Case: The other day, I purchased 140,000 won worth of a pair of dress shoes at a department store. I gave the clerk one gift certificate of 100,000 won and one of 70,000 won, and I asked to give 30,000 won back to me as a change. But the clerk told me that cash change could not be given, and only 30,000 won worth of a gift certificate could be issued to me. Is there any way that I can get cash change after using gift certificates?

Resolution: Pursuant to the Standardized Regulations for Gift Certificates approved on September 21, 1999, the remaining balance of a gift certificate can be given in cash if more than 60% of the amount of the gift certificate is used (if multiple certificates are used, then 60% of the total amount). In case of using a gift certificate under 10,000 won, the remaining balance of the certificate can be given in cash if used more than 80% of the amount of the gift certificate. The validation period of gift certificates is 5 years, and it can be used at any time even during sale periods. Therefore, you should have received the cash change at the department store when you gave them the gift certificates for your new dress shoes. In addition, when purchasing gift certificates, customers must check that gift certificates are guaranteed for payment. In case that an issuer of the gift certificate is bankrupt, customers can be compensated for their financial loss from purchasing gift certificates.