The secret life of gift cards: Here's what happens to the billions that go unspent each year

Americans are expected to spend nearly $30 billion on gift cards this holiday, according to the National Retail Federation. Most will be redeemed. But many gift cards wind up forgotten or unused. In a July survey, Bankrate found that 47% of U.S. adults had at least one unused gift card worth an average of $187. That's a total of $23 billion in unspent money. Under federal law, gift cards can't expire for five years after they're purchased. But experts say it's wise to use them sooner than that, since inflation and inactivity fees can eat away at their value.