Losing a hard-earned points balance to expiry is one of the most frustrating experiences in travel rewards, and it is entirely avoidable. The rules vary by program: some points never expire as long as your account is open, others expire after a fixed period of inactivity, and a few expire on a strict calendar regardless of activity. Knowing your program's rule is the first step to protecting your balance.

Points earned through major bank programs generally do not expire while your account remains open, which makes them the safest place to hold a balance. Airline and hotel points are stricter: many expire after 18 to 24 months without any earning or redemption activity. A single small transaction — earning a few points or redeeming a small amount — usually resets the clock, so activity is the key.

For programs with inactivity expiry, the cheapest reset is often a tiny transaction: buy a small item through the program's shopping portal, redeem a small number of points for a gift card, or take a short flight on the airline. Even dining programs linked to your card can generate activity automatically. Set a calendar reminder every 12 months to check each program's activity status.

If you hold points in a program with aggressive expiry and you have no trip planned, consider transferring them to a partner program with friendlier rules, or to a bank program if transfers run in that direction. Transfers are usually irreversible, so only move points you genuinely may not use before expiry — but a transferred balance you keep is better than an expired balance you lose.

Most expiry losses happen through forgetfulness, not bad luck. Keep a simple spreadsheet or note listing each program, your balance, and its expiry rule, and review it twice a year. Free award-tracking tools can automate this, sending alerts when a balance approaches expiry. The five minutes this takes twice a year can save thousands of points.

Programs occasionally change their expiry policies, and they are required to notify members — but those emails are easy to miss. When you get a program update email, skim it for the word “expiration.” A policy change can shorten your window without you realizing it, especially if you hold points in a program you rarely use.

The deeper lesson is that points are meant to be used. Programs devalue over time, award prices rise, and expiry rules tighten — a balance hoarded for “the perfect trip” often loses value while it waits. Set a redemption goal, even a modest one, and treat points as travel money with a mild use-it-or-lose-it character. The best protection against expiry is a trip you actually take.

A detail many people miss is what happens to points when a card account closes. Bank points are often forfeited if you close your only card with that issuer, unless you transfer them out first — so always redeem or transfer a balance before closing an account. Airline and hotel points, by contrast, usually live in the loyalty program itself rather than on the card, so closing a co-branded card does not normally erase them, though their expiry clock keeps running. If you are considering cancelling a card, check the points situation first, and consider downgrading to a no-fee version of the same card instead of closing it outright. Downgrading typically preserves your points and your credit history in one move.