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- Hilton points used to expire after 15 months of inactivity.
- Hilton has permanently extended this expiration window to 24 months.
- Even if you’re unable use your Hilton points by 24 months, there are several ways to keep them alive indefinitely.
- Read Insider’s guide to the best Hilton credit cards.
There are two off-putting characteristics that I hear from friends and family members about earning credit card rewards:
- Airline miles and hotel points are too difficult to use
- Travel rewards will probably expire before they can be used
Neither of these things is true.
Concerning the first point, check out our points and miles beginner’s guide if you’re overwhelmed by the world of free travel. You’ll have a better understanding of the hobby after just a few minutes of reading.
As for the second point, it’s true that most travel rewards do expire. But it often takes years — and there are extremely simple steps you can take to prolong their validity.
Read more: Do credit card points and miles expire?
Additionally, airline and hotel loyalty programs have become more generous with the expiration of their points. Hilton has permanently extended their points expiration by nine months.
Hilton Honors point expiration extended
Regular APR
15.74%-24.74% Variable
Credit Score
Good to Excellent
Featured Reward
130,000 points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of card membership. Plus, earn an additional 50,000 points after spending $10,000 total on purchases in the first 6 months
Pros
- High welcome bonus
- Complimentary Hilton Gold elite status
- Generous bonus categories for earning points
Cons
- Weekend night reward requires spending $15,000 on the card in a year
- Not much in the way of complimentary benefits beyond Hilton Gold status
- Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Plus, you can earn an additional 50,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend a total of $10,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months.
- Earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
- Earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
- Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
- Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year.
- $95 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
Until now, Hilton points had expired after 15 months of inactivity — that is, if you didn’t earn or redeem any Hilton points for 15 months, you would lose your points.
Now, your Hilton account can stagnate for 24 months before your points will disappear. This is a significant extension, likely made in the wake of coronavirus’ effect on the travel industry. Many have been postponing travel plans until restrictions loosen, and Hilton doesn’t want you to lose its points.
Read more: How to earn, redeem, and maximize Hilton points
Even if a 24-month window is narrow enough to discourage you from earning Hilton points, keep in mind that there are plenty of very easy ways to keep your points from expiring.
How to keep Hilton points from expiring
By earning even a single Hilton point, you’ll reset the expiration date on your points. You can earn points by:
The most popular way to keep points alive is by spending on Hilton credit cards like the Hilton Honors American Express Card. At the very least, swipe it for a pack of gum every 23 months and your points will never expire.
Read more: How to use transferable points to keep your other miles and points from expiring
Keep your points alive by redeeming Hilton points
Your Hilton stash can also be preserved by redeeming a single Hilton point. Whether you book a Hilton hotel or redeem a point online through Amazon for a purchase, your expiration date will reset after the points leave your account.
Bottom line
Hilton points are a worthwhile investment of your time. They’re easy to earn, and very useful; Hilton hotels are all over the world in many places that other hotel chains like Hyatt can’t be found.
Hilton points now won’t expire until after 24 months of inactivity. If that’s not long enough for you, there are plenty of truly effortless ways to extend the expiration indefinitely.
60,000 points
Good to Excellent
Featured Reward
3 free nights (each valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases and 10x total points on eligible purchases in select categories
Credit Needed
Good to Excellent
Featured Reward
$200 after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Credit Needed
Good to Excellent