Update · 10 Nov, 9:41 PM Amex says it will restore the points within 48 to 72 hours. Check that it does. What to check

Amex India emailed the author, and by reports other affected cardholders, over the name of its India CEO. After considering Card Members' feedback, it says it will restore the Membership Rewards balance as of 8 November 2026, adjusted for points earned or redeemed since, to one of your active Card Accounts.

Do this now

Screenshot your balance and points activity today.
Your number: today's balance plus the points removed on 9 November.
Check again by the evening of 13 November. Screenshot it.
Keep your complaint open until the points show. Ask Amex to confirm the number in writing.

What the email does not say

How many points you will get back.
What happens if you have since closed all your cards.
Whether points from older closures are safe after 15 November.
Anything about staff assurances or your complaint reference.

For cards cancelled on or after 15 November 2026, Amex says the existing terms apply: expect the 30 day rule to be enforced. Nothing is credited to the author's account as of 10 November, 11 PM. Got the email, or not? Tell us at report at pointsforfeited.in. The rest of this site is kept as a record.

Cardholder reports · 9 and 10 November 2026 · self reported, not verified

What other Amex India cardholders are reporting

Since 9 November, cardholders have posted their cases on Reddit, Technofino, X and in our Telegram group. The same few patterns keep coming up. We list the public threads at the bottom. Here they are, with what to save for each.

These are summaries of public posts and messages sent to us. We have not verified them, and we do not publish names or card details. Had the same thing happen? Add your case.

Seven patterns so far

Pattern	How often	What is reported	What to save
Closed one card, kept another	Most common	The cardholder closed one Membership Rewards card, often Platinum Travel, and kept another, often the MRCC. Points earned on the closed card were removed on 9 November 2026. Several say Amex chat or phone staff told them the points would stay. Posted chat transcripts are dated as early as 3 March 2026 and as late as 14 September 2026, and say the cards are linked or the points stay in the common pool. One cardholder says customer care confirmed in September that closing before 11 October would not forfeit points.	Your cancellation chat or email, and the 9 November adjustment. See the evidence page.
Negative balance after redeeming or transferring	Several reports	The cardholder had already redeemed or transferred points, sometimes days before. The adjustment then pushed the balance below zero. One account describes a transfer of 1.5 lakh points to a hotel partner, followed a week later by a balance of minus 1,00,000. Another shows a balance of 24,000 points becoming about minus 1,10,000 after a deduction of about 1,34,000. A third closed a Gold card last year, redeemed everything months ago, and now sees minus 1,12,000. A fourth moved 41,000 points to a linked corporate card, redeemed 14,000 on a flight, and now has a negative balance on the company card.	Redemption and transfer confirmations with dates. Questions to ask Amex.
Card closed long ago	Several reports	Closures from 2023, 2025 and early 2026 are being adjusted now. One cardholder says over 1,00,000 points were taken from cards closed for more than a year, and that the assurance he had was by phone only. One cardholder redeemed 1,44,000 pooled points in May 2023, closed the card in December 2023, and saw 1,26,051 points reversed in November 2026.	Old statements, the closure confirmation, and a written request for the card wise allocation of each past redemption.
Points already transferred out, deducted anyway	One report	One cardholder moved 2,31,000 points to a hotel partner in February 2026, kept only a Platinum card, and earned about 1,20,000 points on it since. On 9 November, 1,20,000 of about 1,30,000 points were deducted. If true, this does not fit the "points of the closed card" explanation.	The transfer confirmation, the balance after transfer, and dated statements since. Ask Amex which card the removed points belonged to.
Upgrade or downgrade, not a closure	Mixed	Reports differ. One cardholder who downgraded Platinum Travel to the MRCC in January 2026 saw no deduction as of 10 November. One subreddit moderator says upgraders look safe so far. But one cardholder reports about 1,16,000 points removed after upgrading Platinum Travel to another card, and another upgraded and later closed a different card and saw a deduction. Nobody outside Amex knows the rule.	The upgrade or downgrade confirmation, and a dated balance screenshot before and after 15 November.
Told the points will come back in 3 to 5 days	A few reports	Some cardholders say chat agents told them the points would be added back within 3 to 5 business days. On 10 November Amex then emailed that it will restore balances within 48 to 72 hours. Check that the credit arrives.	A screenshot of that chat. Then ask for the same promise by email, with a reference number.
Phone assurance only, nothing in writing	Common	Many were assured on a call and have no screenshot. That is weaker than a chat transcript, but it is still a fact you can state.	The date, time and number you called. Ask Amex in writing to preserve and share the call recording.

"How often" is our rough read of public posts. People who lost nothing rarely post, so do not treat it as a count.

Why did it happen? Four explanations, none confirmed

Explanation	The idea	Where it stands
What Amex itself says	Its 9 November email says points linked to a cancelled card must be redeemed within 30 days, and that a technical issue kept them visible longer.	Amex's own words. It does not explain negative balances or the pooled account.
A hidden card level record	Amex may have booked each redemption against one card internally. Closing another card would then remove points the customer thought were already spent.	Fits the negative balances. Not confirmed. Why it would not excuse the removal.
A migration job that fired early	The card wise split was first set for 11 October. Thirty days later is about 9 November. A scheduled job may have kept the old date after the split moved to 15 November.	The dates fit. They would also fit a planned clean up. Not confirmed.
Cutting the points liability	Some suggest Amex wants fewer outstanding points on its books.	No evidence has been shown. We do not rely on it.

