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Most U.S. consumers are unaware that some general-purpose gift cards are subject to monthly fees and can expire, a Consumer Federation of America survey released Monday found.

General purpose gift cards, most of which are issued by Visa Inc. (V), MasterCard Inc. (MA) or American Express Co. (AXP), can be used to make purchases at various retailers. Some of these cards, about $4 billion worth and growing--can cost $4 to $7. The gift cards could also have monthly fees as high as $4.95 that are assessed six to 12 months after the card is purchased.

According to CFA's survey, only 33%, or one-third, of 1004 adults surveyed between Oct. 16-19 knew how much the cards cost. Fifty-four percent were aware of the potential monthly fees.

In recent years, fees on gift cards have become a thorny issue for consumers who inadvertently discovered that the value of their gifts had diminished over time because of monthly maintenance or inactivity fees or short expiration periods.

To combat this, CFA and the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators are launching consumer educational brochures that contain recommendations for gift card purchasers and recipients.

The two organizations recommend that gift card purchasers pay attention to the card's expiration date and charges, while recipients should use the card's value as soon as possible, within six months if possible, among other suggestions.

CFA and the association of state and local consumer protection agencies will distribute the brochures to its members. American Express has signed on to distribute 1.5 million copies to major retailers such as those owned by CVS Caremark Corp. (CVS) and Walgreen Co. (WAG).

In related news, Congress passed the Credit Card Act of 2009 in May, which generally limits banks and retailers from charging inactivity or service fees on gift cards unless the card has been dormant for at least 12 months. The bill also mandates that cards cannot expire until five years from the purchase date.

Issuers have to start complying with the gift-card regulations in August 2010.

-By Darrell A. Hughes, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6684; darrell.hughes@dowjones.com

(Jane J. Kim contributed to this article.)