This answer covers German rules. Other countries handle vouchers differently, but printing the limit on the card is sound advice anywhere.
What applies if the card says nothing?
Assume three years. The standard limitation period under Section 195 of the German Civil Code is three years, and under Section 199 it starts at the end of the year. The German consumer advice centre, the Verbraucherzentrale, applies this to vouchers: one bought in May 2022 is good until 31 December 2025.
A stamp card isn't a purchased voucher, and we found no court decision on one. So three years is a careful guide, not a fixed rule for stamps. And if a guest paid for ten coffees and you refuse the free one, it's hard to explain either way.
How short can a limit be?
Short enough to still look fair. The difference shows up across these cases:
| Type | What consumer centres say | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Purchased voucher | A limit that's too short is invalid. A Munich court struck down one year for a retail voucher. | Don't limit gift vouchers below three years without a good reason. |
| Free promotional voucher | The Hamburg consumer centre says any limit is fine, because nobody paid. | A free slice of cake for a birthday can end at the end of the month. |
| Stamp card | Not covered. The stamp is free but tied to paid purchases. | It sits in between. Choose a generous, clearly visible limit. |
So it depends on the circumstances. For your own wording, the local chamber of commerce (IHK) is the right place to ask.
What should you print on the card?
- Put the limit on the card itself, not on a notice on the wall.
- Counting from the last visit is fairest for regulars: whoever keeps coming loses nothing.
- If you change the rules, let old cards run out under the old ones.
Do you need a limit at all?
Mostly not. A limit protects you from old cards turning up from a drawer, and those are small sums. An expired card, on the other hand, can cost you an annoyed regular. With paper there's often a simpler problem anyway: the card gets lost. For planning the whole programme, see restaurant loyalty programmes.
What does a fair rule look like on a digital card?
The NFCeez digital stamp card has no end date and lives in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. If you change rewards or design, every stamp collected stays. The rules are in terms of participation that NFCeez creates for your programme from what the system really does, and guests accept them when they sign up. The limit: a card that goes unused for 24 months is deleted automatically. That matches the "from the last visit" rule above, just with a longer period, and you should state it just as openly.
What do you do with the card you have now?
Your next step: look at your current card. If it shows no limit, keep honouring old cards for now and print the new rule on your next batch.
How NFCeez does thisStamps stay, even when you change rewards.The card has no fixed end date. If you change rewards or design, every stamp collected stays, and the rules are in your terms of participation.See how it works
