103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3785

Introduced , by Rep. Michael T. Marron

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
815 ILCS 505/2SS

Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that when a gift certificate is redeemed by a consumer, the seller shall return the remaining balance on the gift certificate in the form of cash or store credit.
LRB103 25025 SPS 51359 b

A BILL FOR

HB3785LRB103 25025 SPS 51359 b
1 AN ACT concerning business.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business
5Practices Act is amended by changing Section 2SS as follows:
6 (815 ILCS 505/2SS)
7 Sec. 2SS. Gift certificates.
8 (a) "Gift certificate" means a record evidencing a
9promise, made for consideration, by the seller or issuer of
10the record that goods or services will be provided to the
11holder of the record for the value shown in the record and
12includes, but is not limited to, a record that contains a
13microprocessor chip, magnetic stripe or other means for the
14storage of information that is prefunded and for which the
15value is decremented upon each use, a gift card, an electronic
16gift card, stored-value card or certificate, a store card or a
17similar record or card. "Gift certificate" also includes a
18credit slip issued by a store to a consumer who returns goods
19that enables the consumer to receive other goods of similar
20value in exchange for the returned goods. For purposes of this
21Act, the term "gift certificate" does not include any of the
22following:
23 (i) prepaid telecommunications and technology cards

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1 including, but not limited to, prepaid telephone calling
2 cards, prepaid technical support cards, and prepaid
3 Internet disks that are distributed to or purchased by a
4 consumer;
5 (ii) prepaid telecommunications and technology cards
6 including, but not limited to, prepaid telephone calling
7 cards, prepaid technical support cards, and prepaid
8 Internet disks that are provided to a consumer pursuant to
9 any award, loyalty, or promotion program without any money
10 or other thing of value being given in exchange for the
11 card; or
12 (iii) any gift certificate usable with multiple
13 sellers of goods or services.
14 (b) On or after January 1, 2008, no person shall sell a
15gift certificate that is subject to: (1) an expiration date
16earlier than 5 years after the date of issuance; or (2) a
17post-purchase fee. Any gift certificate issued prior to
18January 1, 2008 that is subject to a fee must contain a
19statement clearly and conspicuously printed on the gift
20certificate stating whether there is a fee, the amount of the
21fee, how often the fee will occur, that the fee is triggered by
22inactivity of the gift certificate, and at what point the fee
23will be charged. The statement may appear on the front or back
24of the gift certificate in a location where it is visible to
25any purchaser prior to the purchase.
26 (c) The face value of a gift certificate issued on or after

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1January 1, 2008 may not be reduced in value and the holder of a
2gift certificate issued after January 1, 2008 may not be
3penalized in any way for non-use or untimely redemption of the
4gift certificate. Any gift certificate issued prior to January
51, 2008 that is subject to an expiration date must contain a
6statement clearly and conspicuously printed on the gift
7certificate stating the expiration date. The statement may
8appear on the front or back of the gift certificate in a
9location where it is visible to any purchaser prior to the
10purchase.
11 (d) Subsection (c) does not apply to any gift certificate
12issued prior to January 1, 2008 that contains a toll free phone
13number and a statement clearly and conspicuously printed on
14the gift certificate stating that holders can call the toll
15free number to find out the balance on the gift certificate, if
16applicable, and the expiration date. The toll free number and
17statement may appear on the front or back of the gift
18certificate in a location where it is visible to any purchaser
19prior to the purchase.
20 (d-5) After a gift certificate issued on or after the
21effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General
22Assembly is redeemed by a consumer, the seller shall return
23the remaining balance on the gift certificate in the form of
24cash or store credit.
25 (e) This Section does not apply to any of the following
26gift certificates:

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1 (i) Gift certificates that are distributed by the
2 issuer to a consumer pursuant to an awards, loyalty, or
3 promotional program without any money or thing of value
4 being given in direct exchange or solely for the gift
5 certificate by the consumer.
6 (ii) Gift certificates that are sold below face value
7 at a volume discount to employers or to nonprofit and
8 charitable organizations for fundraising purposes if the
9 expiration date on those gift certificates is not more
10 than 30 days after the date of sale.
11 (iii) Gift certificates that are issued for a food
12 product.
13(Source: P.A. 97-954, eff. 1-1-13.)