When points expire: the clock for 11 loyalty programs

Points do not vanish with a warning. They simply stop being there, on a date set by rules you accepted when you joined. The rules differ a lot between programmes, and several have changed in the last few years, so the number you half remember may be wrong. This guide gives the clock for eleven programmes as each one publishes it, then a routine that costs almost nothing.

The clock for each programme

One correction matters more than the rest. Plenty of older guides say Hilton points expire after 12 months. Hilton's help centre and member terms now say 24 consecutive months, and they list what keeps the account alive. If you plan around a guide that is two years old, you may spend effort for no reason, or worse, assume the opposite about another programme.

Four kinds of clock

• Activity clock

  The timer restarts whenever the account has a qualifying event. Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, Asia Miles, Avios and AAdvantage work this way. One small event resets the whole balance.

• Calendar clock

  Every batch of miles has its own date, counted from the month it was earned. ANA and JAL work this way, and nothing you do afterwards extends it.

• Status clock

  Your level decides. IHG Club points expire after 12 months, Elite points do not, and an ANA Diamond member's miles stay valid for as long as the status lasts.

• No clock

  Delta and United say their miles do not expire. The account can still be closed for fraud or breaking the rules, so keep your details current.

What counts as activity

The activity differs from one programme to the next, and some of the common assumptions are wrong.

• Hilton lists a stay, earning points with a Hilton Honors credit card, earning or redeeming with a partner, buying or donating points and registering for a promotion.

• Marriott counts earning points or miles, redeeming points and buying points at least once every 24 months. Five years of inactivity can get the account deactivated.

• IHG wants one earn or redeem transaction posted every 12 months for Club members. The free anniversary night on an IHG card is explicitly not enough, and a stay has to move your balance, up or down, to count.

• Hyatt counts earning, redeeming and completing the stay, gifting, converting to a partner, buying or combining points, or having a linked Hyatt card. A cancelled or no-show award reservation does not count.

• Asia Miles extend by 18 months from the date of your last credit or debit, not from the date of the activity itself.

A routine that takes ten minutes a year

1. 1

   List the programmes you hold

   Write down each programme, the balance, the date of the last activity and the length of the clock. The expiry date is the last activity plus the clock. For ANA and JAL, check the date on each batch of miles instead.

2. 2

   Put a reminder six months before

   A calendar entry at the halfway point of the shortest clock gives you time to act without paying a premium. For IHG that is month six. For the 24-month programmes, month eighteen.

3. 3

   Pick the cheapest qualifying event

   Earning through a partner, a shopping portal or a card you already hold usually costs nothing. A hotel credit card counts for Hilton and Hyatt, which is one reason a no-fee card can be worth keeping. Redeeming a small award also counts everywhere.

4. 4

   Check the points you cannot refresh

   For ANA and JAL, spend the oldest batches first. For bank points such as Chase, Amex or Citi, remember they depend on the card account staying open. Move them to a partner before you close it, as transferable points explains.

When the balance is gone

Marriott and Hyatt both write in their terms that forfeited points cannot be reinstated, and Hilton says a member may not retrieve them. Some programmes will help after a hardship or a mistake, but nothing in the published terms promises it. The reliable fix is the reminder, not the appeal.

This guide was reviewed on 10 October 2026 against each programme's own pages. American Airlines has two versions of its rule on the web: older text says 18 months, and the terms effective 1 March 2026 say 24. When two pages disagree, believe the one with the later date and keep a screenshot of it.