American Express India cardholders are facing unexpected deductions in their Membership Rewards points after closing individual credit cards. The issue, which surfaced on November 9, has left some customers with negative balances, raising concerns about how pooled reward points are managed and redeemed.
One affected customer, Sumanta Mandal, reported on X that 2,388,090 points were clawed back, resulting in a negative balance of 2,148,040 points. American Express attributed the deductions to a technical glitch that allowed points linked to cancelled cards to remain visible beyond the 30-day redemption period specified in its terms.
Cardholders with multiple Amex cards have questioned the deductions, arguing that they could not independently track or redeem points earned on specific cards once they were pooled into a single balance. Mandal claimed that the 30-day forfeiture rule historically applied only when all cards were closed, not when individual cards were cancelled while others remained active.
American Express has advised affected customers to check their reward balances and transaction histories, and to seek clarification if points have been deducted. The company also recommended redeeming eligible rewards before closing a card to avoid similar issues in the future.