It starts out so simple: you sign up for a rewards credit card, swipe for groceries or gas, maybe book a flight or two, and suddenly you’re sitting on a little pile of points. Free travel. Cashback. Perks. The good stuff.
But time goes on. Life gets busy. And if you’re like most people, your rewards program becomes something you plan to “get around to using.” Here’s the part they don’t advertise quite as loudly: your points might not last forever. Not all rewards have an expiration date—but they’re not always as permanent as they look either.
I learned this the hard way years ago. I closed an old airline credit card, thinking I’d moved on, only to find out that the points I’d been quietly saving for a trip were gone. Just like that. It wasn’t just disappointing—it felt like losing money I didn’t even realize I was protecting.
Do Credit Card Rewards Expire? The Short Answer: It Depends.
Not all rewards are created equal. Some issuers proudly claim their rewards “never expire,” while others tuck timelines deep into the fine print. The reality depends on three things: your card issuer, the type of rewards you earn, and how you manage your account.
Generally speaking, cash-back rewards tend to be the most straightforward. If your account is open and in good standing, most major issuers let you keep your cash rewards indefinitely. But if you close the account, or if it’s inactive too long, you could lose what you’ve built up.
With travel rewards or flexible points systems, it gets a little murkier. Programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards typically don’t expire—but again, keeping your account open is often the unspoken rule. Co-branded cards (think Delta Skymiles or Hilton Honors) usually follow the expiration policies of the partner brand, not just the bank.
According to a 2023 Bankrate survey, nearly 1 in 3 rewards credit card users have lost rewards at some point—often due to account closure or inactivity.
What Puts Your Rewards at Risk?
So, if your points are quietly at risk, what does that actually look like in practice? It’s not always a big flashing warning. More often, it’s subtle: a quiet change in your usage patterns, an overlooked email, or a card you forgot you had.
Here are some common reasons your rewards could disappear:
Closing your account. This is one of the fastest ways to lose unredeemed rewards, especially if they’re tied directly to your credit card account and not transferable to another program.
Inactivity. Some programs may start the countdown after 12–24 months of inactivity—meaning you haven’t used the card, earned, or redeemed points within that time.
Late payments or account delinquency. Miss a payment or two, and you might be in breach of terms that allow issuers to revoke your rewards.
Mergers, program overhauls, or issuer changes. These don’t happen often, but they do happen. When they do, you may get a limited redemption window or new rules entirely.
Expiration tied to the partner program. Airline and hotel programs often have their own expiration rules, even if your credit card doesn’t. That means your rewards might stay active in the bank’s system but expire on the airline side.
It’s a little like having a gift card that doesn’t expire—until the store shuts down. You still lose.
Tracking Your Rewards: It's Easier Than You Think
If you’re juggling more than one credit card (or even just one with lots of features), keeping tabs on your rewards shouldn’t require a spreadsheet. But it does need some attention. Most major issuers now offer dashboards that show your points balance, expiration status (if applicable), and transaction history.
Some programs send alerts when your points are nearing expiration, but it’s not universal. I once assumed I’d get a warning email from a co-branded airline card, only to find out the alert went to my spam folder, and the points vanished quietly. That’s the thing—knowing how the system works helps you play it better.
If you like structure, consider using personal finance apps that sync with your cards and track reward balances and deadlines. Or, if you’re more analog (no shame there), calendar reminders once or twice a year can go a long way.
What you want is visibility. When you know what you’re working with, it’s easier to make intentional choices—not just reactive ones.
How Inactivity Can Sneak Up On You
One of the trickier things about reward programs is how they define “inactivity.” You might think you're covered just by holding the card—but in many cases, if you haven’t used it or earned new points in a while, the clock may start ticking.
Some issuers treat earning as activity. Others require redeeming points to reset the timeline. It varies by program, which is why understanding your specific card’s policy is worth the 10-minute deep dive.
A good friend of mine had a hotel card where points expired after 18 months of no activity. She had nearly 40,000 points saved up (enough for two nights in a mid-range city hotel), but hadn't used the card in over a year. When she finally went to book a stay, the balance was zero. That was a $500 hit she didn’t see coming.
Tip: Small actions like making a purchase or redeeming just a few points may count as activity. You don’t need to spend big—just keep the account moving.
Travel Rewards: The Beautiful, Fragile Kind
Travel rewards are a lot like frequent flyer miles: exciting, aspirational, and often more complex than they seem. They’re also the most at-risk category when it comes to expiration. That’s because many are tied to third-party loyalty programs—airlines, hotels, or travel portals—which often have their own policies that you agree to the moment you use your co-branded card.
American Airlines AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months of inactivity. That includes no flights, no mileage earning, no hotel stays, and no redemptions. The clock resets with any activity, but if you’re not flying or spending, it’s easy to forget.
A good strategy here is to keep your travel programs “alive” through simple engagements—maybe a dining rewards program, a gift card purchase, or transferring small amounts of points. You don’t need to fly just to stay active.
What Happens If You Close Your Credit Card?
This is where people often get blindsided. Say you’re decluttering your wallet, trimming down cards you no longer use (a smart move, in general). You assume your rewards will come with you, or just stay in place. Not always.
In many cases, closing your credit card account means forfeiting your unredeemed rewards—unless you redeem them before the account closure, or transfer them into a partner program (if allowed). Cash-back cards are usually more lenient, but you still want to check the fine print.
With Chase Ultimate Rewards, you typically lose your points when the account is closed—unless you transfer them to another active Chase card that also earns Ultimate Rewards. Timing matters.
One smart move? If you’re thinking of closing a card, make a plan for your points first. Either redeem, transfer, or downgrade to another product with the same issuer that lets you keep your balance. Otherwise, your well-earned rewards may vanish the moment the account does.
How to Keep Rewards Alive Without Overspending
Here’s the good news: you don’t have to go into spending overdrive to keep your rewards safe. In most cases, a small purchase or redemption every few months is enough to stay active. You just need to know the rules.
You can consider strategies like:
- Setting recurring subscriptions (like Netflix or Spotify) to a rewards card you want to keep active
- Redeeming a few points for gift cards or statement credits to reset expiration clocks
- Using dining or shopping portals linked to your loyalty programs
- Transferring points to a partner or pooling across cards (when allowed)
It’s not about gaming the system. It’s about making the system work for your real life—on your terms.
When It’s Actually OK to Let Rewards Go
Let’s pause for a second. Not every point needs to be saved. Sometimes it is the right call to close a card, lose the points, and move on. Rewards are valuable, but not if the annual fees or interest outweigh the benefits.
You might also have tiny balances scattered across cards you don’t use anymore. Redeem what you can—but don’t stress too hard about squeezing every penny from every point. Focus your energy where the value is meaningful.
Your time, energy, and financial clarity are worth more than 500 lingering points you forgot
Use It Before You Lose It—And Feel Good About It
So, do credit card rewards expire? Sometimes. But more importantly, they can disappear—through policy fine print, partner rules, and quiet account closures you didn’t think much about at the time.
The way forward isn’t about obsessing over every expiration date. It’s about building habits that give you visibility and control. Check your balances a few times a year. Keep your cards active in small, sustainable ways. Redeem intentionally—and don’t wait until “someday.”
Because rewards only matter if they actually reward you. And you deserve that.
