I was given XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX gift cards ( {$50.00} each ). The front of the packaging indicates that the cards were valid through XX/XX/2020. On the back of the card there is verbiage that " U.S. Bank will deduct from your balance an inactivity fee of {$2.00} per month after 12 consecutive months of inactivity ... '' What I did not realize and which I believe is intentionally unclear is that the cards were " ticking '' from the time the person who gifted me bought them. I do not know how long my donor had them ; I tucked them away to use for some future special purchase, confident in the 2020 expiration date. Recently I was ready to make that " special purchase '' and was surprised to find that the cards could not be used because their value had been whittled away to {$8.00} each because of inactivity fees! I was able to get only {$24.00} restored to each card by working with U.S. Bank ( their records supposedly only go back one year ( XXXX x {$2.00} = {$24.00} ). I truly believe that the packaging of these particular gift cards is intended to be vague so that neither the donor or the recipient is aware that " time is of the essence ''. I truly thought that the $ XXXX monthly deduction would begin after the first time I used the card at a retail register. I have other gift cards that I have received, and none of them have these harsh conditions ( you can be sure I looked closely at that after this event ). It is fine with me if MC and U.S. Bank want to run their business by eroding the value of a gift card ( for which they have received their money ), but I do think that they should have to make it clear ( and abundantly so ) that their gift cards are diminishing in value second by second, minute by minute. " Use your card NOW or it could be worth very little or nothing in the near future '' should be emblazoned on the packaging. 
