Question: I received gift cards the Christmas right before the pandemic that I never got to use because I stopped going out. Will they still be good?
Answer: Yes, they should be, assuming they are standard gift cards and the businesses are still operating. Under federal law, a merchant gift card, redeemable only at the restaurant or retailer named on the plastic card, cannot expire until at least five years from the activation date (generally upon purchase), according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which cites the U.S. Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act as the source of this consumer protection. The five-year minimum also applies to bank gift cards connected to a payment card network, such as Visa or MasterCard, the FDIC says.
Hawaii law also provides a five-year minimum for gift certificates issued on anything other than paper, which would include electronic gift cards, according to Hawaii’s Office of Consumer Protection, a division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. However, Hawaii’s law doesn’t cover gift cards that are not sold at face value to the general public, such as promotional gift cards or loyalty reward cards, or those redeemable solely for admission to a particular event, OCP says. Read more at 808ne.ws/giftcard.
The Christmas before the pandemic was two years ago, in December 2019.
Q: Regarding Safe Travels, since I will be staying with my son’s family in California, can I just ask my son or daughter-in-law to help me make the account and print out the QR code I will need for my flight to Hawaii? I don’t have a computer or smartphone, just a basic cellphone.
A: Yes, but you’ll need your own email address to create your Safe Travels account — don’t use theirs. And be sure that you know your account name and password should any questions or technical difficulties arise at the airport in California or when you land in Hawaii; ask your son or daughter-in-law to write it down for you. Also, be sure to have a hard copy of your vaccination card with you — that’s true of all fully vaccinated domestic passengers flying to Hawaii, not just those who had help creating their Safe Travels account. Lastly, ask your airline to pre-clear you before you board your flight to Hawaii, and wear the wristband the agent gives you until after you pass through the Safe Travels checkpoint in Hawaii. For more information, see travel.hawaii.gov.
Q: Should we be revising our vaccination info and/or uploading revised card scans at the Safe Travels website to account for booster shots?
A: No, that is not required at this time, according to the state COVID-19 portal. State officials have said that Safe Travels’ documentation rules align with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition of “fully vaccinated,” which at this point does not require a booster shot. “Everyone is still considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-shot series, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as the J&J/Janssen vaccine,” the CDC says on its website.
Mahalo
A big mahalo to TiShanna from the North Shore for her incredibly touching and generous gesture. I went to the Target near Radford High School to pick up some gift cards for my granddaughter’s birthday on Thanksgiving Day. She was in line before me and before I was aware of what was happening the cashier was ringing up my purchases. I thought she had made a mistake but TiShanna had asked to pay for my purchase! This made our Thanksgiving so much more special. Wishing her and her family many blessings this holiday season. — Sharon
Mahalo
I would like to send a sincere thank you to the beautiful lady in line at Lee’s Bakery on Wednesday, who had known that I was waiting for a pumpkin custard pie after being in line with her for hours. She ordered one for me when she got her order. I was so appreciative I forgot to say thanks. I hope she found my monetary payment in her bag later. She made this Thanksgiving especially nice for my family because of her kindness. Many blessings to her and her loved ones. — Forever grateful, Lillian
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
