A number of other retailers have been named with a warning to take action for shoppers who use Costa and B&M
Shoppers are being encouraged to rummage through their wallets, drawers and inboxes as new data reveals hundreds of millions of pounds are left unspent each year and some shoppers risk losing more than £70.
Fresh research from credit card firm thimbl.com found that high-street giants M&S and John Lewis alone are hoarding over £300 million worth of unredeemed gift card balances, according to their most recent company accounts.
M&S reported a whopping £215.1 million in outstanding gift cards in 2025, while the John Lewis Partnership listed an additional £105 million in unredeemed vouchers, money that may never be spent if shoppers overlook expiry dates. Despite the cost-of-living crunch, expenditure on gift cards continues to soar.
The Gift Card and Incentive Card Market Intelligence Report 2025–2029 forecasts the UK gift card market will swell 8.3% this year to £8.8 billion, ballooning to £11.7 billion by 2029. Data from the UK Gift Card and Voucher Association indicate sales leapt 9.5% in the first half of 2024, with digital cards up 17%, as more individuals choose easy-to-send e-gifts.
But research indicates millions of these gifts remain unused. Ipsos polling discovered 11% of UK adults had vouchers that expired before they could use them in the past 12 months, worth an average of £75.30 per person, escalating to £86 among younger shoppers aged 16–34, reports Devon Live.
Joe Lytwyn, personal finance expert at thimbl.com, warned: “Even small sums quickly add up. Unused gift cards often get forgotten in emails, gloveboxes or kitchen drawers, and once the expiry date passes, the retailer keeps the balance. So if you’ve got an old voucher from last Christmas, check the date right now. That £20 Costa or £50 MandS card could be the easiest money you’ll save all year.”
Consumer group Which? has cautioned that there’s no law setting a minimum expiry period, meaning retailers can choose their own deadlines. Some including B&M, Costa, Vue and Ticketmaster, expire after 12 months, while others such as Apple Store, Starbucks, Theatre Tokens and National Book Tokens have no expiry at all.
Lytwyn further advised: “The best way to make sure you don’t lose out on gift card value is to stay organised. Add your cards to your phone wallet or retailer app so you get reminders before they expire, and try to spend smaller balances first, as most retailers don’t give change on leftover amounts. Always check the expiry and inactivity rules, and if you’ve got a card you don’t want, re-gifting it or swapping it through a trusted platform like Cardyard means it doesn’t go to waste.”
