By Gazette News Services HELENA - As Montanans gear up for holiday gift-giving, Attorney General Mike McGrath is making sure businesses and consumers know what Montana law says about gift certificates and gift cards.

Under state law, gift cards and gift certificates do not expire in Montana, despite what may be printed on them, he said.

Their value can’t be reduced by any fee or by failure to use them. And if a gift certificate was originally for more than $5 but has less than $5 remaining on it, it can be redeemed for cash, McGrath said.

“We know gift certificates and gift cards are popular presents, at the holidays and year-round,” he said in a news release. “We also know that consumers sometimes throw a gift card or certificate away, thinking it’s expired or unusable.”

Some cards and coupons are not considered gift cards or certificates under Montana law. They include: prepaid telecommunications and technology cards, like prepaid telephone calling cards and prepaid Internet disks; coupons provided for free as part of an award, loyalty or promotion program; gift certificates usable with multiple sellers of goods or services, like gift certificates from a chamber of commerce or shopping center; certificates limited to a specific good or service, like a ski pass or guided rafting trip for a specific season; or gift certificates or gift cards donated by a store without taking a tax deduction.