In most cases, credit card points do not expire as long as your account remains open, active, and in good standing. However, the exact rules depend heavily on the specific bank that issued your card, and the rules change dramatically if you transfer those points to partner airline or hotel loyalty programs.

While the fear of losing a hard-earned mountain of rewards is common, keeping your points safe is relatively straightforward once you understand how different financial institutions and loyalty networks operate. Below, we break down the expiration policies for every major credit card issuer, explain the hidden traps that could cause you to lose your rewards, and provide practical strategies to keep your balances active.

How Major Credit Card Issuers Handle Points Expiration #

For standard credit card rewards programs—often referred to as proprietary or “flexible” points—the general rule is highly consumer-friendly. As long as you keep your card open and make payments on time, your points are safe. Here is a detailed look at how the major issuers handle expiration.

Chase Ultimate Rewards #

Chase Ultimate Rewards points (earned on cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Chase Freedom Flex®) do not expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing. If you decide to close a Chase credit card, you will forfeit any remaining points associated with that account. To prevent this, you can transfer your points to another Chase card that you own, transfer them to a household member’s eligible Chase account, or transfer them to a partner loyalty program before closing the account.

American Express Membership Rewards #

American Express Membership Rewards points do not expire as long as you have at least one active card open that participates in the Membership Rewards program. If you have multiple Amex cards, they all feed into a single, shared points pool. This means that even if you close one of your Amex cards, your entire points balance remains perfectly safe as long as you keep at least one other Membership Rewards-earning card open.

Citi ThankYou Rewards #

Citi ThankYou points generally do not expire as long as your account is active and open. However, Citi has a few unique rules that require extra attention:

• Shared Points: If you transfer ThankYou points to another Citi user’s account, those shared points expire exactly 90 days after the transfer date.
• Account Closure: If you close the card on which the points were earned, those points will expire 60 days after the account closure date, regardless of whether you have other active Citi cards.
• Promotional Points: Occasionally, points earned from specific promotional offers or legacy cards may carry a set expiration date, which will be clearly detailed in the terms of the specific promotion.

Capital One Miles #

Capital One rewards (earned on the Venture and Spark family of cards) do not expire for the lifetime of the account. If you close your card, you will lose any unredeemed miles. Fortunately, Capital One allows you to transfer miles to another Capital One cardholder’s account instantly, which is an excellent way to rescue your rewards if you plan on canceling a card.

Discover Cashback and Miles #

Discover rewards do not expire. In fact, Discover has one of the most generous policies in the industry: if your account is closed, or if you do not use your card for 18 consecutive months, Discover will automatically credit your account balance or mail you a check for your remaining cash back or miles.

Wells Fargo Rewards #

Wells Fargo Rewards points do not expire as long as your account is open and in good standing. Keep in mind that older, legacy Wells Fargo cards occasionally had a three-year expiration limit from the date the points were earned, but modern cards like the Wells Fargo Autograph JourneySM operate under the “no expiration” rule.

The Catch: Co-Branded Cards and Transfer Partners #

While your flexible bank points are safe as long as your credit card account is open, the rules change completely when dealing with co-branded credit cards or when transferring your bank points to airline and hotel loyalty programs.

When you earn points or miles on a co-branded card (such as a Delta, Southwest, Marriott, or Hilton card), those rewards do not sit in a bank account. Instead, they are deposited directly into your frequent flyer or hotel guest account with that specific travel brand. Once those rewards are in the hands of the airline or hotel, the partner program’s expiration rules apply, not the bank’s rules.

Because monitoring all these individual rules can get overwhelming, using a dedicated tool like the Credit Card Central app lets you organize all your cards, due dates, and reward categories in one secure place directly on your device.

Here is a breakdown of how the major airline and hotel programs handle points expiration:

Airline Programs with No Expiration #

Many major domestic airlines have entirely eliminated expiration dates on their frequent flyer miles. If you earn miles with any of the following airlines, your balance is safe forever:

• Delta Air Lines (SkyMiles)
• United Airlines (MileagePlus)
• Southwest Airlines (Rapid Rewards)
• JetBlue Airways (TrueBlue)
• Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan)

Airline Programs with Activity-Based Expiration #

Some international and domestic airline programs still enforce strict expiration policies based on account activity. To keep these miles alive, you must show “activity” (either earning or redeeming at least one mile) within a specific timeframe:

• American Airlines (AAdvantage): Miles expire after 24 months of inactivity.
• British Airways (Executive Club): Avios expire after 36 months of inactivity.
• Air Canada (Aeroplan): Miles expire after 18 months of inactivity.
• Singapore Airlines (KrisFlyer): Miles expire exactly 36 months after the month they were earned, regardless of account activity. This is a hard expiration policy that cannot be reset.

