Companies May Sometimes Retain Your “Earned Points”
When you close your card, the immediate deletion of points is not a result of company policy; it is often due to an automatic point reset protocol that begins when you close the card. Systemically, your points may be reset in the background even while you are still on the phone with a customer service representative. For example, when you cancel your Chase card, Ultimate Rewards points are immediately deleted if you don't have another Chase card. This means you don't even have the opportunity to transfer the points to another card, let alone spend them.
American Express Membership Rewards points may be more forgiving, but only if you have an active MR card. The moment you cancel your last card, your points are gone. Banks have no obligation to customers in this regard. So it would be a mistake to assume that the points are yours just because you earned them. The duration of the benefits that come with the card is limited to the card's active life.
Real Ways to Recover Points
Transferring points to an airline or hotel loyalty program before canceling the card is the most well-known way to prevent loss. However, timing is critical here: While the transfer process is usually instantaneous, it can take 1-2 days in some systems. If the card is canceled during this period, the points may remain “in limbo” and be lost.
The loyalty program you transfer points to is also important. Some loyalty systems do not allow points to be transferred back. For example, Amex points transferred to Hilton Honors cannot be retrieved. Once transferred, they are locked into that program. Therefore, attempting to “save points” could result in a loss of value. Some card issuers offer an option to recover your old points when applying for a new card. However, this process does not happen automatically without contacting customer service. Moreover, it is often not offered to you; the system remains inactive until you request it.
Losing Points Can Be More Insidious Than Closing Your Card
Your points may already be at risk before you close your card. Some banks may secretly “expire” your points if there is no activity on the card for an extended period. They do not explicitly notify you via email; users only notice when they check their points.
Some loyalty programs may reset earned points if there is no activity for 12–18 months. So even if you don't close the card, not using it can result in point loss. In the Citi ThankYou program, for example, points are valid for 36 months, depending on the card type. This information is often overlooked, and users only notice after they lose their points.
Switch to a “Low-Fee” Alternative Before Canceling
Some credit card providers support switching to lower-annual-fee versions of premium cards that earn points. This method is called a “product change.” For example, if you switch from Amex Platinum to Amex Green, your points system remains active. This strategy eliminates the risk of closing the card, preserves points, and reduces the annual fee burden.
However, be cautious: Some switches may result in the loss of certain benefits and bonuses, meaning not just points but also privileges. The products available for switching vary by bank. Some banks only allow switching between cards within the same “points system.” For example, you can switch from Chase Sapphire Preferred to Freedom Flex, but not to United MileagePlus.
Talk to Customer Service About Recovering Points
Before you start the process of closing your card, it's important to talk to customer service and clearly state that you don't want to lose your points. Especially with premium cards, representatives may sometimes offer an extension or a temporary “hold” option. In some cases, instead of closing the card, they may offer a 30-60 day suspension period. During this period, you may be given the opportunity to spend or transfer your points. Although this information may not be included in company policies, a good representative may take the initiative to help you.
Strategic Timing to Minimize the Impact on Your Credit Score
Protecting your points is one thing, protecting your credit score is another. However, with the right strategy, both can be achieved. For example, canceling the card the day after the last payment date of the month you plan to close it can minimize both point loss and the impact on your credit score. Keeping another card open that does not earn points but has no annual fee can prevent damage to your credit history. Especially in FICO score calculations, card age accounts for 15% of the score.
There May Be a “Hidden Transfer Window” After Card Cancellation
Some users report being able to recover their points even a few days after canceling their cards. This may be due to a “hidden transfer window” caused by delays in the banks' systems. According to the experiences of some Capital One customers on forums, credit score transfers or recovery may be possible up to 48 hours after the card is closed. However, this is not guaranteed and depends entirely on the bank's system speed. Therefore, it is advisable to check your account for a few days after canceling your card and persistently contact customer service. Don't give up until the system says it's closed.
