With several credit cards on the market, all aiming to tempt consumers to spend, spend, spend; a little added extra can sweeten the deal, for shoppers. Incentives and loyalty schemes such as points from purchases, money off vouchers and savings on initial payments, all aim to gain customers attention and keep them spending.

However, credit cards do come with a small print and one has been highlighted. Around 1.7 million holders of the Airmile credit card, who have 500 Airmiles or more – but have not collected any more points in the past two years – have been told that their accounts will be closed down and all the points they have will be lost, if they do not add one point to their accounts in the next six months.

Andrea Burchett, the director of relationship marketing and insight for Airmiles, said: "Thousands of members have positively responded to their letters and have gone on to collect Airmiles again with our partners Lloyds TSB, Shell, Tesco and shopping online.

“Many members are thanking us for making contact with letters and reminding them of their balance or advising them of partners to collect with."

Not to everyone’s satisfaction

However this choice of action has anger many others, including Calder, the travel editor from the national newspaper, The Independent. He stated that the move was similar to banks, which close current accounts that have been inactive.

Speaking to the BBC, Simon also said: “That's a bit like having a bank account where you're told, 'Ah, well, you haven't put any money in it for a couple of years so we've closed it down and kept your money.”

Around six million people in the UK hold an Airmiles account and are able to collect Airmiles through various means, mainly by using an Airmiles credit card but also for other everyday purchases, for online shopping, buying petrol and on some mortgage deals. Once collected, Airmiles could be redeemed for flights.

Up until now, Airmiles customers have been safe in the knowledge that their loyalty points had no expiry date, but now, the British Airways-owned scheme has imposed a deadline on its customers telling them that their accounts will be closed and the value, lost unless they collect again within the time limit of six months.

'Use by' limits on loyalty schemes

But Airmiles, which recently launched a TV campaign illustrating the benefits of the scheme, says that the majority of members who regularly collected Airmiles, did not have to do anything and the move had resulted in a positive response from thousands of customers who hadn’t been collecting to start again.

Airmiles also stated that for those who no longer wished to use the scheme, the deadline gave people the opportunity to use their miles during the next six months before their account expires.

The firm also added that most loyalty schemes do have a time limit on their points.

A spokesperson from Which? Holiday said: "It is key that customers know about the new policy and shop around when collecting points. People have to be aware of these policies and take action as soon as possible to make sure they don't lose out.

"There are alternative ways of accruing points other than flying. It is in the best interests of customers to go online and find out about those other ways."

The Airmiles firm however, did predict that a 'loyalty boom' would occur in 2009. This they believe will be due to consumers looking for ways, in which they can make their money stretch further, in the light of the economic downturn.