Point Taken - Disgruntled Air Miles collector explains why he’s done with reward programs

The following interview was posted on the main Rewards Canada website as part of our guide to the upcoming AIR MILES Reward Miles expiration

Five cards for every purchase, a vision board of their next “free” vacation destinations--these are the hallmarks of the rewards points lifestyle, one that requires as much dedication to shopping as it does saving.

Matthew Irwin is not about that life. As a self-proclaimed “casual collector,” he has spent eight years collecting Air Miles from purchases at Metro, Shell and the LCBO in the hopes of collecting a well-deserved reward for himself.

“It was mainly out of convenience,” he says. “They would ask if I wanted the card every purchase and finally I said ‘why not?’”

Matthew got his answer late last year, when Air Miles announced they would be expiring the points of many longtime users starting in early 2017.

“It was very surprising,” says Matthew of the announcement. “They say they’ve been mentioning it for years, but most of us weren’t aware until recently.”

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