Credit Card Points Expiry Rules for Every Major Indian Card (2026)

Losing credit card reward points to expiry is one of the most preventable financial mistakes in personal finance. Thousands of rupees worth of points evaporate every year for Indian cardholders who don’t realise their points have a shelf life — or who misunderstand when that shelf life begins.

Here’s an accurate, issuer-verified breakdown of expiry rules for every major Indian credit card program.

HDFC Reward Points

Expiry rule: 3 years from the date each batch of points was earned

This is the critical nuance with HDFC: points don’t all expire together. Each transaction’s points have their own expiry date, 3 years from when that transaction was made.

Example: You earned 500 RP on a purchase in June 2023 → those 500 RP expire in June 2026. You earned 300 RP in December 2023 → those 300 RP expire in December 2026.

How to check expiry dates: Log in to HDFC netbanking → Accounts → Credit Card → Reward Points. The statement will show points with their individual earn dates.

What triggers expiry: Nothing resets the 3-year clock. Regular use of the card does not extend expiry of previously earned points. Only redeeming or transferring before the expiry date prevents loss.

What happens at account closure: All unspent RP are forfeited immediately on closure. Ensure you redeem or transfer before closing your HDFC card.

Best practice: Set a calendar reminder 6 months before your oldest batch of RP expires. Transfer to KrisFlyer or Air India at that point if you haven’t already.

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SBI Card Reward Points

Expiry rule: 2 years from the date of earning

SBI Card Reward Points have a shorter expiry window than most competitor programs — only 2 years from the earn date. For someone who earned points in June 2024, those points expire in June 2026.

The 2-year window is manageable if you’re actively engaged with your card, but it’s shorter than you might expect. Light users who accumulate points slowly may find themselves with large balances expiring before they reach a useful redemption threshold.

Exception — SBI Cashback Card: The SBI Cashback Card credits cashback directly to your statement — there are no “points” to expire. Cashback is cash, and once credited, it reduces your outstanding balance. No expiry concern at all.

For other SBI Cards (SBI ELITE, SBI SimplyCLICK, SBI Prime, etc.) that earn RP, the 2-year expiry applies.

How to check: SBI Card netbanking or the SBI Card app → Rewards → Reward Points balance with earn dates.

Best practice: Redeem SBI points for statement credit, gift vouchers, or air miles well before the 2-year mark. For large balances, consider transferring to airline programs if available for your card variant.

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Axis EDGE Miles

Expiry rule: 3 years from the date of earning

Axis EDGE Miles follow the same pattern as HDFC RP: individual batches of miles expire 3 years from when they were earned.

Account inactivity policy: Additionally, if your Axis credit card account has no activity (no spend, no redemption) for an extended period (typically 12–18 months), the account may be closed — and with it, all EDGE Miles. Keep the account active with at least occasional use.

Transfer to airline programs: Once transferred to an airline (e.g., KrisFlyer), the airline’s own expiry rules apply. KrisFlyer miles expire after 36 months of account inactivity — any earn or redemption activity within those 3 years resets the clock. This makes KrisFlyer miles effectively much longer-lived than EDGE Miles for an actively travelling cardholder.

How to check: Axis Bank internet banking → Credit Cards → EDGE Miles balance. Filter by earn date to see which miles are oldest.

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American Express Membership Rewards

Expiry rule: Points never expire as long as the account is open

This is Amex’s standout differentiator — Membership Rewards points do not expire. You can accumulate for 5 years, 10 years, however long you hold the account, and the points will be there.

The only risk: If your Amex account is closed (voluntary or due to non-payment), all MR points are forfeited. This makes it especially important to transfer MR points to an airline program before closing an Amex card.

Account-level expiry: Amex periodically deactivates inactive accounts. If you’re not using your Amex card at all, make occasional purchases to keep the account in good standing.

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IDFC FIRST Bank Reward Points

Expiry rule: Points do not expire as long as the account is active

IDFC FIRST has adopted a no-expiry policy for active cardholders — similar to Amex’s approach. Your Reward Points accumulate indefinitely, provided your card account remains open and in good standing.

What “active” means: Typically, at least one transaction per year prevents the account from being flagged as dormant.

This makes IDFC FIRST Reward Points (and the IDFC FIRST Wealth card in particular) very low-maintenance from a points management perspective.

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Summary Table: Expiry Rules at a Glance

Issuer / Card	Points Expiry	Extends with Account Activity?	Notes
HDFC Reward Points	3 years from earn date	No — each batch has fixed expiry	Transfer before expiry
SBI Reward Points	2 years from earn date	No	Shorter window than most
SBI Cashback Card	No points — cash credited	N/A	No expiry risk
Axis EDGE Miles	3 years from earn date	Partially (account closure = forfeit)	Transfer to airline to extend
Amex MR Points	Never expire	Account must stay open	Best for long-term accumulation
IDFC FIRST RP	No expiry (active account)	Account must stay open	Low-maintenance
RBL Reward Points	2–3 years (varies by card)	Confirm with issuer	Check your specific card T&Cs

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What to Do When Points Are About to Expire

Option 1: Transfer to an airline program. KrisFlyer, Air India Flying Returns, and other programs have their own expiry rules (typically reset with account activity). Once transferred, you gain more time if you travel occasionally.

Option 2: Redeem for statement credit. Even if the value is poor (₹0.20–₹0.25/point), some value recovered is better than zero from expiry. Do this only as a last resort for points you can’t transfer.

Option 3: Redeem for gift vouchers. Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra vouchers typically offer ₹0.25–₹0.50/point — better than statement credit for HDFC and Axis.

Option 4: Make a small redemption to “use” the oldest points first. Most programs apply redemptions to the oldest points first (FIFO). A small redemption can clear about-to-expire points while preserving newer batches.

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Keeping Track: A Simple System

The mental load of tracking expiry dates across multiple card programs is manageable with a simple approach:

• HDFC and Axis: Check your annual RP statement once a year (usually available at year-end). Note the oldest batch of points and set a reminder 4 months before expiry.
• Amex: No action needed for expiry — just keep the account active.
• IDFC FIRST: No action needed — just keep the account active.
• SBI: Most actionable at 18 months from major earn events — plan redemptions before the 2-year mark.

The biggest mistake is ignoring points entirely and discovering a large balance has expired. A 30-minute annual review of your card reward balances prevents this entirely.