Salon gift vouchers: how long they're valid in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

In the middle of January, a photo arrives on WhatsApp: an €80 gift voucher, bought in December 2024. "Is this still valid? It says valid for 1 year." You've just put color on a client's hair, and you wonder: do I still have to redeem this?

The honest answer in Germany: very likely yes, until the end of 2027. Below you'll find how long vouchers are valid in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the date to print on yours and 6 replies you can copy.

Validity at a glance

Which date belongs on the voucher, and what you reply, depends on whether your salon is in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.

Germany: 3 years from New Year's Eve

A voucher with no expiry date falls under the standard limitation period of 3 years (§ 195 BGB, the German Civil Code). That period only starts at the end of the year in which the claim arose (§ 199(1) BGB). That's the year you sold the voucher.

So a voucher from December 20, 2026 is valid until December 31, 2029. One from January 2, 2027 is valid a whole year longer.

A shorter date rarely holds

You can print a shorter date. But if the same wording is printed on every voucher, it counts as a standard business term, and those must not put your client at an unreasonable disadvantage (§ 307 BGB).

According to the Munich Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK München), you need a legitimate interest in setting a time limit. No length is safe in every case.

The courts tend to be strict. The Higher Regional Court of Munich (OLG München) struck down expiry after 1 year (judgment of January 17, 2008, case no. 29 U 3193/07). The Regional Court Munich I (LG München I) struck down a period of 10 months (case no. 7 O 2109/95).

If the period is invalid, it drops away, and the 3 years apply again.

Why a short period hardly pays off in a salon

For a haircut, a reason that justifies a short period is hard to find. A theater production only runs for one season, but your salon will still offer the service next year.

Even if a shorter period holds, the German consumer advice center (Verbraucherzentrale) says you can't simply keep the money. Until the 3 years are up, the client can ask for the value back, minus the profit you lost.

Austria: 30 years as a rule

In Austria, claims as a rule only expire after 30 years (§ 1478 ABGB, the Austrian Civil Code). The Supreme Court (OGH) allows shorter periods but requires an objective reason. The shorter the period, the stronger that reason has to be.

What the OGH has struck down

• In 2012, a redemption period of 2 years on thermal spa vouchers sold by an online retailer (OGH 7 Ob 22/12d).
• In 2019, the redemption periods of a voucher platform. Expired vouchers could be exchanged there for 3 years, but only for a fee, and the new voucher was then valid for 6 months (OGH 10 Ob 106/18p, summary by Forum Verlag).

What the Economic Chamber says

The Austrian Economic Chamber (Wirtschaftskammer, WKO) sums it up for its members like this: limiting paid vouchers to 3 years or less in standard terms or forms that weren't individually negotiated is definitely not allowed.

What held up before the OGH was a model with 1 year of validity, followed by 3 years in which the voucher could be exchanged or refunded. That's a lot of work for a salon.

A paid voucher with no expiry date is simpler. According to the WKO, free vouchers, such as €10 for a referral, can have a short expiry date.

Switzerland: 5 or 10 years

The Swiss Code of Obligations has 2 periods. Claims generally expire after 10 years (Art. 127 OR). Claims arising from craftwork and the retail sale of goods, among others, expire after 5 years (Art. 128 OR).

The consumer program "Espresso" on Swiss broadcaster SRF puts vouchers for a massage or a restaurant meal at 5 years, and hotel stays and spa admissions at 10 years.

A salon visit is closer to the massage. We found no ruling on salon vouchers specifically. The period runs from the date the claim falls due (Art. 130 OR), so without the German delay until New Year's Eve.

A shorter date is riskiest here

Under Art. 129 OR, the parties can't change these limitation periods. According to SRF, a court in Solothurn ruled in 2020 that the statutory periods are mandatory and that a voucher must not expire before the limitation period ends.

Legal experts disagree on this. If you want to be safe in Switzerland, don't print an expiry date at all.

What belongs on your voucher

IHK München recommends a written voucher with the amount, a clearly identifiable issuer, a legible issue date and a short description of what it covers. For a salon, that looks like this:

• Your salon's name and address.
• The issue date and a running number, such as 2026-0147.
• An amount (value voucher) or a service (service voucher). For a service, the WKO recommends stating its value as well.
• In Germany, "valid until December 31, 2029" on everything you sell in 2026. That matches the statutory period. In Austria and Switzerland, leave this line out.
• "Redeemable with all our stylists". A voucher for a cut with Lisa gets tricky as soon as Lisa leaves the salon.
• How to book: your booking link or your phone number.

A list for balances and lost vouchers

Alongside your vouchers, keep a list with the number, purchase date, amount, remaining balance and redemption date. A spreadsheet is enough.

With it, you can answer any question about a remaining balance in half a minute. And if a voucher gets lost, you can block it and issue a new one.

VAT: single purpose or multi purpose

In Germany, the VAT Act distinguishes between single purpose and multi purpose vouchers. If the place of supply and the tax due are already fixed when you sell it, it's a single purpose voucher, and VAT is due at the time of sale (§ 3(14) UStG).

With a multi purpose voucher, tax is only due when it's redeemed (§ 3(15) UStG). Which kind you sell is best settled once with your tax advisor.

