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Do Chase Ultimate Rewards points expire? Here’s what you need to know

  • Joseph Hostetler

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    For many of us in the miles and points hobby, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are our favorite flexible rewards. Using Chase points is extremely easy, and a number of the best credit cards for travel earn Chase Ultimate Rewards. We’re often asked, “Do Chase Ultimate Rewards points expire?”

    In short, Chase Ultimate Rewards points won’t expire as long as your credit card account stays open. For example, if you earn a welcome bonus from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, and then close the card before using your points, they’ll be gone forever.

    That might seem restrictive, but there’s a workaround, which I’ll explain below.

    Chase Ultimate Rewards points don’t expire if you keep your card open. (Photo by SimonDannhauer/iStock)

    Chase Ultimate Rewards points expiration policy

    You will forfeit Chase Ultimate Rewards points if you close your credit card account before using them. The trick to keeping them alive is to pool Chase Ultimate Rewards points into another Chase Ultimate Rewards account.

    Let’s say you have both the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred cards and you decide you no longer want to pay two annual fees. You can move the Ultimate Rewards you earned with the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card to your Sapphire Preferred account, then close your Ink Business Preferred without losing your points.

    Another method is to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to one of Chase’s transfer partners, like Hyatt or United Airlines, before closing your credit card.

    Cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points

    Chase Ultimate Rewards are great for many reasons, one being that it’s easy to earn Chase points. There are many cards you can use to earn points, including:

    The information for the Chase Freedom has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

    One of my favorite Ultimate Rewards cards is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. For me, Chase’s Ultimate Rewards points policy has never been an issue because I happily keep the card open year after year.

    I used the annual travel credit from my Chase Sapphire Reserve card to help offset the cost of a stay at this stunning resort in Thailand. (Photo by Meghan Hunter)

    My favorite Chase Sapphire Reserve perks include a credit of up to $300 for travel purchases, which I receive on my cardmember anniversary, and the fact that my Ultimate Rewards points are worth more because I’m a Sapphire Reserve cardholder.

    By using the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, I can book flights, hotels and rental cars for less with points linked to my Chase Sapphire Reserve. That’s because points are worth 1.5 cents each when you redeem for travel through the Chase portal.

    If you’d like to learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve, check out our full review here. And subscribe to our newsletter for more miles and points info delivered to your inbox!

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)