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Chase Ultimate Rewards® points are a highly sought-after point system that connects a number of Chase credit cards. Ultimate Rewards points value is a minimum of $0.01 per point, and its buying power can be increased based on how you redeem the rewards, making it one of the most attractive credit card rewards systems. With valuable points, the goal is to always keep earning to be able to reap big rewards.
However, there is always a lingering concern that those points could expire. This concern is valid as there is quite a range of expiration dates. Most airline and hotel-based travel rewards have an expiration ranging anywhere from 12 months to 36 months. Of course, some never expire.
Do Chase Ultimate Rewards points expire?
Ultimate rewards on your account do not expire as long as your account is open and you stay in good standing with Chase. The Ultimate lives up to its name – it sits amongst the points that will never expire.
Tip: you can earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. One of the best credit cards for travel miles.
How do I keep my Chase Ultimate Rewards from expiring?
The dreaded point expiration or loss comes about when your account closes. If your account closes, then your points will immediately expire, and there is no way to recover them. To avoid this misfortune, you simply have to ensure that your account stays open.
Be sure to pay any applicable annual fees on the card and pay your balance according to the terms of the card. In addition, be sure not to abuse or misuse the points program. Don’t be a fraudster, as any of these actions could, of course, cause the closure of your account.
Another obvious one is to avoid personal bankruptcy. That will do you no good with your lenders and your points will disappear, though that might be low on your list of concerns in that case.
You may also want to intentionally close your Chase credit card if you are trying to take advantage of a different bonus offer or rewards system and want to limit your active cards. If so, you simply need to redeem your points before closing your account OR combine them with another Ultimate Rewards account.
Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for cash, travel, or gift cards through online redemption. Keep in mind that if you’re looking to take it out directly as cash, you may have to have at least 2,000 points to redeem.
Transferring Your Ultimate Rewards to a Travel Partner
You should also note that you are able to transfer your Ultimate Rewards to partner frequent travel programs. If you have your Ultimate Rewards in a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Ink Plus® Business Card account, you will be able to transfer your points to United MileagePlus and many other transfer partners. However, airline and hotel loyalty programs often have expiration dates.
If you’re transferring points, you’re likely doing so for a reason. If you transfer and redeem your points, then there’s no concern. However, if you’re saving your points for a big trip in a couple of years, you’re better off keeping those points in your expiration-proof Ultimate Rewards balance.
Transferring to Another Chase Ultimate Rewards Card Holder
If you’d like to close your account but save the points, you can transfer the points to another Chase Rewards card you own or to your spouse or common-law partner. If your points are in good standing, you can transfer them and they won’t expire.
Of course, we need to consider the fact that rewards companies can change their policies at any time.
Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Chase offers three personal cards (also some of the best rewards credit cards) that can collect Ultimate Rewards.
The most popular option is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, particularly for travelers. You can earn 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining and 1 point on everything else.
The information for the Chase Freedom Unlimited® has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® comes with the ability to earn unlimited:
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases
- 1.5% cash back on all other purchases
For people who don’t like to follow categories and aren’t traveling much, this card is a good option to earn points that can be saved for a long time, if needed, without the worry of expiry. There isn’t even an annual fee with this card that could provide an account hiccup.
New Chase Freedom Unlimited® cardholders can enjoy unlimited matched cash back! Use the card for all purchases and at the end of the first year, Chase will automatically match all the cash back earned! There is no limit to how much can be earned. Every dollar in cash back rewards earned is a dollar Chase will match.
Conclusion
The delightfully simple answer to the question “Do Chase Ultimate Rewards points expire” is: no. Chase Ultimate Rewards points do not expire as long as you keep your card account open. If you maintain your Chase credit card, you maintain your points. By keeping your account open, paying your annual fee, and following the payment terms, you’ll have an ongoing collection of points.
These points are handy to collect over time, as you may want to cash in for a certain big trip with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Or, you may follow categories and spend big only once or twice a year on the categories that fit well with your interests with the Freedom Unlimited card. Or, you may choose to stick with reliable cash back earning with the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card.
In any of these scenarios, the freedom from expiration concerns is a big bonus in Chase’s own reward system.
