American Express gift card rip-off

If you’ve had an American Express gift card, then you’ve faced what to do with the unused balance. 

You can donate it to American Express, or you can donate it to charity. You can’t use it along with another credit card to make a purchase, despite the fact that restaurants will take more than one credit card, if your party is going “Dutch treat”.

New Jersey’s government has another idea for gift cards’ unused balances: claim it for themselves.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/nj_senate_likely_to_reverse_st.html

It’s worth noting that’s $17 million in forfeited gift card money in New Jersey alone.

Tell your family and friends that when it comes to American Express gift cards: forget it--that you’d rather see the unused balance going to them than to donate it to American Express or the government.