The “Point Transfer” Option May Be Negotiable When Applying for a New Card
If you apply for another card from the same bank shortly after closing your card, in some cases, your old points may be manually transferred to your new account. However, this is not automatic and is usually evaluated “upon request” and “case-by-case.” For example, some users who applied for a new Chase card within 30 days of canceling their Chase card reported that the customer service representative manually recovered their points. This is more likely to happen for loyal customers with multiple cards. In other words, if the bank considers you a “valued customer,” they may help you recover your points.
Points Status When Switching Cards (Product Change)
When switching cards (e.g., from a premium card to a card with no annual fee), your points do not disappear, but some transfer privileges may end immediately. For example, if you switch from Chase Sapphire Preferred to Freedom Unlimited, your Ultimate Rewards points remain, but you can no longer transfer these points to airline or hotel partners. This transfer privilege is exclusive to premium cards. So, even though the points technically remain, their usability is significantly reduced. If you want to transfer points, it makes more sense to use all of them before changing products.
Alternative Methods to Loyalty Program Rules
Some users transfer their points to a loyalty program and then use those points to make future reservations, effectively turning the points into something tangible in the real world. This is an unconventional but effective way to prevent point loss. For example, if you transfer Amex points to Delta and book a flight nine months in advance, the reservation will remain valid even if the card is canceled.
This method allows you to save points by turning them into a physical advantage. Similarly, using points transferred to Marriott or Hilton to book a hotel reservation converts the points into a real service and prevents them from being deleted from the system.
Preventing Point Loss During the “Waiting Period”
If you want to cancel your card but are not entirely sure, some banks offer the option to ‘hold’ the card. During this time, you cannot make purchases with the card, but the points are preserved and remain visible in the system. This is a lifeline for users who want to ”decide after using the points.”
However, not all banks offer this option, so you should specifically ask about it during your phone call. Some banks may extend this waiting period up to 30 days, during which you can transfer your points to the loyalty program of your choice.
Point Value Declines Over Time: Quick Decisions May Be Necessary
Some users enjoy accumulating points, but this isn't always a good idea. Some loyalty programs may reduce the value per point periodically. For example, Amex quietly reduced some airline transfer rates by 20% in recent years. This means that a ticket that previously cost 100,000 points now costs 125,000 points. So the question “Are the points still there, but at their old value?” is always relevant. That's why it pays to act quickly but sensibly before changing cards, as this will save you more in the long run.
The advantage of joint accounts: Transferring points to another user
Some banks allow points to be transferred between joint account holders. This feature often goes unnoticed, but it offers a major strategic advantage. For example, Chase allows free point transfers between people living in the same household. If you transfer the points to a family member's card immediately before canceling the card, the points will be preserved.
American Express, on the other hand, allows points to be transferred only to loyalty programs belonging to the cardholder, not to authorized users. Therefore, even if there is no point sharing between joint users, the points can be recovered through programs linked to the cardholder.
“Convert to Cashback” Strategy When Spending Points
Once you have finalized your card cancellation plan, if you cannot transfer your points, you can redeem them by converting them to cashback. With this method, the value per point may decrease, but it is better than nothing. Chase Ultimate Rewards points, for example, are worth 1.25 cents when transferred to travel, but only 1 cent when redeemed as cashback. So 100,000 points = $1,000 instead of $1,250. However, it's better than losing them altogether. It may be wise to consider this method as a last resort, especially if you don't have time to transfer your points or if you are about to lose access to valuable partners.
Use Point Loss as an Excuse to Get a Retention Offer
Some banks offer a retention offer when you indicate you want to cancel your card. These offers may include reducing the annual fee, granting additional points, or temporarily increasing benefits. If you tell the customer representative, “I'm undecided because I don't want to lose my points,” this increases the likelihood of receiving a retention offer. This method is particularly effective for premium cards.
For example, Amex Platinum cardholders who indicated that they did not want to pay the full annual fee but were reluctant to lose their points were able to receive $150-$300 in credit or 20,000-40,000 bonus points.
Verify Your Last Purchases Before Points Expire
Points earned from purchases made just before canceling your card are typically reflected after the billing cycle. If you close the card, you may lose these points without ever seeing them. Therefore, ensuring that points from your last few purchases before canceling the card have been reflected prevents significant point losses.
