If you sell gift cards or certificates it is pretty likely you have had an internal debate over how long to let the cards and certificates be good for. Well, if you live in one mid-western state that is no longer a question you will have to ponder. The governor of Michigan signed a measure this week that states that all gift cards must be good for at least five years after they are purchased and must have an expiration date printed on them. The measure also makes “inactivity” charges and other equally shady charges illegal and prevents stores from changing the terms on the card after it has been purchased.

This article brings up the good point that some companies might be irritated by this measure. After all, a gift card that is never redeemed allows the store to make money (the purchase of the card) without having to do anything (for instance have a cashier ring up a purchase). But they great side of this is that there will not be any more confusion over how long the card is good for. I know the feeling of finding a gift card shoved into a drawer or the console in the car and wondering if it is still good or if there have been any fees taken out of it, in many instances I’ve just thrown the card away, especially if it is not to someplace I would have gone anyway.

Gift cards and certificates are great ways to get people into your restaurant who might not have come before. Many people will buy gift cards to their favorite eateries for friends or family member who have never been there before to encourage them to try it out. This is a great way for you to see an increase in business without having to spend money for advertising. Many businesses have realized how much business these cards bring in and have started offering incentives to people to buy them. Over the last few holiday seasons many restaurants have started running specials where the person buying the gift card gets another gift card (usually for around $5.00) for free. Many of these restaurants push the idea of using the bonus gift card as a “gift to yourself” to encourage people to not only stop in to pick up gift cards but to also sit down for a bite to eat. This practice also works to encourage people to buy more cards at their business, and in many cases these cards are good for multiple restaurants that are owned by the same company.

So, while the holidays are still a few months away, this is a great time to start thinking about your holiday gift cards and how you will promote them. By thinking about them this early in the year you will have plenty of time to decide how many to order and what they should look like as well as ensuring they have an expiration date on them. Serv-U has many great types of cash registers to ring those gift cards and certificates up on, as well as everything you need to make a meal worthy of those cards. So give your Serv-U representative a call today.