Massachusetts’ gift certificate laws have been extended to cover gift cards, all the better for consumers. I’ve noticed a few recent mentions in the local paper of people who were surprised to discover that gift cards they had received 6-12 months earlier had a monthly fee, which eventually reduced the cards’ value to nothing. Imagine saving your gift card for when you really need a pick-me-up and finding out it’s worthless. In Massachusetts at least, you’ll get seven years to spend the full amount. A California law banning most fees goes into effect in January. It’s a lot easier for retailers to dock the amount on an electronic card. Perhaps in this case we gain more by sticking to paper certificates.