In some banks, the point reflection period can take 2-5 business days. If the cancellation process is initiated during this period, you will not earn points even if the amount you spent appears on your card statement. In short, cases where users think they have earned points but have not actually earned them are common.
Requesting Retroactive Points from a Closed Card
In rare cases, some users have been able to manually request points for past purchases by contacting customer service after closing their cards. This is only possible in very specific situations and for a short period of time. For example, with companies like Amex or Citi, if it has been 1-2 days since the card was closed and you haven't received points for your purchases, you can request them, and the points may be recredited to your account. However, detailed explanations and purchase receipts may be required for this process. This is more likely to be successful for high-value purchases or promotional point campaigns.
Point Risk for Those Who Upgrade Instead of Downgrade
Interestingly, some users experience point loss due to the automatic closure of their old cards when they apply for a higher-tier card without closing their current card. For example, when upgrading from Chase Sapphire Preferred to Sapphire Reserve, the system sometimes automatically closes the old card upon approval of the new card, causing the user to lose points without realizing it. Therefore, before upgrading, it is essential to either spend all points on the old card or transfer them to a backup Chase card.
The Risk of “Transferring and Wasting” Points in Partnership Programs
When you transfer your points to a loyalty program to save them, it may seem like everything is resolved. However, in some partner systems, points may be subject to more restricted usage. For example, points transferred from Amex Membership Rewards to the Avios system may not be usable on the British Airways website. Some users have discovered that they cannot use their points after transferring them due to “limited ticket options.”
Similarly, points transferred to Marriott only provide the highest value for “off-peak” reservations. When you close your card, you may lose access to these seasons. So, in trying to “save” your points, you risk devaluing them.
You're Better Off If Your Points Are Linked to Your Loyalty Account, Not Your Card
In some point systems, points are linked directly to your loyalty account, not the card. In this case, your points won't disappear even if the card is closed. For example, in systems like Hilton Honors or Delta SkyMiles, points earned through Amex are credited to your loyalty account independently of the card. Even if you cancel your Amex card, the points in your Hilton/Delta account remain untouched.
To take advantage of this, you need to transfer the points to your loyalty account while they are still in the card issuer's system. Otherwise, when the card is closed, the points will remain in the bank and be deleted.
Creating and Linking Your Loyalty Accounts in Advance Offers Advantages
Opening a loyalty account and linking it to your card before closing it allows you to transfer points in case of an emergency. If you don't do this in advance, you won't have the opportunity to quickly link the accounts during the cancellation process. For example, if you don't have an American Airlines account and are in the process of closing your card, the system won't offer you the option to transfer points.
The same applies to partner programs such as Marriott, Hilton, and Emirates. The best step is to make these matches as soon as you open the card, not to recover points, but to be able to use them when you have the chance.
Closed Cards May Remain “Temporarily Open” in the System
A rare but reported situation: After you close your card, some banks' systems may continue to show the card as active for 1-2 days. This provides temporary access to points. Some users have managed to log into the system during this time and convert their points to cashback or transfer them. However, this is not a right, but rather a system loophole. Most banks do not “officially” accept this access. However, user experience shows that this loophole is more common with cancellations that occur on weekends.
Closing Your Card Before Reaching the Spending Threshold: Risk of Losing Your Bonus
Bonuses from new card applications are typically credited as points after a certain spending threshold is met. However, if you close the card before reaching this threshold, the bonuses are considered unearned. For example, in promotions like “Spend $4,000 in the first 3 months and earn 60,000 points,” if you wait until the last day and cancel the card, those points are deleted from the system as if they were never earned.
Furthermore, even “customer service” cannot reverse this situation because the system has not activated the bonus. Therefore, deciding to cancel before the bonus earning process is complete can result in significant losses.
“Transfer Old Points” Offers with New Cards Are Rare But Possible
Sometimes when you open a new card, even if the option to transfer points from your previous card is not officially offered, you can request it manually through customer service. This is especially possible between two cards belonging to the same bank. For Citi ThankYou cards, some users have successfully transferred their old points to a new card by submitting an “advanced request.” This process typically depends on customer loyalty, spending history, and the representative's discretion. It doesn't always work, but it's worth trying.