Law and guidance checked on 21 October 2026.
Start a gift certificate refund by establishing whether the card was paid for, who owes the goods or services and how much remains unused. A paid card usually records an advance towards a future purchase. A store’s “non-refundable” label does not settle the legal issue. This guide concerns ordinary paid certificates, rather than free promotional vouchers.
Paid or promotional
Establish how much was actually paid: the face value and purchase price may differ.
Unused balance
Request the spending history and remaining balance before claiming.
Written evidence
Record the recipient, contents and delivery of your refund request.
When a refund can be requested
Rospotrebnadzor explains that a paid gift certificate represents an advance payment rather than a separate product. An unused advance should not be kept simply because the holder did not choose a purchase. Where retention has no legal basis, unjust-enrichment provisions, including Civil Code Article 1102, may apply; terms infringing consumer rights are assessed under Article 16 of the Consumer Protection Law.
Distinguish a store-value card from a certificate for a specific service that has already started. The latter requires identifying what was performed and which contractual obligation is being ended. Promotional bonuses, discount codes and free points do not automatically amount to a cash advance.
Expired cards, unused balances and missing receipts
| Situation | First step | What to establish |
|---|---|---|
| The printed expiry date passed | Request repayment of the unused paid advance | Purchase date, terms and refusal grounds; card validity differs from limitation periods |
| The card was partly spent | Request the balance and transactions | How much paid advance actually remains |
| No receipt | Supply other evidence | Card number, electronic order, statement or correspondence |
| The card was a gift | Identify yourself as holder and provide refund details | If disputed, evidence of purchase and transfer to you |
A store-set expiry date alone does not establish a right to keep the advance. Nevertheless, do not postpone old claims: the limitation period and when it starts require a separate assessment, rather than simply counting three years from the date printed on a card. Under Civil Code Article 493, a missing receipt does not prevent proving a retail contract by other admissible evidence, including witness testimony.
Documents and the correct recipient
- Photograph both sides of the card or save the electronic certificate, order number and sale terms.
- Collect payment evidence: a receipt, statement identifying the recipient or order email. If the giver bought it, ask for proof without unnecessary bank information.
- Request the unused balance and spending records. Preserve a transfer record or acknowledgement if handing over the card.
- Identify the responsible legal entity or individual entrepreneur. A brand, shopping centre or intermediary platform is not necessarily your debtor.
- Deliver the claim against an acknowledgement, through an agreed channel with proof or by tracked post with an inventory. Attach copies and give refund account details.
Do not publish the full electronic redemption code in a public review: someone else could spend it. Record the number and balance before surrendering an original.
Calculating the amount
Hypothetical example: RUB 10,000 was paid for a certificate, RUB 3,400 has been spent and no refunds were made. The unused advance is 10,000 − 3,400 = RUB 6,600. This excludes penalties, interest or other additional claims, whose legal grounds require separate verification.
If a RUB 10,000 card cost RUB 8,000, or free bonuses were added, do not treat the face value as an unconditional cash debt. Compare actual payment, discount allocation and purchases. Request the seller’s calculation if its balance differs from yours.
Refund request template
To [seller and address]. From [name and contact]. I hold paid gift certificate [number], purchased on [date, if known]. Its unused paid balance is [amount], supported by [document/calculation]. I decline further use of the certificate and request repayment of this advance to [account details]. Please confirm the refund date and provide written grounds for any deduction. Attachments: [certificate copy, payment evidence and balance details]. Date and signature.
Specify a performance deadline appropriate to the legal basis of the particular dispute. Do not automatically apply defective-goods or consumer-loan deadlines to every certificate claim. Obtain a reference number or a signed duplicate when the request is received.
If the store refuses or closes
If staff say “that is not our policy”, ask for written grounds. If the seller relies on an expiry clause, attach those terms to your complaint and monetary claim. Rospotrebnadzor can investigate consumer-rights breaches, but a complaint is not a money judgment and does not guarantee payment.
If no voluntary refund follows, assess a court claim against the correct defendant, including the principal amount and evidence of payment, ownership of the certificate and remaining balance. Do not calculate additional sanctions without checking whether they apply.
A closed shop does not necessarily mean the company has been liquidated. Check its status. If bankruptcy proceedings have begun, an ordinary cash-desk request may be insufficient: the claim procedure and deadlines depend on the stage of the case. This guide to refunds from an operating seller does not replace specialist guidance on store bankruptcy.
Check your refund request
Frequently asked questions
Must I buy something first?
An artificial purchase is not needed to request repayment of an unused paid advance. Establish the certificate type and payment terms.
Can I request only the remaining balance?
Yes, a claim may concern the unused paid part. Reconcile the transactions and balance first.
Does the gift giver have to attend?
The holder can make a claim, but a dispute may require evidence of purchase and transfer and clarification of who receives the refund. Preserve that evidence.
Must I accept points instead of money?
You need not accept a voluntary substitute when claiming a cash advance refund. Read the consequences before signing an offset or full-settlement agreement.