In Canada, it is illegal for gift cards to expire but some provinces allow inactivity fees or dormancy fees on shopping mall cards. Shopping mall gift cards in Ontario and British Columbia, for example, can apply a dormancy fee after 15 months up to a maximum of $2.50 per month. In Manitoba, it’s 12 months and 18 months in New Brunswick. (In some cases, you can request a three-month extension before dormancy fees are applied.)