Million Mile Secrets reader, Juli, writes:
I am so upset and need your advice!I had 313,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points. I cancelled a Chase Ink card, and now my balance is only 130,935. I thought once you had the points in your Chase Ultimate Rewards bank, they were safe?
I told Chase I would be willing to reinstate the card, or do whatever I needed to do to get the points back.
What do you think I should do?
I am almost sick with the thought of losing ~182,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points!
So sorry to hear you lost your points Juli!!! 182,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth at least $1,820, so I understand why you’re upset. I do have some tips that may help.
What went wrong and can Juli get her Chase Ultimate Rewards points back?
How Did Juli Lose ~182,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points?
Link: You Can Lose Chase Ultimate Rewards Points When You Cancel Your Card
One of the great things about Chase Ultimate Rewards points is they never expire. But Chase will take away your points if you close your card that you earned the Chase Ultimate Rewards points with such as:
| Personal Cards | Business Cards |
|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | Chase Ink Business Preferred |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card |
| Chase Sapphire (No Longer Available to New Applicants) | |
| Note: Points earned from the Chase Freedom, Freedom Unlimited, Sapphire, and Ink Business Cash cards can only be transferred to travel partners if you also have a Chase Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, Ink Business Preferred, Ink Plus, or Ink Bold card. |
This is likely what happened to Juli. And Juli isn’t alone. This is a mistake even some of the most experienced in this hobby can make. Check out Frequent Miler’s post where the same thing happened to him.
What Can She Do Now?
The best thing to do is to get in-touch with Chase right away, by calling the number on the back of your card. And Juli has already started this process.
If calling doesn’t work, other folks have had success with contacting Chase on Twitter. And Frequent Miler met with a Chase representative who was able to get his points back.
How Can You Avoid Losing Your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points?
The easiest way to make sure you don’t lose your Chase Ultimate Rewards points is to transfer your points to a card you plan to keep.Here’s how it works:
Step 1 – Sign-In & Check Your Point Balances
Log onto your Chase account and select “Go to Ultimate Rewards.”
Then you’ll see how your Chase Ultimate Rewards points are divided up.
Step 2 – Click on the Card You Plan to Cancel & Select Combine Points
If there are points in your account, select the card you plan to cancel. Then click on “Combine Points” from the drop down menu.
3. Select the Number of Points & Where You Want to Transfer Them
Next, choose the account where your want to transfer your points.
Then enter the number of points you’d like to transfer.
4. Confirm Your Transfer
You’ll see what your new balances will be after the transfer.
Then you’ll get a confirmation page.
Other ways to prevent losing your Chase Ultimate Rewards points include:
- Transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to a travel partner such as United Airlines or Hyatt
- Book travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
- Redeem your points for a statement credit
Bottom Line
Folks sometimes forget that if you don’t transfer or redeem your points before you close your Chase Ultimate Rewards card, you’ll lose your points.
And if this mistake happens to you, try getting in-touch with Chase by calling the number on the back of your card, tweeting Chase Support, or dropping by the local branch. Many folks have been successful in getting Chase to reinstate their points.
Good luck Juli! I hope you get your points back!