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Do credit card reward points expire?

Many cards let points lapse after one to three years. What the bank documents say across 230 Indian cards, and how to check yours before points disappear.

By Saifu team · 6 October 2026 · 2 min read · Reviewed by Chandan Kumar Dash

Reward points feel like money in the bank, but on many cards they come with a deadline. If you collect points for a big redemption and forget the deadline, part of the pile can quietly disappear.

What the bank documents say

Saifu keeps the rules of each card, taken from the bank's own product page, most important terms and conditions (MITC) and reward terms. Across the 230 cards we have checked against those documents:

• 2 years: 101 cards
• 3 years: 23 cards
• 1 year: 9 cards
• No expiry stated in our records: 97 cards

The last group is not a promise that points last forever. It includes cashback cards where the reward is credited to your account, and cards whose documents do not give a period. The card's own terms are the only safe answer.

Where the clock starts

The period usually runs from the date the points were earned, not from the date you last used the card. Points earned in January and points earned in November can therefore expire at different times. Some banks list the next batch of expiring points on the statement or in the rewards portal. Others do not, so look for it.

What to do

1. Find your card's rule. Open the card's page on Saifu for the expiry period we have on record, then confirm it in your bank's reward terms.
2. Check your balance by expiry date. Most reward portals show points that expire this month or next.
3. Redeem the oldest points first. A small redemption, such as a voucher or a statement credit, is better than losing the points.
4. Compare the redemption value before you spend. The same points can be worth very different amounts as a statement credit, a voucher or a flight. The points value tool shows the rupee value per point for each card.
5. Do not spend to chase points. Interest on an unpaid balance costs far more than the rewards you earn.

Sources

• AU Small Finance Bank: CheQ credit card rewards terms
• AU Small Finance Bank: most important terms and conditions.pdf)
• SBI Card: most important terms and conditions

Card terms change. Check the bank's own page before you rely on a figure here. Posts never contain referral or affiliate links from the writer.

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