The 6 most common questions, with replies to copy

Vouchers topped the list of the most popular Christmas gifts in 2025, according to the German retail federation Handelsverband Deutschland (press release of November 5, 2025, consumer survey by the Handelsblatt Research Institute of more than 2,000 people in Germany). You sell in December, and the questions arrive in the new year.

The answers apply to Germany. Where Austria or Switzerland differ, we say so. Amounts, dates and numbers are examples to adjust for your salon.

1. "Is my voucher still valid?"

In Germany, until December 31 of the third year after purchase.

"Hi! Our vouchers are valid for 3 years, counted from the end of the year they were bought. So your voucher from 2024 is valid until December 31, 2027. You can book an appointment here: [booking link]"

2. "My voucher says 1 year. Has it expired?"

Probably not. The OLG München held a period of 1 year invalid, and in Austria the WKO says it's definitely not allowed.

A dispute isn't worth it. According to IHK München, a period that's too short can mean you have to redeem the voucher and also pay the costs of the proceedings.

"No problem, we're happy to redeem your voucher. Just pick a time that suits you: [booking link]"

And change the template for your next vouchers.

3. "Can I get the voucher paid out in cash?"

In Germany there's no right to cash, with one exception according to IHK München: if you can no longer provide the service. That applies, for example, to a service voucher for a treatment you no longer offer.

The WKO sees it similarly in Austria. In Switzerland, according to the Swiss insurer Mobiliar, there's only money back if that was agreed.

"Unfortunately we can't pay out vouchers in cash. But you can use yours for any of our services or give it to someone else as a gift."

4. "I only used €50 of my €80. What happens to the rest?"

The law doesn't regulate partial redemption. But the Verbraucherzentrale says you should accept it if that's reasonable for you and doesn't cause you a loss. IHK München thinks clients most likely have a right to it.

You don't have to pay out the rest. It's noted on the voucher or goes onto a new one.

"Your remaining €30 is safe. We've noted it under number 2026-0147, just bring the voucher along next time."

5. "Prices have gone up. Do I have to pay extra?"

That depends on the voucher. A value voucher for €80 stays at €80. If the service now costs more, the client pays the difference.

With a service voucher for "1 balayage", the price increase doesn't matter, according to the Verbraucherzentrale. The WKO also writes that you can't charge it on a service voucher.

But if the voucher says "1 balayage worth €180", the Verbraucherzentrale's view is that the client pays the difference.

"No, your voucher covers a balayage, whatever it costs today. When would suit you?"

6. "Can my sister use it? And what if it's lost?"

Vouchers are usually transferable, and according to the Verbraucherzentrale a name on them is just a personal touch. Whoever brings it in can redeem it.

Legally, a gift voucher in Germany is usually what's known as a small bearer instrument (§ 807 BGB, IHK München says the same). You only have to provide the service when the voucher is handed over (§ 797 BGB).

If it's lost, your list helps. If you find the purchase in it, you block the old number and issue a new voucher as a goodwill gesture.

"Sure, anyone who brings the voucher in can use it. If it's gone missing, send us the number or tell us when and by whom it was bought, and we'll look it up."

Before your first December voucher

In Germany, set your template to "valid until December 31, 2029" now, and switch it to 2030 on your first working day in January. Put that change in your calendar right away, or your January vouchers will be a year short.

Save the answers once

These questions keep coming back, often between 2 clients or after closing time. Deskwoot, our inbox for customer messages, gives you 2 ways to handle them.

For your team: canned responses

You save the 6 answers once, type / in the reply box and pick the right one. Variables fill in details like the client's name automatically. Canned responses come with the Startup plan and up (how to set them up).

For the evening: Fynn

Fynn, the AI assistant in Deskwoot, answers on WhatsApp, in the chat on your website and by email. He only uses what you give him: your website, documents such as your price list as a PDF, and FAQ lists. If the answer isn't there, he says so and hands over to your team.

When you set up Deskwoot for a salon, it already asks: "Do you sell gift vouchers?" There you enter the amounts, where clients can buy them and how long they're valid, and Fynn answers from that (how Fynn learns).

If a client asks about her voucher from 2024 at 9:47 pm, Fynn tells her it's valid until December 31, 2027 and sends your booking link. On WhatsApp, he makes clear in his first reply that he's your salon's AI assistant.

If she asks about a remaining balance, he hands over to your team. Balances change with every redemption, which is why your list doesn't belong in his sources.

Voucher orders by email land in the same inbox. Forwarding your email address works on every plan, including the free one (connect your email inbox).

What it costs

• Hacker: free, without Fynn or canned responses.
• Startup: $4 per agent per month, or $3.20 billed annually. Includes Fynn, canned responses and 50 AI conversations a month for the whole workspace, then $0.07 each.

You'll find all plans on the pricing page, and more on Fynn in your salon on AI for hair and beauty salons.

Create an account and save the reply to "Is my voucher still valid?" as your first canned response. For the first 7 days you get Enterprise free, without a credit card and with up to 30 seats, yours included. After that, you stay on the free Hacker plan unless you pick a paid one.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Last updated: October 2026. For a specific dispute, ask your trade chamber or a lawyer.