Finder makes money from featured partners, but editorial opinions are our own.

When do my frequent flyer and rewards points expire?

From Qantas to Velocity, discover when your reward points expire and what you can do to keep them longer.

If you’ve been hoarding and building up your points balance to redeem your dream reward, make sure you keep your eye on the expiry date. Many frequent flyer and credit card reward points expire after some time. And once the points have expired, you usually can’t get them back. This guide lists the expiration details of some of Australia’s favourite frequent flyer, credit card rewards and supermarket loyalty programs, including when they expire and what you can do to prevent it from happening.

Frequent flyer programs

ProgramWhen do points expire?Terms and conditions
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Qantas_200x100_logo_23_jan_2018
After 18 months of inactivity.Activity excludes family transfers or conversion of points from the Qantas Business Rewards program.
Velocity Frequent Flyer
VelocityFF_200x100_logo_23_jan_2018
After 24 months of inactivity.Activity excludes transferring points and family pooling.
Etihad Guest
Etihad_Guest_200x100_23_jan_2018
After 18 months of inactivity.Membership is not transferable and is only open to individuals.
Emirates Skywards
Emirates_Skywards_200x100_23_jan_2018
After 3 years from the date of travel. Within the calendar year that your miles are due to expire, they’ll be removed from your account at the end of your birthday month. So if you earned miles in March 2017 and your birthday is in June, the miles will expire on 30 June 2020.Membership is not transferable and automatically terminated on the death or bankruptcy of a member.
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
SingaporeAirlines_200x100_23_jan_2018
After 3 years from the equivalent month when miles were earned.You are able to get a 6- to 12-month extension for a fee. Oldest miles are used first. You can also transfer your miles to Velocity if there’s a risk of expiry.
Air New Zealand
AirNZ_200x100_logo
After 4 years of inactivity. Points over 4 years old expire on your membership anniversary. The oldest points expire first.
British Airways Executive Club
BritishAirways_200x100_logo
Avios miles expire after 36 months of inactivity.As well as earning and redeeming Avios miles, you can purchase between 1,000 and 35,000 Avios to reset the 36-month period.
American Airlines AAdvantage
American_Airlines_AA_200x100_logo
After 24 months of inactivity.You can pay a reactivation fee within 24 months of expiry to reactivate points.
Delta SkyMiles
Delta_SkyMiles_200x100_logo
No expiry.N/A.

Credit card rewards programs

ProgramDo points expire?Terms and conditions
CommBank Awards
Commbank_200x100_logo_4_dec_2020
No expiry.Points will only expire if a member leaves the program.
NAB Rewardsnab-200x100Yes, points expire 3 years from when the points were earned.If you close your account, you have 60 days to use any points in your balance before they expire.
ANZ Rewards
ANZ Insurance
Points expire after 3 years at the end of the year in which the points were earned.Once closing your account, you have 90 days to use your points.
American Express Membership Rewards
AMEX_membership_rewards_200x100
No expiry.N/A
Citi Rewards
citi_200x100_logo
No expiry.N/A
HSBC Rewards
hsbc
After 3 years from when the points were earned.Points will also be forfeited if you close your account and have points remaining in your account.
Westpac Altitude
westpac-200x100
No expiry.Points don’t expire as long as your account is open.

Finder survey: How many Australians have been unable to redeem their frequent flyer points?

Response
No65.08%
Yes34.92%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1113 Australians, December 2023

Supermarket loyalty programs

ProgramDo points expire?Terms and conditions
Flybuys
flybuys-image-logo
Yes, points expire after 12 months of inactivity.You can track your account activity via your online account.
Everyday Rewards
woolworths_rewards_200x100_logo
Yes, after 18 months of inactivity.You can track your account activity via your online account.

What can I do to prevent my reward points from expiring?

woman_holding_tablet_and_creditcard_Shutterstock

Although many reward points are subject to expiry, here are a few ways you can keep your account active to avoid forfeiting your hard-earned rewards:

  • Redeeming for smaller rewards. If you don’t have enough points to redeem your ideal reward or you don’t have any travel plans, you can use the points to redeem small rewards such as gift cards or products from the rewards store to avoid expiry. That way you’re not blowing all of your points on a big reward but are also keeping your account active.
  • Top up points balance. If your points are about to expire and you’d prefer not to spend them just yet, you can also top up your account to keep it active. For example, if your Qantas Points are about to expire, you could make an everyday purchase with a partnered retailer or shop via the Qantas Mall to pick up more points. That way you’re not forking out for something like a flight but can still save your points from expiring.
  • Set up calendar reminders. Setting up a calendar reminder on your phone or in your diary regarding when your points are due to expire ensures that you will use them before they are set to expire.

Most reward points are subject to expiry, so knowing when and how they’re forfeited can save you from missing out on potential rewards. Unfortunately, once your points are gone, there is no getting them back. So make sure you’re keeping your points account active and keep an eye on those expiry dates to make the most out of your loyalty program.

Pictures: Shutterstock

Sally McMullen's headshot
Written by

Producer

Sally McMullen was a creative content producer at Finder. Sally wrote about credit cards for almost 5 years, authoring almost 900 articles on Finder alone. She has also been published in Yahoo Finance, Dynamic Business, Financy and Mamamia, as well as Music Feeds and Rolling Stone. Sally has a Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies majoring in Journalism (Hons) from the University of Wollongong. See full bio

More guides on Finder

Ask a question

You are about to post a question on finder.com.au:

  • Do not enter personal information (eg. surname, phone number, bank details) as your question will be made public
  • finder.com.au is a financial comparison and information service, not a bank or product provider
  • We cannot provide you with personal advice or recommendations
  • Your answer might already be waiting – check previous questions below to see if yours has already been asked

Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms Of Service and Finder Group Privacy & Cookies Policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

2 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    AndrewMay 13, 2024

    I am receiving reminders to use our Flybuy points – is it possible to lose them – we shop weekly and want to save our points for Christmas?

      AvatarFinder
      SarahMay 13, 2024Finder

      Hi Andrew,

      As long as you collect or redeem points at least once every 12 months, your points will not expire. It sounds like they are sending you automated reminders, but there’s no cause for concern. If you have any concerns you can contact Flybuys on 13 11 16.

Go to site