Maturity & Expiry
When points become spendable and when they stop — precedence and FIFO
Two clocks govern every earned point: when it unlocks (the waiting period) and when it lapses (the use-by date). Both are policies you choose — per rule, with tenant-wide defaults under Settings → Accrual — and both can be any duration.
The Waiting Period
Newly earned points can be held locked for a time — typically so order returns can be absorbed before points become spendable. The customer sees them as "not yet unlocked".
Where it comes from | Your options | Wins when |
|---|---|---|
The earning rule | Any duration — hours, days, weeks | Always — most specific |
The tenant default | Any duration | The rule does not set one |
Neither | — | Points unlock the moment they land |
Referral milestones can carry a waiting period of their own, on top of the program's release setting — see Events & Rewards.
The Use-By Date
Every earned point carries a use-by date, stamped the moment it is earned:
Where it comes from | Your options | Wins when |
|---|---|---|
The earning rule | Any duration — 30 days for a promotion, 2 years for a premium program | Always — most specific |
A bonus or adjustment's own date | Set by the staff member granting it | Always, for that grant |
The tenant default | Any duration | Nothing more specific applies (one year if you never configure it) |
- Past the date, points stop being spendable and move into the customer's lifetime expired total — the books stay balanced.
- Customers can be warned before it happens: the points-expiring reminder carries the amount and the date — see Notifications.
Rule beats default — by design
Oldest Points Are Spent First
When a customer redeems, their oldest points go first — so they automatically use their soonest-to-expire points before newer ones. Fewer "my points vanished" conversations, and refunded points slot back in with their original dates.
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