- Many credit card rewards never expire, although you can lose your points if you close your card.
- Your account must also be in good standing to keep your rewards from expiring.
- Airline and hotel points are trickier, usually expiring after 1-3 years of no activity.
Understanding credit card point expiration
It's easy to earn points and miles by using rewards credit cards and joining hotel and airline loyalty programs. But when it comes time to redeem them, there's often some fine print to parse through, including expiration dates.
What causes credit card points to expire?
The benefit of earning points with a credit card is that your rewards don't expire as long as you keep your account open and in good standing (meaning you continue to pay off your balances or communicate with the bank if you need any financial assistance). Without credit cards, hotel points and airline miles are in more danger of expiring.
Here are the main credit card points currencies, along with the top credit card options for earning each of them:
American Express Membership Rewards
Amex points can be earned on many of the best American Express cards, including some of our top choices below:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- American Express® Gold Card
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Rewards can be transferred to 18 airlines including Delta, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic, or three hotels: Choice, Hilton, and Marriott.
Capital One Miles
You can earn Capital One Miles on many top Capital One credit cards:
- Capital One Venture X Business Card†
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business†
Capital One has 15 airline partners, including Air Canada, and three hotel partners, including Accor, Wyndham, and Choice.
Chase Ultimate Rewards
You can earn valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards on several of the best Chase cards:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Chase partners with 11 airlines including Southwest and United, and three hotel chains: IHG, Marriott, and Hyatt.
Citi ThankYou Rewards
You can earn Citi ThankYou points on a handful of Citi credit cards including the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card and the Citi Rewards+® Card .
Citi partners with 14 airlines including JetBlue, Etihad, and Virgin Atlantic, and five hotel chains including Accor and Choice
Why are transferable credit card points valuable?
Transferable credit card points can be extremely valuable, not just because they offer so many options to book travel, but also because there are certain sweet spots you can use to your advantage.
For example, if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, your Ultimate Rewards points are worth 50% more when you book travel through Chase. Plus, you may be able to use your bank points for things beyond travel. Some issuers have added new ways to earn and redeem rewards, and in many cases, you'll have options to redeem points for cash back, gift cards, merchandise, and even toward everyday purchases.
Even if you're a very frequent flyer and love your Delta or American Airlines card for earning miles and enjoying perks like a free checked bag, adding a credit card that earns Amex, Chase, Capital One, or Citi ThankYou rewards to your wallet is a smart strategy. You'll be diversifying your rewards, and those bank points will never expire.
What if you earn points and miles without a credit card?
If you earn airline miles or hotel points by purchasing flights and hotel stays rather than by using a credit card, your rewards can expire if you go too long without any account activity.
For instance, American Airlines AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months of account inactivity, and Marriott Bonvoy points expire after 24 months of account inactivity.
The good news is that you don't have to book a trip to log account activity. All of the following options count, extending the life of your rewards:
Go through an online shopping portal: If you're making a purchase online, check to see if your airline or hotel has a shopping portal.
Shopping portals earn you a specified number of points or miles per dollar when you shop with participating retailers. For example, you can prevent your American Airlines miles from expiring by using the American Airlines AAdvantage eShopping portal when buying products online.
Sign up for dining rewards: In addition to shopping portals, many airlines and hotel brands offer dining programs that earn points or miles per dollar spent with participating restaurants.
For example, joining the American Airlines AAdvantage Dining program and linking the credit card you use for dining out in restaurants will earn you miles on every eligible meal, which resets the clock on your miles expiring every time you earn more rewards.
Transfer flexible points to an airline or hotel account: If you have transferable rewards at your disposal, such as Amex Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can move a small number of points to a partner program to generate activity and prevent your airline or hotel points from expiring.
For example, if your IHG points are close to expiring, you could transfer 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to your IHG Rewards account and reset the expiration clock, as that's considered earning activity.
Consider getting a co-branded credit card: If your American Airlines miles are in danger of expiring, you can make a purchase with an American Airlines credit card to keep your rewards active. This will work with almost any airline or hotel rewards program; using a Marriott credit card will prevent your Bonvoy points from expiring as well.
FAQs on credit card points expiration
Do all credit card points expire?
Expiration policies vary by credit card issuer, but in general, your credit card points won't expire as long as your account is in good standing. This means continuing to pay your balance each month.
How can I find out if my credit card points expire?
To find out if your credit card points expire, check the terms and conditions of your credit card rewards program or contact your credit card issuer directly. The expiration policy should be clearly outlined in your account details or rewards program documentation.
What can I do to prevent my credit card points from expiring?
To prevent your credit card points from expiring, keep your account active by regularly using your credit card for purchases. You can also look into transferring points to partner programs or redeeming points for rewards to reset the expiration clock.
Are there strategies to maximize the value of credit card points before they expire?
Focus on redeeming points for high-value rewards, such as travel bookings or cash back. Consider transferring points to airline or hotel loyalty programs where they might have a higher value and potentially longer expiration terms.
