Credit Card Reward Points Not Credited? How to Fix It

"I spent ₹40,000 on my card last month, but only a few hundred reward points showed up." If that sounds familiar, the first step is to match each transaction against your card's reward terms: most missing points turn out to be excluded categories, monthly caps or bonus points that post a month or two later. If a transaction should have earned points and did not, raise a request with the transaction details and escalate in writing if it is refused.

Missing points are usually not an error; they are the fine print. This guide shows how to tell the difference and how to recover points you are genuinely owed, as of October 2026. For how points compare with cashback and travel cards, see our pillar on cashback vs reward vs travel credit cards.

Why it happens

What the rules say (as of October 2026)

• Reward terms are set by the issuer. RBI does not fix earn rates, exclusions or point values. These are in the card's Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) and reward programme terms. Our guide on how credit card reward points work explains what to look for.
• Disclosure is mandatory. RBI's credit card directions require the MITC to be given to you and the terms to be transparent. Changes to charges can only apply prospectively, with at least one month's notice.
• No daily compensation. Unlike card closure (₹500 a day) or failed transactions (₹100 a day), there is no fixed RBI penalty for delayed reward points.
• Complaints still count. An issuer not honouring its own published reward terms is a service deficiency you can take to the grievance officer and then the RBI Ombudsman.

Step-by-step fix

First: check your own statement

1. Download the statement and the reward summary. Most statements show points earned, redeemed, expired and the closing balance.
2. List the transactions that should have earned points. Note the date, merchant name, amount and the merchant category if the app shows it.
3. Check the card's reward terms. Look for the exclusion list, monthly caps and the posting timeline for bonus points.
4. Check whether the spend was converted to EMI or later refunded.

Then: raise a request

5. Wait for the stated posting period for bonus, milestone or offer points. If the terms say 60 days, raise it on day 61.
6. Raise a "missing reward points" request through the card app, net banking or customer care. Give the transaction date, amount and merchant, and the reward rule you expected to apply. Ask for a reference number.
7. If the merchant code looks wrong, send a copy of the invoice showing what you bought. Issuers rarely change codes, but some credit points as a goodwill gesture.
8. Redeem points you already have if they are close to expiry. Our guide to credit card reward points expiry explains the common rules.

If it is refused or ignored

9. Write to the grievance redressal officer with the reference number, the terms you relied on and screenshots of the offer page if it was a promotion.
10. Escalate to the nodal officer if the grievance officer does not reply or does not explain why the points are not due.
11. File with the RBI Ombudsman at cms.rbi.org.in (helpline 14448) if there is no reply within 30 days or you are not satisfied. Under the Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026, in force from 1 July 2026, file within 90 days of the end of the issuer's 30-day reply period or its last reply, whichever is later. Filing is free.

Worked example: where did the points go?

Kavya's card earns 4 reward points per ₹150 spent, with rent and fuel excluded. In September she spent ₹40,000. All figures are illustrative.

What she expected: ₹40,000 ÷ ₹150 = 266 blocks (rounded down) × 4 = 1,064 points

What actually applied:

So 532 points was correct. At an assumed ₹0.25 per point on statement credit, that is 532 × ₹0.25 = ₹133. Had she redeemed at ₹0.50 a point through a better option, it would be ₹266. Our guide on reward point value calculation shows how to work out what your points are really worth.

Now suppose a ₹6,000 online purchase was coded by the merchant as "education" and earned nothing. That one is worth a request: 6,000 ÷ 150 = 40 blocks × 4 = 160 points, about ₹40 at the same value. The amount is small, but on a premium card with higher earn rates the same error can be worth much more.

One more check: rewards are only worth it if you pay the full bill. Interest on a ₹20,000 unpaid balance at about 3.5% a month is ₹700, plus ₹126 GST, which wipes out several months of points. See the effect in our credit card interest calculator.

Sample complaint

Subject: Reward points not credited on card ending [XXXX], statement dated [date]

Dear Sir/Madam,

The following transaction(s) on my card ending [XXXX] have not earned reward points as per the card's reward terms:

• [Date], [Merchant], ₹[amount], expected [number] points under [rule or offer name]

These are not in any excluded category listed in the MITC [and the offer period ended on [date], so the stated posting time of [X] days has passed]. Request reference: [ref].

Please credit the points or explain in writing which term excludes them. If this is not resolved within 30 days, I will approach the RBI Ombudsman.

Name: [name] | Registered mobile: [number]

What not to do

• Do not respond to calls or messages saying your points are about to expire with a link to "redeem now". Fake reward-redemption links are a common phishing trick. Redeem only inside the bank's own app or website.
• Do not share OTPs or card details to "convert" points into cash.
• Do not split rent or wallet loads to chase points; caps and exclusions usually apply anyway, and fees may cost more than the points earn.
• Do not close the card before redeeming points you want; they are often forfeited on closure.

Key takeaways

• Most "missing" reward points are excluded categories, caps, EMI conversions or bonus points that post later.
• Check the MITC and reward terms first, then raise a request with exact transaction details.
• As of October 2026, RBI sets no daily compensation for reward points, but issuers must follow their published terms.
• Escalate in order: card app, grievance officer, nodal officer, then the RBI Ombudsman at cms.rbi.org.in after 30 days.
• Never redeem points through links sent by message; use only the bank's app or website.