How can I check whether a loyalty reward is expiring or restricted?

Don’t use a link in an unexpected message to check the claim. The FTC warns that texts about expiring rewards may be phishing attempts; it advises independently visiting the company’s website or app to see whether points are actually expiring. [S1]

Open the retailer’s official site or app yourself and look for your rewards balance or account notices. If you can’t find an expiration date there, use the provider’s official customer-service channel to ask. A message’s wording alone doesn’t confirm that your points are expiring.

Start with the current terms for the specific program, then check whether they address these separate points:

1. The expiration date or the event that starts an expiration period.
2. Which balance or reward the rule applies to.
3. Any conditions on earning, keeping, or using it.
4. Where and how the reward can be redeemed, if stated.

Copy the relevant wording and note when you checked it. Terms may explain the program generally without identifying what applies to a particular account or reward. If a date or restriction is unclear, ask the provider to confirm it for your reward rather than filling in the gap yourself.

Ask focused questions and request confirmation tied to the particular reward. For example:

“Please confirm whether the [reward or points balance] in my account expires. If so, what is the exact date and which balance does that date apply to? Are there limits on how I can use it, such as eligible purchases, redemption location, minimums, or other conditions? Please point me to the current terms that explain those limits.”

Treat examples like eligible purchases or minimums as questions, not as claims that your program has those restrictions. If the answer only repeats general terms, ask which rule applies to the reward you’re checking.

Use this reward terms worksheet. Fill in only what you can verify; leave uncertain items as questions.

Reward terms worksheet

• Retailer and program: [name]
• Reward or balance I’m checking: [description; avoid including unnecessary account details]
• Where I checked: [official website/app or current terms]
• Date I checked: [date]
• Expiration wording copied from the terms: [exact wording]
• Stated expiration date or event: [date/event, or “not clear”]
• Restrictions stated in the terms: [list, or “not found”]
• Questions for the provider: [specific questions]
• Provider’s answer and date: [brief notes]
• Still unresolved: [what needs confirmation]

Worked example, using placeholders: “Reward: [points balance]. Terms checked on [date]. Expiration wording: [wording]. Exact date: not clear. Ask: ‘Does this rule apply to my current balance, and what date should I use?’” The example doesn’t establish any retailer’s rules. A specific program’s expiration rules, restrictions, and account terms must come from its current terms and the provider’s confirmation. [S1]