Audience Rewards is a loyalty program offered by Cineplex Entertainment that lets members earn points when they watch movies or make purchases at Cineplex theatres and locations. The points can then be redeemed for free movies, concessions, and other rewards. A common question among Audience Rewards members is whether their hard-earned points ever expire. Let’s take an in-depth look at the Audience Rewards expiration policy.
Quick answers
- Yes, Audience Rewards points do expire after 1 year of account inactivity
- Points expire on a rolling basis, meaning your oldest points will expire first
- You need to earn or redeem points at least once per year to keep your account active
- Expired points cannot be reinstated
- Make sure to check your points balance and expiry dates in your online account
Do points ever expire?
Yes, Audience Rewards points do expire, but only under certain conditions. Specifically, points will expire after 1 full year of account inactivity.
Account inactivity means you haven’t earned or redeemed any points for a 12 month period. As long as you are actively participating in the program by watching movies, making purchases, and redeeming points, your points will not expire.
Rolling expiration policy
Audience Rewards uses a rolling expiration policy. This means that only your oldest points will expire first after 1 year of no activity. Your newer points will remain safe and active.
For example, let’s say you earned 500 points on January 1, 2020. If you take no action until January 2, 2022, those original 500 points from January 2020 will expire. However, any points earned in 2021 or 2022 would still be valid.
Essentially, your points expire on a first-in-first-out basis after hitting the 1 year inactivity mark.
How to keep points active
Keeping your Audience Rewards points active and avoiding expiration is easy – you just need to make sure you earn or redeem points at least once every 12 months.
Here are some simple ways to keep your account active:
- Watch a movie at Cineplex – you’ll earn points just for being in the theatre seat
- Make any purchase at the concession stand
- Buy a gift card or Cineplex Store merchandise
- Redeem points for a reward
- Play games or quizzes in the Audience Rewards app
- Check into a movie on the app
As long as you complete at least one of these activities every 12 months, your points will remain active. Mark your calendar so you remember to engage with the program regularly.
Account activity tracking
You can easily view your recent Audience Rewards account activity by logging into your online account or opening the mobile app. Your activity screen shows your latest transactions, whether they were points earned or redeemed.
This lets you quickly confirm that your account has been active within the past year. If you see no transactions for 12+ months, it’s time to take action and earn some points.
Expired points cannot be reinstated
It’s important to note that once Audience Rewards points expire, they cannot be reactivated or refunded. Expired points are removed from your account balance permanently.
For this reason, make sure you redeem your older points before they hit the 1 year inactivity mark. Don’t let your hard-earned points go to waste!
You also cannot accrue points retroactively. For example, if you watch 5 movies in one month after not using your account for a year, you will only get points for the most recent movie. You do not earn points for past activity.
Use expired points strategically
Some savvy Audience Rewards members will strategically let their oldest points expire every year. This gives them an excuse to earn fresh points through new movie visits and purchases.
Basically, they reset their points balance to zero to re-motivate themselves to engage with the program. Just be aware that this means forfeiting any rewards you could have claimed with those expired points.
Check your expiry dates
To avoid losing points unexpectedly, it’s essential that you periodically check your Audience Rewards account to view your points balance and expiry dates.
Both the online account dashboard and mobile app make it easy to see:
- Your total points earned
- Points redeemed/used
- Current points balance
- Expiry timeline for your different points
You want to closely monitor points that are approaching their 12 month expiration date so you can redeem them in time.
Points expiration dates are displayed in a rolling format. For example:
Points Earned | Expiration Date |
---|---|
250 points | January 1, 2024 |
500 points | February 15, 2024 |
300 points | March 28, 2024 |
As long as you log in and check your expiry timelines regularly, you can stay strategic about redeeming points before they are gone forever.
Email notifications
In addition to manually checking your account, Audience Rewards also sends periodic email notifications about expiring points.
These emails serve as reminders to take action so you don’t miss out on your hard-earned rewards. If you haven’t received an expiry notification recently, be sure to double check your account and confirm your points are still active.
Strategies to avoid expiration
Here are some smart tips to make sure your Audience Rewards points remain active and avoid expiring due to inactivity:
See movies regularly
Earn points simply by watching movies at Cineplex. See new releases, old favorites, or even marathon a bunch of films. Just a single movie ticket every 12 months will keep your account active.
Redeem small rewards frequently
Don’t save up all your points for bigger prizes. Redeem them for smaller rewards like free snacks or movie rentals throughout the year. More redemptions equals more activity.
Load points to your Scene card
Link your Scene and Audience Rewards accounts. When you load points to your Scene card, it counts as redeeming and keeps your account active.
Play games and quizzes
Playing games in the Audience Rewards app counts as account activity. Spend a few minutes each month answering movie trivia or playing games.
Set calendar reminders
Create automatic calendar reminders to use your Audience Rewards points. Every 6 months, prompt yourself to watch a movie or make a redemption.
Follow on social media
Liking and commenting on Audience Rewards’ Facebook and Instagram pages counts as activity. Stay engaged with your favorite theatre loyalty program.
Shop the Cineplex Store
Buy movies, snacks and merchandise online or in-theatre to earn and redeem points. Online purchases are super convenient.
Autoload points
Set up your account to autoload points whenever your balance gets low. This automatic redemption helps keep points active.
Buy gift cards
An easy way to earn points is by purchasing Cineplex gift cards for friends and family. Give the gift of movies!
Conclusion
Audience Rewards points definitely do expire, but the expiration policy is fair and reasonable. As long as you actively engage with the program once per year, your points will remain safe and active for redeeming rewards.
Be diligent about checking your account balance and expiry dates. Strategically redeem points before they expire each year. With a little planning, you can enjoy the perks of being a loyal Cineplex guest without losing your hard-earned points.