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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.
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.
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.
Points over four years old will expire on the anniversary of you joining the program. The oldest points expire first. Expiry may also vary if you earn points through an eligible credit card (though these are typically issued by providers in New Zealand).
British Airways Executive Club
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
After 24 months of inactivity.
You can pay a reactivation fee within 24 months of expiry to reactivate points.
You can track your account activity via your online account.
What can I do to prevent my reward points from expiring?
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.
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.
With BP Rewards, you'll earn BP or Qantas Points for your fuel and other spending at participating BP locations in Australia – with fuel rewards and more.
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