Whichever is right, the step is the same. If it is an error, a written complaint costs you nothing. If it is not, waiting costs you time. Send it now.

In the news

The story has been covered by NDTV Profit, Mint and Moneycontrol. Links are in the list below. What NDTV Profit reports, in our words:

Amex India told cardholders it removed points linked to previously cancelled cards, and blamed a technical issue that let them stay visible beyond 30 days.
Cardholders say their points were pooled across cards, so they could not see or pick the points tied to one card before closing it.
Screenshots shared by cardholders show adjustments of 3,11,990, 53,528 and 75,715 points on 9 November. Two cardholders claim much larger losses on X. NDTV says it has not verified these.
Amex's email gives no reconciliation, and does not explain how earlier redemptions were allocated.
From 15 November, Amex says points of customers with two or more basic cards will be kept separately for each card, and existing points will be distributed by the balances tied to each card.

What Mint reports on 10 November 2026, in our words:

Cardholders lost large amounts of points after closing individual cards while keeping others open. The adjustment first came to light on 9 November.
A cardholder, Sumanta Mandal, says on X that the 30 day forfeiture rule was historically understood to apply when all cards are closed, not one. This is his claim, and Mint says individual claims are not independently verified.
He also says there was no prior email, SMS or other warning.
Amex's email does not explain how negative balances will be treated.
Mint's advice to affected cardholders: save balance statements and Amex messages, raise a written complaint, ask for a card by card calculation that shows how earlier redemptions were treated, and keep the complaint reference number.

What Moneycontrol reports on 10 November 2026, in our words:

Amex deducted points from customers who cancelled cards earlier, in some cases months or years ago.
Amex says a technical glitch kept those points visible past the 30 day window, that it is fixed, and that balances now follow its existing terms.
Reported deductions of 53,528, 75,715 and 3,11,990 points, and one claim of 23,88,090 points leaving a negative balance of 21,48,040. These are unverified.
From 15 November, customers with several eligible basic cards will have a separate balance on each card, with no transfers between cards. Amex says the value of existing points and the redemption options stay the same.
Moneycontrol says it is unclear whether Amex will restore any disputed points, or how it will treat negative balances.
Its advice: ask Amex for a card wise breakdown of points earned, redeemed and deducted, keep screenshots, raise a formal complaint, and if eligible go to the RBI Ombudsman.

These are summaries of three articles, not quotes. Read each one at the links below. The articles repeat cardholder and Amex statements. None of them verifies the individual claims.

What Amex is reported to be saying

Amex has sent two statements: the 9 November email, and a 10 November email saying it will restore the points. Beyond that, we only have what cardholders say Amex told them. None of it is verified.

Source	Reported position	What it means
9 November email, posted by several cardholders	Points linked to a cancelled card must be redeemed within 30 days. A technical issue kept them visible longer. The balance was "updated in accordance with the applicable Terms". No action is required.	Amex's only public wording. It does not mention the pooled account or the 15 November change.
One cardholder, after a call with an Amex relationship manager	Executives gave wrong assurances because of an internal error. The error is "rectified". Updated terms apply. Amex reserves the right to change terms. It regrets the assurances but cannot restore the points.	One account, secondhand. If Amex confirms it in writing, it is an admission that the assurances were given. Ask for that in writing.
Helpline, reported by cardholders on the same day	Some are told it is the 30 day policy and nothing can be done. Others are told it is a technical glitch from maintenance. One says the helpline said the instruction came that day, so there was no prior notice.	Amex staff are giving different answers. Ask for the reason in writing, so one answer is on record.
Customer care on a negative balance, reported by one cardholder	Future points earned will first clear the negative balance. Nothing to pay if the card is closed.	One account. Ask Amex to confirm it by email, and under which clause.
Email of 10 November, over the India CEO's name	After considering Card Members' feedback, Amex will restore the balance as of 8 November, adjusted for points earned or redeemed since, to an active Card Account within 48 to 72 hours. For cards cancelled on or after 15 November, existing terms apply.	A reversal of the 9 November position. It is a promise until the points show. It gives no number and does not cover people with no active card.
Chat agents, reported by a few cardholders	Points will be added back within 3 to 5 business days.	Conflicts with the relationship manager account. No reinstatement confirmed so far.

If Amex tells you something by phone, ask for it by email and a reference number. Email us what Amex replies, with card details removed: report at pointsforfeited.in.

A subreddit moderator has also advised waiting three to five days, because some executives said it may be temporary, and emailing the Principal Nodal Officer if it is not resolved. We cannot verify what executives said. Waiting costs you nothing if you save your evidence now, but a written complaint on record also costs nothing.

What cardholders are asking for

The common demands

Reinstate the removed points, with their original validity and redemption options.
A card wise, transaction level statement that shows how each deduction was calculated.
A written answer on why one pooled balance was shown for years with no card level view.
No forced redemption window or cash offer as a substitute, unless the cardholder chooses it.

If Amex makes an offer

On 10 November Amex said it will restore the points. No cash offer or redemption window has been announced.
Ask for any offer in writing, with the full terms.
Check whether accepting it closes your complaint.
You can decline in writing, "without prejudice", and keep your complaint open.

Whether to accept is your decision. This is not legal advice.

Public threads and coverage

Links go to other sites. Their content belongs to their authors and is not checked by us. Know a thread we should list? Email report at pointsforfeited.in.

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