How to keep your points and miles from expiring

Points and miles are valuable — but once they expire, they're usually gone for good. That's why it's essential to understand a few simple steps you can take to keep your accounts active, no matter which airline or hotel program you use.

Whether you're sitting on a large balance or just starting to collect rewards, these quick actions can prevent expiration and protect every hard-earned point you've earned.

Use a cobranded credit card

One of the easiest ways to prevent your rewards from expiring is by holding a cobranded airline or hotel credit card. Some programs automatically keep your points active as long as you're a cardholder.

For instance, IHG One Rewards points expire after 12 months of inactivity. However, if you are an IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees), you'll have automatic IHG Platinum Elite status as a card benefit. Per IHG's policy, if you hold elite status within the program, your points do not expire.

Just note that not every cobranded card offers this protection, so always check the fine print.

Related: The best credit cards to reach elite status

Earn through dining programs

Many major airlines and several hotel chains have dining rewards programs. To keep your loyalty accounts active simply by earning points or miles at participating restaurants, all you need to do is link a credit card to the dining program of your choice and use that card at one of the thousands of participating restaurants nationwide.

When you dine in, order takeout or pay at the counter, you'll typically earn points or miles on that transaction — as long as the card is charged directly by the restaurant. (Third-party delivery platforms like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub don't usually qualify because the merchant code doesn't pass through as a participating restaurant.)

In most cases, rewards post within a week; however, some programs can take up to 10–14 days.

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One important rule to consider: You can be a member of multiple dining programs, but you cannot enroll the same credit card in more than one program at a time. The Dining Rewards Network automatically assigns a card to the most recently added program, so there's no double- or triple-dipping with a single card.

What you can do is enroll different cards in different programs. For example, you might link your Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) to Alaska's Atmos Rewards Dining program (formerly Mileage Plan Dining) and then your American Express® Gold Card to the American Airlines AAdvantage Dining program.

If a participating restaurant is willing to split your check between the two cards, you'll trigger an earning activity — and therefore reset the expiration clock — for both loyalty programs.

Related: Best dining credit cards

Shop through the program's shopping portal

For many travelers, this is the easiest way to keep points and miles active: make a purchase through your airline or hotel loyalty program's online shopping portal.

Most major airline programs (and some hotel programs) partner with hundreds of retailers. When you start your shopping session through the portal and click to a participating merchant before checking out, you'll earn rewards on eligible purchases.

Any posted earning activity through the portal typically resets your expiration clock, depending on the program's rules.

Using shopping portals for your everyday online purchases can help you earn rewards quickly. To maximize your return, use a shopping portal aggregator (such as Cashback Monitor) to compare which program is offering the highest earning rate before you shop.

Related: The beginner's guide to airline shopping portals: How to earn bonus points and miles

Transfer points from a credit card or hotel program

Another easy way to keep many loyalty accounts active is to use a transferable credit card to transfer rewards to a partner airline or hotel program.

Programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards allow you to move points to a wide range of airline and hotel partners. In most cases, any amount of transferred points that posts to your loyalty account will reset the expiration clock. Since partners typically require transfers in increments of 1,000 points, you should only move the minimum amount needed.

However, there are exceptions. For example, with Air France-KLM Flying Blue, transfers do reset the expiration timer, but only for the rewards you just transferred. Previously earned miles keep their original two-year expiration date unless you have elite status or hold an eligible cobranded card.

If you don't currently have a transferable points card, it may be worth adding one. These programs provide valuable flexibility because you can transfer points to multiple travel partners, book the awards you want and keep your loyalty accounts active.

You can also transfer points from select hotel loyalty programs to airline partners. Programs such as Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors and Wyndham Rewards all offer airline transfer options. Just keep in mind that many hotel programs have less-than-favorable exchange rates, and transfers can take weeks to process.

Related: Current credit card transfer bonuses

Donate to charity

If you're short on time and need to generate quick activity, donating miles to charity is an easy way to keep your account active.

Many programs — including American Airlines and British Airways, among others — allow you to donate your points or miles to various nonprofit partners. Minimum donation amounts typically start around 1,000 miles, and the miles are usually deducted from your account immediately after you confirm the transaction.

Because the deduction posts right away, this activity generally resets the expiration clock on your remaining balance. It's a fast and reliable option if your miles are set to expire in the next few days or weeks.

Related: How you can donate your points and miles to charity

Take a flight or complete a stay

If you're unsure about what counts as a qualifying activity, taking a paid flight or completing a hotel stay is one of the most reliable ways to keep your points or miles from expiring.

Most major airline and hotel programs treat both earning and redeeming rewards as eligible activities. That means flying on the airline (or an eligible partner) or staying with the hotel chain will typically reset your expiration clock once the points or miles from that activity post to your account — usually a few days after your flight or checkout.

Keep in mind that not every program recognizes all forms of activity the same way, and some programs' points never expire at all. But in general, actual travel activity is one of the most universally accepted ways to keep your account active.

Related: Best ways to earn airline miles: From online shopping to credit cards

How to reinstate expired points and miles

Everything above is geared toward keeping your points and miles active — but what if they've already expired?

While it may feel like a "too bad, so sad" situation, you may still have options. Several airlines and hotel programs allow members to reinstate expired points or miles, usually for a fee. Whether it's worth paying depends on the value of the amount of points you lost and what they're worth toward your future travel plans.

If you're unsure of a program's expiration policy, it's always worth speaking with a customer service representative. Agents sometimes have discretion to restore recently expired points, especially if the expiration was recent or you've been a loyal member. There's no guarantee, but a polite request can go a long way.

For the best shot at success, try calling during non-peak hours, when phone agents are less overwhelmed with rebooking or cancellation calls.

Related: How to reach airline customer service quickly

Bottom line

There are plenty of easy ways to keep your points and miles active — from earning through dining or shopping portals to transferring a small number of points. Most programs only require a bit of qualifying activity to keep your balance alive, and staying proactive can save you from losing rewards you've worked hard to earn.

A small action now can preserve your points and miles for the redemptions you really want.