If you’re a fan of Chipotle, then you’re probably a rewards member.
Not only does it give you a way to score free Chipotle, but you can also earn other rewards.
If you haven’t eaten at Chipotle in a while, however, you may wonder if the points you’ve accumulated have expired.
Here’s what you need to know about whether Chipotle points expire or not.
Do Chipotle Points Expire?
Yes, Chipotle reward points do expire.
According to Chipotle’s terms and conditions, your points will expire if you do not make a qualifying purchase to earn more reward points in six months.
Essentially, you have six months between your orders to earn more points.
Keep in mind that these have to be qualifying orders.
To earn reward points, you have to spend at least $1 on your order.
There may also be specific menu items that don’t qualify.
As long as you continue to order qualifying meals at Chipotle within six months, then you hold onto your reward points.
Another way that you can lose your points is if you cease to be a member.
Since the rewards program is free to join, the only way that you can stop being a member is if you deactivate your account.
If you choose to do so, but then return later, you won’t have any of your points.
Finally, Chipotle can choose to terminate your account if they deem that you have violated their terms and conditions.
In this instance, your reward points will also expire because they terminated your account.
Chipotle points do expire, but it’s relatively easy to keep your account active.
What Are The Benefits Of Using Chipotle Rewards?
If you’re not a fan of a rewards program that has its rewards points expire after a set time, then you may wonder if the Chipotle rewards program is right for you.
While the fact that their points expire might be a deal-breaker for you, there are plenty of benefits that you can enjoy as a rewards member.
Here are some of the benefits of being a Chipotle rewards member.
1. You Can Earn Points Anywhere
Some rewards programs only allow you to earn points in their store or online.
At Chipotle, they make it easy to earn points anywhere.
It doesn’t matter if you go into a store and order food, if you use their mobile app to order food, or if you use some other means to order food from them.
As long as you’re ordering food from Chipotle, and it’s a qualifying meal, you can earn reward points.
This helps more people earn points since not everyone wants to go to the store.
Those who prefer to stay at home can simply order food, have it delivered to their home, and still earn rewards for their order.
Chipotle has a great rewards program because they have expanded earning points beyond their physical stores.
2. Free Chips And Guacamole
Another great benefit of being a rewards member with Chipotle is the fact that you get a free order of chips and guacamole.
When you first become a rewards member, you automatically earn free chips and guacamole.
You can use the Chipotle mobile app to navigate to your rewards.
In your redeemable rewards section, you’ll see an option to unlock or select your free meal.
You can use it any time, but you only get it one time.
It’s only available to members who sign up for the rewards program for the first time.
After that, you have to start earning points to unlock more free food.
However, for new members, you’re able to get that free menu item right off the bat.
The fact that you get an immediate reward for joining the rewards program is quite the incentive to sign up.
3. Free Birthday Points
When you sign up for a rewards account on Chipotle, one of the pieces of information that you need to provide is your birthday.
While companies often use this information for data analysis, Chipotle also uses it for a different reason.
Each time your birthday arrives, if you’re a rewards member, you’ll get some sort of reward.
It might be some free points.
It might be a free meal.
Whatever Chipotle decides to do, you can expect a small birthday present from the company.
This is something that you only receive if you’re a rewards member.
If you’re not a rewards member, then you shouldn’t expect anything free from the shop when you visit.
Being a rewards member at Chipotle is fun since they recognize your birthday and give you a small gift.
4. Achievement Badges
If you’re someone who’s competitive or likes to turn things into games, then you’re going to love the achievement portion of Chipotle’s rewards program.
Chipotle has several achievements listed in the rewards section of the program.
It might be to order a certain dish.
It might be to spend a certain amount of money within a certain timeframe.
It could be anything.
When you unlock an achievement, you get a badge.
You also get extra rewards points.
This is a great way to reward you for choosing to eat at Chipotle perhaps a bit more than you might have done otherwise.
It also makes earning rewards more fun.
Any shop can just give you reward points when you buy an item at their store.
Since Chipotle has achievements that you can unlock and badges and extra points that you can earn, it makes the experience just a bit more fun and enjoyable.
The fact that you get extra points is also ideal since it brings you that much closer to earning free meals.
It makes earning rewards feel more like a game.
5. Early Access
Another benefit of being a reward member of Chipotle is that you get early access to certain things.
In particular, you’re able to see and buy new menu items before they’re released to the general public.
When Chipotle releases one of their limited-edition special menu items, you get it a little bit sooner than everyone else.
If the restaurant is releasing a new dish, then you’re one of the lucky few to try it out before anyone else.
Chipotle releases new and certain menu items early to its reward members as a reward but also to test out certain items.
You can review the item and tell Chipotle what you think about it.
If the reviews are poor down the line, then your review might keep a menu item from becoming official.
That’s a lot of power.
Besides getting early access to menu items, you also get early access to new merchandise that Chipotle releases.
If you want to score some apparel or other merchandise early, then becoming a rewards member is a great choice for you.
You can preview the new line of merchandise before anyone else.
If you’re a big Chipotle fan, then this type of benefit is exactly up your alley.
Chipotle’s rewards program is great because it gets you early access to new releases.