Hotel Programs Expiration Rules #

Unlike airlines, almost all major hotel loyalty programs enforce strict inactivity expiration dates. Fortunately, almost any activity—including earning a single point by staying at a property, spending on a co-branded card, or transferring a small batch of points from a bank program—will reset the clock.

• Marriott Bonvoy: Points expire after 24 months of inactivity.
• Hilton Honors: Points expire after 24 months of inactivity.
• World of Hyatt: Points expire after 24 months of inactivity.
• IHG One Rewards: Points expire after 12 months of inactivity for basic members. Elite status members’ points do not expire.

Common Reasons You Might Unexpectedly Lose Your Points #

Even if an issuer promises that your points “never expire,” there are several scenarios where you can suddenly lose your entire balance. Understanding these traps is crucial to protecting your hard-earned rewards.

+--------------------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| Risk Factor              | Impact on Your Points                                   |
+--------------------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| Voluntary Account Close  | Instantly forfeits all unredeemed points on that card.  |
| Inactivity Closure       | Bank closes card due to non-use; points are forfeited.  |
| Late Payments / Default  | Bank may suspend or permanently forfeit your points.    |
| Program Violation        | Selling points or "gaming" systems voids your balance.  |
+--------------------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

1. Voluntarily Closing the Card #

If you close a credit card before redeeming or transferring your points, they will vanish instantly in most cases. Always have a plan for your points before you call the issuer to cancel a card. If you are trying to meet a minimum spend to earn a massive signup bonus, missing the deadline can mean forfeiting those points entirely. You can track your sign-up bonus deadlines and spending to make sure you never miss out on a major windfall.

2. Inactivity and Automatic Bank Closure #

If you do not use a credit card for a long period (typically 12 to 24 months), the bank may decide to close your account due to inactivity. Because the account is closed, any points associated with it are lost. Banks are not legally required to warn you before closing an inactive account.

3. Late Payments and Forfeiture Fees #

If you miss a credit card payment, your account falls out of “good standing.” When this happens, some card issuers (like American Express) will temporarily suspend your points earning or freeze your existing points balance. If you default on your payments entirely or your account is closed in bad standing, your points are gone forever. In some cases, if you pay your past-due balance quickly, you can pay a “reinstatement fee” to get your points back, but it is far better to avoid this situation entirely.

4. Violation of Program Terms #

Every rewards program has a clause in its terms and conditions regarding “abuse” or “gaming” of the system. If a bank suspects you of fraudulent activity, buying or selling points, or manufactured spending, they reserve the right to shut down your accounts immediately and strip you of all your rewards.

How to Keep Your Credit Card Points From Expiring #

Protecting your rewards requires very little effort if you stay organized. Here are the most effective strategies to keep your points safe and active:

1. Make a Small Purchase: For cards that require activity to keep points or miles alive, even a small $1 purchase can reset the clock on an inactive card. To make this easy, you can use this mobile credit card manager to quickly see which card to use for your next small transaction to keep your account active.
2. Transfer Points to Keep Them Alive: If you have points sitting in a flexible program (like Chase or Amex) and are worried about a partner airline program expiring, transferring a small batch of points (usually 1,000 points is the minimum) counts as “earning activity” for that airline program and will reset their expiration clock.
3. Downgrade Instead of Canceling: If you want to avoid paying an annual fee but have points on a card you want to close, ask the issuer to downgrade your card to a no-fee version in the same rewards family. This keeps the account open, preserves your credit history, and saves your points.
4. Use a Shopping Portal: Earning points through an airline or hotel program’s online shopping portal counts as account activity. Buying a cheap item through the portal can instantly extend the life of your miles for another 12 to 24 months.

Frequently Asked Questions #

Do points expire if I close my credit card? #

Yes, in almost all cases, closing a credit card will result in the immediate forfeiture of any unredeemed points associated with that card. You must redeem your rewards, transfer them to a partner loyalty program, or move them to another card within the same issuer’s family before closing the account.

Can I get my expired points back? #

It depends on the program. Some airlines and hotels will allow you to reinstate expired miles or points for a fee, though this is rarely a good financial value unless you are restoring a very large balance. For flexible bank points lost due to a closed or delinquent account, reinstatement is rarely possible unless the account is brought current immediately.

Do cash back rewards expire? #

Standard cash back rewards offered by major banks do not expire as long as your account remains open and active. Some banks, like Discover, will even proactively mail you a check for your cash back balance if your card goes unused for more than a year and a half.