Microsoft Rewards Gift Cards: How Long They Last and How to Avoid Expiration Review

We explain how it works and how to avoid losing your balance.

More stories in the category News

• Bad news for the remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
• Ready or Not now has a free demo on Xbox Series: Link to download
• Assassin’s Creed Shadows performs better on Xbox Series S than on Switch 2

Many players accumulate Microsoft Rewards points with the idea of redeeming them later for Xbox balance. The problem arises when it’s not clear how long these credits last and if there’s a real risk of losing them. Every now and then, someone discovers that their promotional balance is about to disappear without warning.

The confusion arises because not all rewards work the same way. There are significant differences between the money you buy yourself and the one you get through the points program, so it’s essential to know when the deadline starts and how to take advantage of it on time.

How Xbox gift cards obtained with Microsoft Rewards expire

The promotional balance generated from Microsoft Rewards is valid for 90 days from the exact moment you redeem it. It doesn’t matter if the code appears as a “gift card“, “promotional credit“, or “Microsoft balance“: if it comes from Rewards, the timer is always the same. Once added to your account, the countdown begins.

This limit causes many users to prefer storing points instead of redeeming them directly, especially if they’re waiting for a game to go on sale. This is the safest way to avoid losing money, as points do not expire as long as you remain active in the program. If you want to check if any balance has an expiration date, you can do so from the official Microsoft payments page, where it is clearly marked. As a general recommendation, it’s best to redeem only when you’re sure what you’re going to buy.

At Generación Xbox, we insist that it’s essential to know these deadlines to avoid surprises and prevent losing balance that you’ve earned with your time and points.