The biggest travel rewards mistakes and how to avoid them

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While earning travel rewards helps you unlock value perks like free flights, hotel stays, and tours, even seasoned point collectors make mistakes. Unfortunately, big slip-ups can mean missing out on the best redemptions, losing rewards, losing money, or all of the above.

What are the biggest travel rewards mistakes people make? And, what steps can you take to avoid them? We break down the biggest dos and don'ts of the travel rewards game below.

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The best rewards and travel credit cards offer generous sign-up bonuses, but only if you meet the minimum spending requirement within a set timeframe. Missing this target can mean missing out on hundreds (or thousands) of dollars in rewards, yet it's fairly easy to do if you don't track your spending during the first few months after account opening.

How to avoid it: Plan your spending in advance, time large purchases strategically and track your progress carefully to ensure you hit the threshold. More importantly, avoid signing up for welcome bonus offers that require a higher spending threshold than you can reasonably handle.

Flexible points from programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, or the Citi ThankYou program can be incredibly valuable when transferred to travel partners. But transferring points without a strategy can lead to missed opportunities or devalued rewards. And since transfers are one-way (meaning you cannot change your mind), you should only transfer flexible points if you have a plan to use them right away.

How to avoid it: Research your transfer partners, plan your redemption in advance, and only transfer points when you're ready to make a partner booking.

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Some (but not all) loyalty programs let your points expire if you don't earn or burn any rewards within a specific time period. Losing points you’ve earned over months or years can be frustrating, especially if you put a lot of work into racking them up.

How to avoid it: Keep your accounts active by making small purchases, logging in periodically or using points before they expire. Additional moves like shopping through rewards portals or taking part in airline dining programs can help keep your points alive.

An award flight, free hotel stay, or car rental may look like a good deal on points, but if you don’t compare options, you could leave value on the table. If you wind up booking travel through your credit card's portal instead of comparing options through transfer partners, for example, you may wind up forking over more points than you need to.

How to avoid it: Compare multiple airlines, hotel chains, and redemption options each time you redeem rewards.

Even the most lucrative travel rewards are worthless if you’re paying interest on your credit card balance. This is especially true in today's economy since the average credit card interest rate is well over 20% — and since many cards charge even higher rates than that.

How to avoid it: Always pay your balance in full each month and avoid making extra purchases just to chase rewards. If you cannot afford to pay off your balance each month, you're better off skipping credit cards and paying with cash or a debit card instead.

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