How long is a voucher valid in Germany?

As a rule, three years. The regular limitation period of § 195 BGB applies. It starts on 31 December of the year in which the voucher was bought (§ 199 (1) BGB).

When does the three-year period start?

Not on the purchase date, but at the end of the year of purchase. A voucher bought in January 2024 is therefore valid until 31 December 2027 — and so is one bought in December 2024.

Is a one-year limit in the small print valid?

Usually not. The Higher Regional Court of Munich twice classified a one-year validity in standard terms as an unreasonable disadvantage (cases 29 U 3193/07 and 29 U 4761/10). A shorter period backed by an objective reason, such as a specific event, can be permissible.

What can I do once the printed date has passed?

As long as the three years are not over, you can insist on redemption where the short expiry clause was void. Alternatively, the Verbraucherzentrale states you can demand a payout of the voucher value minus the retailer’s lost profit.

Does the three-year rule also cover discount and promo codes?

No. The rule covers vouchers you paid for — stored-value and gift vouchers. Free discount and promotional codes from marketing campaigns may be given any expiry the issuer likes.

Does a retailer have to pay out an expired balance?

After the three years, the claim is time-barred and there is no obligation to pay out. Many retailers still redeem as a goodwill gesture — it is worth asking.

How long are vouchers valid in Germany? Three years — what the law says

Last updated: 16 August 2026

A voucher has been sitting in a drawer for two years, the print says “valid until the end of the year” — and the question is always the same: is it still worth anything? In Germany, the regular three-year limitation period applies to vouchers. This article explains when that period actually starts, which expiry clauses retailers may put in their terms, and what you can do once the printed date has passed.

The short answer

Vouchers are generally valid for three years (§ 195 BGB). The period does not start on the day of purchase — it starts on 31 December of the year in which you bought the voucher (§ 199 (1) BGB). A voucher bought in January 2024 can therefore be redeemed until 31 December 2027, even if an earlier date is printed on it.

When exactly does a voucher expire?

There is no dedicated voucher law in Germany. What applies is the regular limitation period of § 195 BGB: three years. The decisive detail is § 199 (1) BGB — the period only starts at the end of the year in which the claim arose. In practice: the month of purchase is irrelevant, counting starts on New Year’s Eve.

An example: you buy a voucher in May 2026. The three-year period starts on 31 December 2026 and runs until 31 December 2029. The voucher effectively lasts three and a half years. A voucher bought in December, by contrast, gets barely more than three years — which makes Christmas vouchers the shortest-lived kind.

May a retailer limit a voucher to one year?

Shorter periods in the terms and conditions are not automatically void — but they must not unreasonably disadvantage the customer (§ 307 BGB). The Higher Regional Court of Munich struck down a one-year validity twice: on 17 January 2008 (case 29 U 3193/07) and on 14 April 2011 (case 29 U 4761/10), both times for online-shop vouchers. A one-year limit counts as an unreasonable disadvantage.

A shortened period backed by an objective reason can hold up — for example a voucher for a specific event or for an offer that genuinely exists only within a certain window. The rule of thumb: the more arbitrary the deadline, the more likely it is void. If your voucher simply says “valid for 12 months”, it is almost always worth asking.

Voucher expired — can you get your money back?

If the printed date has passed but the three years have not, the voucher is usually not lost, according to the German consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale). Where the short expiry clause was void, you can still redeem it. Alternatively you can demand a payout of the voucher value minus the retailer’s lost profit — not the full amount, but considerably more than nothing.

Once the full three years are over, the claim is time-barred. The retailer may then refuse to redeem it — but does not have to. Many providers still honour vouchers as a goodwill gesture. A polite phone call costs nothing and works surprisingly often.

The quiet business of expiry

Unredeemed vouchers are not an accident for retailers, they are revenue: the money has been paid, the service was never delivered. At providers of experience vouchers, the stock of unredeemed vouchers added up to hundreds of millions of euros; a WirtschaftsWoche report quoted the admission that expiry is a fixed part of the financing model.

At the end of 2024, Germany’s financial regulator BaFin imposed fines in the millions on two such providers. For you as a buyer that changes little — the only reliable countermeasure is still to redeem the voucher in time.

Why so many vouchers expire anyway

The law gives you three years. The problem is not the deadline — it is remembering. Recent consumer surveys are unambiguous:

51%
of Germans have let at least one voucher expire.
RetailMeNot survey, n = 1,000
28%
let a voucher expire in 2024 alone — and 12% did so more than once.
YouGov / Statista, December 2024
38%
give one simple reason: they forgot. Another 21% no longer knew they owned the voucher at all.
INNOFACT for WDR, n = 1,047
USD 16.28bn
was the size of the German gift card market in 2024.
Research & Markets, December 2024

How to stop letting vouchers expire

Three years is long enough to forget a voucher — and that is exactly what happens to 38% of respondents. Gutscheinify solves the part no law can solve: remembering.

Add a voucher: take a photo, forward an email or enter the details.
Gutscheinify detects the amount, code and expiry date automatically.
Get a reminder in time, redeem it — and keep the balance.

Frequently asked questions about voucher validity

How long is a voucher valid in Germany?: As a rule, three years. The regular limitation period of § 195 BGB applies. It starts on 31 December of the year in which the voucher was bought (§ 199 (1) BGB).
When does the three-year period start?: Not on the purchase date, but at the end of the year of purchase. A voucher bought in January 2024 is therefore valid until 31 December 2027 — and so is one bought in December 2024.
Is a one-year limit in the small print valid?: Usually not. The Higher Regional Court of Munich twice classified a one-year validity in standard terms as an unreasonable disadvantage (cases 29 U 3193/07 and 29 U 4761/10). A shorter period backed by an objective reason, such as a specific event, can be permissible.
What can I do once the printed date has passed?: As long as the three years are not over, you can insist on redemption where the short expiry clause was void. Alternatively, the Verbraucherzentrale states you can demand a payout of the voucher value minus the retailer’s lost profit.
Does the three-year rule also cover discount and promo codes?: No. The rule covers vouchers you paid for — stored-value and gift vouchers. Free discount and promotional codes from marketing campaigns may be given any expiry the issuer likes.
Does a retailer have to pay out an expired balance?: After the three years, the claim is time-barred and there is no obligation to pay out. Many retailers still redeem as a goodwill gesture — it is worth asking.

No voucher should expire again

Gutscheinify reminds you in time before a voucher expires. Free for iOS and Android — set up in 30 seconds.

Sources

This article summarises German law in plain language and is not legal advice. For your specific case, contact the Verbraucherzentrale or a lawyer.