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Do Credit Card Rewards Expire? The 2026 Rules by Issuer
September 27, 2026
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Do credit card rewards expire? For most major issuers, points and cash back do not expire while your account is open and in good standing. But there are exceptions, and the biggest losses usually come from closing a card or missing payments, not from the calendar.
This guide walks through the rules by issuer, what happens when you close a card, and the other ways you can lose rewards. The details come from Bankrate's issuer review and the programs' own terms, so confirm current rules with your issuer before you act.
If you only remember one thing, remember this: redeem or transfer your points before you close an account, because that is the single most common way people lose rewards they already earned.
When To Redeem. Waiting too long can cost you real value. Learn when to redeem rewards
Do Credit Card Rewards Expire? The Short Answer
Most rewards from the largest issuers do not expire as long as your account stays open and active. Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Bank of America rewards, Capital One rewards and Discover rewards fall into this group.
The exceptions are Citi, which varies by card, and Wells Fargo, which sets a five year limit. Airline and hotel programs run on their own rules, and those are usually the shortest.
Never count on a rule staying the same forever. Issuers change terms, so treat this as a map, not a promise.
A common follow up is whether cash back differs from points. In most programs it does not: cash back and points both follow the issuer's program rules, so the same open account and good standing conditions apply. The more important question is whether your rewards sit in a bank program or an airline or hotel program, since the latter usually has its own expiration clock.
Set a quarterly reminder to review every rewards balance and redeem anything that is near an expiration date.
Know The Value. A point is worth different amounts depending on how you use it. See how point values work.
Rewards That Generally Do Not Expire
If you carry the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, your Ultimate Rewards points do not expire as long as the account is open. The same is true of American Express Membership Rewards points on an open account.
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Capital One miles do not expire for the life of the account. Bank of America and Discover rewards also do not expire on open accounts, per Bankrate. The catch with all of these is that the account has to stay open, which brings us to closures.
Find Hidden Perks. Your cards may carry benefits you are not using. Discover hidden card perks.
Citi ThankYou Points Expiration Rules
Citi is the issuer where expiration depends most on which card you hold. Bankrate reports that ThankYou Points expiration varies by card, from 18 months to five years, and some cards have points that do not expire at all.
If you hold the Citi Strata Premier® Card, read the cardmember terms for your exact rule instead of assuming. Our Citi Strata Premier review covers how the card earns, and you should check Citi's terms for how long those points last.
[[ SINGLE_CARD * {"id": "7783", "isExpanded": "false", "bestForCategoryId": "15", "bestForText": "Premium Travel Rewards", "headerHint": "CHECK YOUR TERMS"} ]]
Wells Fargo Go Far Rewards Expiration
Wells Fargo Go Far Rewards points expire after five years, per Bankrate. Five years is long, but it is a hard stop that catches people who stash points for a big redemption and forget them.
If you are holding Wells Fargo points for a rainy day, set a reminder and read our guide on when to redeem credit card rewards to decide whether waiting is costing you value.
Airline Miles and Transfer Partners Are Different
Bank points that do not expire can turn into miles that do. Copa Airlines, for example, expires miles after 24 months, though earning or redeeming activity resets the clock. Other airline programs follow their own timelines.
That makes the timing of a transfer important. Moving points into an airline account years before you book creates an expiration clock you did not have before. Learn what a point is worth in our guide to credit card reward point values.
What Happens to Rewards When You Close a Card?
Closing a card is the most common way people lose rewards. The rules differ a lot by issuer.
- American Express gives you a 30 day grace period to use your Membership Rewards points after closing a card.
- Discover gives you 18 months to redeem rewards after closing an account.
- Capital One loses your rewards immediately when you close the account.
Redeem or transfer before you close any card. Even issuers with a grace period give you only a short window, and a closed account usually cannot receive new transfers or redemptions in the same way, so do the work first and close second.
Other Ways You Can Lose Rewards
Closing a card is not the only trap. Falling behind on payments can cost you rewards, and Bankrate notes that delinquency can put your points at risk. Returns can also claw back the rewards you earned on a purchase.
Inactivity matters too. An issuer can close an account that sits unused for a long stretch, and closing the account is what triggers a points loss at some issuers.
The fix is simple. Put a small recurring bill on each card you want to keep open, pay it in full on time, and review your balances at least once a year.
If you plan to downgrade or close a card with a large balance of points, ask the issuer in writing what happens to the balance first. Phone answers vary, and a written answer gives you something to point to if there is a dispute.
How to Keep Track of Every Balance
With three or four cards across different issuers, it is easy to lose track of which points are about to expire and which card earns the most for a given purchase.
Kudos shows you which card to use at checkout and tracks your progress on welcome bonuses, so nothing slips. Our guide to hidden card perks and bonus tracking walkthrough show how to put it to work.
A good habit is to check balances every quarter, redeem anything near an expiration date, and review the terms any time an issuer announces a program change.
A Quick Checklist Before You Close or Stash Points
Run through this list any time you are about to close a card, transfer points or leave a balance untouched for a long stretch:
- Check whether your issuer's points expire, and on what schedule.
- Redeem or transfer points before you close the account, not after.
- Look up the grace period for your issuer, since it ranges from none to 18 months.
- Keep at least one small recurring charge on cards you plan to keep.
- Pay every statement in full and on time so delinquency never touches your rewards.
- Check airline and hotel balances separately, since they follow their own expiration rules.
None of this takes long, and it protects value you already earned.
The Bottom Line
So, do credit card rewards expire? Usually not on open, healthy accounts at the big issuers, but Citi and Wells Fargo have time limits, and closing a card can erase rewards at Capital One immediately. Airline and hotel programs are the ones most likely to surprise you, so check those balances on their own schedule. Keep your cards open, pay on time, and redeem anything you plan to leave behind before you cancel. When in doubt, read your issuer's current rewards terms.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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