Introduction
Points expiration in a loyalty program encourages customers to spend their points sooner by creating a sense of urgency. It prevents them from accumulating too many points without using them, while encouraging active and regular participation.
By setting a deadline for using points, you boost customer engagement and drive an increase in their purchase frequency.
Expiration methods
You have 4 mutually exclusive expiration methods: only one can be active at a time.
1. Sliding period: each point expires after a fixed number of months from the moment it was earned (e.g. 3, 6, 12 or 24 months after being obtained). The oldest points are spent first (FIFO, batch by batch) and the balance is never negative. This is the most effective method for driving repeat purchases: each member holds several batches of points with their own expiration date, which keeps the urgency to come back alive throughout the year.
Example: Sliding period (12 months)
Each batch expires 12 months after being earned. The 100 points earned on January 1, 2026 expire on January 1, 2027; the 50 points earned on June 1, 2026 expire on June 1, 2027. If the customer spends 80 points, the oldest ones go first (FIFO): they are left with 20 points from the January batch (expiring January 2027) + 50 points from June (expiring June 2027).
2. Inactivity period: points expire after an inactivity period of 3, 6, 12 or 24 months. A reminder email is sent to customers 60 days before their points expire.
💡 The inactivity period is reset when points are redeemed for a reward (excluding VIP tiers), when a mission is completed, when a purchase is made with points, or when a referral is validated.
Example: Inactivity period (e.g. 12 months)
As long as the customer stays active, their points are kept. If they have no qualifying activity for 12 consecutive months, all of their points expire. An action such as a purchase, a completed mission or a points redemption resets the inactivity counter to zero.
3. Fixed date: all points expire on a specific date that you choose. The expiration date appears on the loyalty page when the customer is logged in.
Example: Fixed date (December 31, 2026)
No matter when they were earned, all points expire on the same date. The 100 points from January and the 50 points from June both expire together on December 31, 2026. The customer sees this date on their loyalty page when logged in.
4. No limit: your members' points never expire.
🚫 Points expiration and VIP tier expiration are two completely separate settings. The configuration and impact of points expiration have no effect on VIP tier expiration, and vice versa. Each is managed independently.
Setup
1. Go to Settings - Program, then to the Points expiration section. The currently active method is displayed (e.g. "No limit"). Click Edit to open the configuration window.
2. In the Points expiration window, select one of the 4 methods (Sliding period, Inactivity period, Fixed date, No limit). Depending on the method chosen, an additional field appears: the duration before expiration (6, 12 or 24 months) for the sliding and inactivity periods, or the date picker for the fixed date.
3. The Impact on your customers panel lets you preview the effect in real time before applying.
⚠️ Important:
• Points already earned: once the expiration method is set up, existing points will expire according to the duration you defined, counted from the day you apply the expiration. For example, if you choose a 6-month expiration, your customers' existing points will expire 6 months after the day you set up the expiration.
• Future points: the rule applied to the next points earned (e.g. "Each point will expire 6 months after being earned").
⚠️ Setting an expiration method is an irreversible action once applied. A two-step confirmation is required (the "Confirm 1/2" button). Take the time to carefully review the impact preview before confirming — if in doubt, your CSM is here to help.
Tracking expiration on the customer profile
You can view the points expiration details for each member from their profile. Go to Users, open a customer's profile, then in the Points panel click See more.
A Points Details window opens and shows, for each batch of points: the number of points, their status (e.g. Available), the obtained date and the expiration date. This is especially useful with the sliding period, where each batch has its own expiration date.
