Loyalty prize pools work with a very real countdown, which differs depending on the brand. At the start of the year, many accumulated euros risk disappearing from the prize pools if we do not check the rules of the game.
The loyalty card is one of our well-established habits. It slips into the bag, registers in the phone and is used without thinking about it. We vaguely know that it brings in something, but rarely how much, or until when. This is where the problem lies, because these prize pools are not unlimited in time and their validity dates are often closer than we imagine.
Each time you go to the checkout, a few cents or a few euros are added to a prize pool. Cashback, deferred vouchers, convertible points… everything ends up forming a small jackpot. Over the course of a year, many customers reach 20 or 30 euros without realizing it. Those who do most of their shopping in the same store can easily exceed 100 euros, sometimes going up to 150 euros. These are fewer groceries to pay for, pleasure products or simply a basket that is a little more comfortable. The problem is forgetting. Because these euros have a lifespan, and this duration varies depending on the brand.
For example, at Carrefour, the loyalty euros accumulated during the year 2025 remain usable at the start of the following year, before being automatically deleted on March 1, 2026. Casino and Intermarché operate on a similar logic, with an end of validity located between February 28 and March 1, depending on the programs and store formats. At Picard, the deadline is earlier: the prize pool is reset to zero on January 31, 2026, leaving little margin after the holidays. As for Monoprix and Auchan, the rules are more variable. The date often depends on when the euros were won, meaning that two prize pools of the same amount can expire at different times. Finally, E. Leclerc and U do not set a precise date on the calendar. Here, the prize pool disappears after thirteen or fourteen months without activity, in other words without a checkout recorded on the card.
So, to avoid this unpleasant surprise, the first reflex is to check the rules specific to each brand, directly on the application or the site, where the validity date is generally indicated under the amount of the prize pool. The second is to get into the habit of looking at your loyalty accounts in January and February, the period when the majority of due dates fall. The last, often overlooked, is to keep your card active. In some brands, a simple checkout during the year is enough to avoid total cancellation. Think about it.
