Whether your points expire depends entirely on the program holding them, and the rules are not always obvious. Some points last as long as your account stays open and in good standing; others quietly run on a clock tied to activity. Knowing which kind you hold is how you keep from losing what you earned.
It depends on the program
There is no single rule. Many bank programs keep points alive as long as the account is open and active, while some airline and hotel programs expire points after a period of inactivity. The only reliable answer comes from your specific program's terms, not from a general assumption.
The role of activity
Where expiration is tied to inactivity, even a small qualifying action can often reset the clock. The risk is rarely time alone; it is time without movement. Keeping an account gently active is usually enough to keep points from lapsing.
Why closing a card complicates things
Points held with a card's own program can be affected when you close that card — a situation covered in "What happens to your points when you close a card." Knowing where your points live, and what keeps them alive, matters most right before any account change.
The simplest protection
The cleanest protection is the one we recommend anyway: redeem with reasonable promptness rather than hoarding, the argument in "Earn and burn vs. save the points." Points you have already used cannot expire on you.
Build a light habit
If you tend to hold points, set yourself an occasional reminder to check balances and keep accounts active. A few minutes now and then prevents the quiet, avoidable loss of rewards you worked to earn.
Expiration rules vary, but the defense rarely does: keep accounts active, know your program's terms, and redeem before a clock you forgot about runs out.
