Credit voucher validity: not the same section as a purchase voucher
A credit voucher, a gift voucher and a purchase voucher are not the same document. Before setting a validity, check how the voucher was bought and what it can be used for.
To know how long a voucher is valid, you first need to identify its type. The name "gift card" or the number of branches that accept it is not enough. It matters whether it was given after a return, bought at full value, sold at a discount or entitles the holder to a specific product.
Which documents need to be told apart?
Credit voucher (שובר זיכוי): given after a transaction is canceled, when the consumer has no right to a cash refund under the law and the business chose to give a credit. Section 14G of the Consumer Protection Law sets a validity of at least two years. When the law requires a cash refund, a voucher does not replace it.
Gift voucher bought at full value: according to the Consumer Protection Authority's distinction, the face value reflects the amount paid. The credit voucher rules also apply to a gift voucher, including the two-year minimum.
Purchase voucher (תו קנייה): a document for buying products or services for a face value, which differs from a gift voucher also in how it is bought, for example at a discount from its value. If its validity is limited under section 14H, the period may not be less than five years. It can also be accepted by just one business.
Voucher for a specific product or service: for example a defined treatment. It is not included in the definition of a purchase voucher in that section. This does not mean it has no validity protection. You need to check the arrangement that applies to it.
The distinctions are explained in the Consumer Protection Authority's guideline (in Hebrew). The Attorney General's position in Sela v. Sodexo also deals with the relationship between the amount paid and the face value. Do not replace checking a specific voucher with the rule "only at our shop = two years".
What changed in the payment services rules?
Alongside the Consumer Protection Law, there are payment services regulations (תקנות שירותי תשלום) that changed in 2025 and in 2026. Among other things, they cover extending validity, balance notices and returning money to a voucher. Whether they apply depends on the features of the payment instrument, the issue date and who the issuer and the beneficiary are.
The Economic Affairs Committee's announcement of 16 March 2026 describes the changes to who the rules apply to, the treatment of vouchers for a specific product or service and the distinction for a closed system where the payment service provider is also the beneficiary. So a printed expiry date is not always the end of the check, and the two-year or five-year minimum does not on its own describe all the rights.
What do you check when a customer comes with a voucher?
- Identify the type of voucher, the issuer, the issue date and the amount paid.
- Check the original value, the balance and previous redemptions.
- Read the terms and make sure they match the law that applies to the voucher.
- When the classification or validity is in doubt, pass it on for checking before refusing to redeem it.
Do not copy the cash change rule to every type of voucher. Section 14G sets a specific rule for a credit voucher: a difference that does not exceed 5% of the face value or ₪100, whichever is lower. The redemption and refund terms of another document are checked according to its classification.
How do you manage balances in the business?
Give every voucher a unique ID and keep the date, value, balance and history of actions. Before redeeming, check the current balance, and at branches make sure the check is done in the same system. The amount received when selling a voucher does not on its own tell you the profit from it: there is still an obligation to supply products or a service later.
In KupaLi you can find a transaction through the receipts screen and handle vouchers according to the features turned on in the account. The existence of a button does not decide the legal classification or the accounting document required. Check the process with your accountant and the terms with a legal advisor.
Read more: the difference between a loyalty club and a monetary benefit and records and documents in the business. This is general information, checked on 6 September 2026, and not a ruling on a specific voucher.
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What else do people ask?
Is a voucher accepted at only one shop always a gift voucher?
No. The number of businesses is not a sufficient test. Check what was bought, the amount paid compared with the face value and the voucher's terms. A purchase voucher can also be accepted by one business.
Can you give a voucher instead of a cash refund the customer is entitled to?
A credit voucher does not replace a cash refund when the law requires one. First check the right to cancel and get a refund in the transaction itself, and only then the type of voucher.
A voucher for a treatment is not subject to the five-year minimum. Does it have no minimum validity?
That is not the conclusion. It is excluded from the definition of a purchase voucher in that particular section, but other arrangements may apply to it, including the payment services regulations. Check the voucher, the issuer and the issue date.