New York State officials have announced that it is now possible for New Yorkers to claim millions of dollars left on unused gift cards by following a few simple steps.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli is reminding all New Yorkers who have been gifted a gift card to not only spend the funds on each card but also register it so that you don’t lose any of the money on the card.

Unclaimed Gift Cards in New York

Scott Olson/Getty ImagesGift Card Balances Turned Over to New York State

DiNapoli announced that in 2025, his office recovered more than $28 million in unused gift cards that New Yorkers can claim. He explained that under New York State law, if a gift card balance goes unused for five years, retailers are required to turn the unused balances over to the State Comptroller’s Office of Unclaimed Funds, where it can always be claimed at any time.

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“Spend those gift cards you get this holiday season, so they don’t become unclaimed funds,” DiNapoli said. “Also consider taking the extra step of registering the gift card so if you do forget about it, it’s easier to return those funds to you. No one wants to lose money, and we want to make sure if you do, you know you can always claim it by going to our website. Funds sent to our office never expire and are free to claim.”

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli

Thomas P. DiNapoli Via YouTubeWhy Register a Gift Card?

State officials encourage everyone to register gift cards as soon as they get them because it will help link the balance to a name, making it easier for DiNapoli’s office to reunite New Yorkers with their money if a card is lost or goes unused. Most gift cards have a website or phone number that consumers can use to register their name with each card.

Gift cards that were never registered and still have money on them can still be claimed as well. Officials said that consumers can contact the Office of Unclaimed Funds directly and provide the card number to see if a balance is available.

How To Claim Unused Gift Card Money in New York

To check if you have any unclaimed funds available, you can search online by entering your name and ZIP code. After the search is complete, you can select the unclaimed funds you’d like to claim.

Funds can be claimed online at any time or by phone at 800-221-9311 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Claims are always free to file, and funds never expire.

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