You made a late payment If you don't pay at least the minimum amount due on your credit card statement, you will lose all of the Amex points you earned with that Amex card during that billing period. However, it is possible to retrieve points you lose this way.

In 2026, American Express has a strict policy where you forfeit any Membership Rewards points earned during a billing cycle if you do not pay at least the "Minimum Amount Due" by the payment due date. Essentially, those points are "frozen" and will not post to your account. However, you haven't lost them forever—yet. In 2026, Amex allows you to "reinstate" forfeited points once your account is brought back to good standing, but they charge a reinstatement fee of $35 per billing period. You typically have 12 months from the date of the late payment to pay this fee and reclaim your points. To avoid this in 2026, it is highly recommended to set up "Auto-Pay" for at least the minimum amount, as the loss of points on a large purchase (like a $5,000 vacation) can far outweigh the cost of the late fee itself.