year.

Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to CUTimes.com, part of your ALM digital membership.

  • Critical CUTimes.com information including comprehensive product and service provider listings via the Marketplace Directory, CU Careers, resources from industry leaders, webcasts, and breaking news, analysis and more with our informative Newsletters.
  • Exclusive discounts on ALM and CU Times events.
  • Access to other award-winning ALM websites including Law.com and GlobeSt.com.
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.