6. Get Insider Information
If you’re someone who wants to know the direction that Chipotle is taking, then you’ll find the rewards program worth joining.
As a rewards member, you’re able to get insider information that Chipotle releases.
This might be information regarding upcoming sales, deals, promotions, or special events that they’re throwing.
It might contain information about new menu items, new ideas that the company is browsing, or even stock information.
When you become a rewards member, you can learn more about the company than you ever would as a mere customer.
Chipotle’s rewards program is great because it gives you an inside look into the company and the direction it’s taking.
7. Free Food
A final benefit that you receive as a Chipotle rewards member is free food.
This is the benefit that most rewards members are likely going to have an interest in.
Each time your order food at Chipotle, you have a chance of earning reward points.
When you have enough rewards points, you’re able to redeem them for certain menu items.
Obviously, the more reward points you hold onto, the bigger the rewards.
Depending on how often you eat at Chipotle, you could easily be earning free meals every few weeks.
Who Is Eligible For Chipotle’s Rewards Program?
Not everyone is eligible to sign up for their rewards program, but Chipotle does what it can to make it accessible to almost everyone.
One of the conditions that you need to satisfy is to be a legal resident of the United States.
That includes all 50 states and Washington D.C.
The second condition that you need to satisfy is to be 13 years or older.
There’s also a stipulation for those who are between the ages of 13 and 18.
If you fall within this age bracket, then you cannot be a Chipotle rewards member without the supervision of a parent or guardian.
If you have that supervision, then you can become a rewards member.
For those who are older than 18, you automatically satisfy this condition for becoming a rewards member.
As long as you satisfy those two conditions, you can become a Chipotle rewards member.
How Do Chipotle Rewards Work?
The Chipotle rewards program works similarly to many other rewards programs.
After you’ve signed up for the rewards program, you will unlock a digital rewards account.
You can start accumulating points as soon as you make your first qualifying purchase with your rewards account activated.
Accumulating points is relatively easy.
You simply need to order menu items that qualify.
In most cases, qualifying orders are any menu item or order that is more than $1.
That said, there are some limitations.
Some menu items, usually those that are below $1 to buy, don’t qualify.
There are also cases when Chipotle is running a promotion or sale on some of its menu items.
In most cases, you won’t get to earn rewards on certain menu items under the sale or promotion.
This isn’t always the case, however.
To determine if the specific menu items qualify or not, you need to read the specific promotion’s terms and conditions.
It will tell you whether you can earn reward points or not.
Once you earn enough points, you can unlock a free menu item based on the rewards section of the mobile app.
When you click on the item, your reward points will subtract from your total based on how many points it takes to unlock that specific reward.
Then you can redeem your points at any participating Chipotle restaurant.
Just as you can’t earn reward points while a promotion is running, you also cannot redeem certain menu items when a promotion is running.
For example, if there’s a promotion running that lets you buy one menu item and get one free, there’s a good chance that you can’t use your rewards to get the menu item for free, and then also get the bonus item for free.
You’ll want to read the terms and conditions of the sale or promotion to determine whether you can redeem your rewards for that particular item or not.
In most cases, redeeming rewards is easy and simple.
You get free food after collecting a certain number of points.
How Do You Enroll In Chipotle Rewards?
Enrolling in Chipolte’s rewards program is incredibly easy.
Follow these steps to enroll and start earning your Chipotle points.
1. Make A Chipotle Account
The first thing you need to do is make an account on Chipotle.
You can do this either on their website or on their mobile app.
When signing up for your account, you’ll need to provide them with your email, create a password, submit your phone number, and give them your birthday.
2. Click Join Now
Once you’ve made your account, you’ll want to navigate to the Chipotle’s Rewards Program section.
You’ll see an option to “Join Now.”
Click that, and it will automatically enroll you into the rewards program.
From there, you can essentially start buying food at Chipotle and earning reward points.
3. Opt-In Marketing
One final step that you may notice is that Chipotle will ask if you want to opt-in to receiving marketing emails from them.
These emails give you information about upcoming promotions that the stores will be hosting.
If you like to keep a heads-up on upcoming sales, then opting in is an ideal choice.
However, you don’t need to opt into the information to become a rewards member.
It’s completely optional.
How Do You Track How Many Chipotle Points You Have?
If you’re unsure how many points you have with Chipotle, there’s an easy way to tell.
All you need to do is log onto your Chipotle account.
You can do so either on their website or through their mobile app.
From there, you’ll want to go to the Rewards section of the site or app.
Immediately, you should see how many points you’ve accumulated thus far.
If you want to redeem your points, then you can click on the Redeem section of the site or app.
What Is A Guac Mode Bonus?
One aspect that you might notice on your rewards account is a guac mode bonus.
This bonus unlocks the chance to get a side dish containing guacamole.
Chipotle gives a Guac Mode Bonus at random.
It can show up in your redeemable section at any point.
It can also expire at any point.
For example, you may only have one day to redeem it.
Because of that, it’s worth checking your redeemable section frequently to see if you get a Guac Mode Bonus.
Conclusion
Chipotle reward points expire after six months of inactivity.
Chipotle classifies inactivity as not earning reward points within six months.
Joining their rewards programs unlocks several benefits with the most important being free food.
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