Americans have plenty of gift card dollars to spend after the holidays

The holiday gifting season may be coming to a close, but plenty of Americans now have gift cards to spend. (Which is a more enviable prospect than the returns in store for other gift-receivers.) More than 40% of Americans have an unused gift card, according to Bankrate.

Nicole Panettieri saw gift card sales at her apparel stores — The Brass Owl and The Tiny Owl in New York City — double.

“Most people had a moment of, ‘I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas, almost Hanukkah and didn’t know what to do,'” she said.

The shopping season was shorter this year. Also, Panettieri now offers e-gift cards. She said people tend to spend them right away, which makes her bookkeeping easier.

“Last year, it was about 75% was redeemed, so there’s about 25% a year later that’s still open,” Panettieri said.

All of those unused gift card dollars? “Also known as spillage — that’s actually declined tremendously,” said Chip Lugo, an analyst at WalletHub.

That’s because consumer protection laws have extended expiration dates or gotten rid of them altogether.

If you received a gift card, Lugo said you should check the amount right away and link it to any online retail accounts you have to prevent loss or theft.