People who accumulate credit card points live with a legitimate fear: switching banks or canceling the current card turns points to dust. In some programs, they vanish. In others, they don't — provided you execute the right maneuver before canceling. This guide breaks down the 7 real maneuvers Brazilians use to switch cards without burning their points balance, with the exact policy of each bank in 2026.
13 min read
Why this problem exists
Brazilian credit cards have a trait that American cards don't share with the same intensity: most points are tied to the card, not to you. Cancel the card, lose the points. Switch banks, lose the points. Upgrade to the Black at the same bank — sometimes you keep them, sometimes you don't.
This becomes a serious problem as the balance grows. Fifty thousand Livelo points buys a domestic flight. Two hundred thousand Smiles points, an international economy. Anyone with 100k+ points sitting around who decides to switch cards without planning loses, on average, R$ 1,500 to R$ 6,000 in redemption value.
The good news: there are 7 documented maneuvers that work in 2026. Some are official (the bank guides you), others are informal (the retention agent authorizes by phone), and one is structural (you needed to think about it 6 months earlier).
This guide covers all 7 with the exact policy of Itaú, Bradesco, BB, Santander, Nubank, and Inter.
The rule nobody tells you first
The right question isn't "how do I avoid losing the points." It's "where are the points right now?".
There are two types of points balance:
- Points inside the bank (e.g., Pontos Itaú, Pontos Bradesco, Pontos Nubank Ultravioleta). These are tied to the card. Cancel it, gone.
- Points in a coalition program (e.g., Livelo, Esfera, Smiles, LATAM Pass, TudoAzul). These sit in your program account, not at the bank. The card is just an entry door. Cancel the card, the balance stays untouched.
The simplest maneuver is to move everything from type 1 to type 2 before canceling. Almost every major bank in Brazil has a route to Livelo or Esfera. Use it.
Maneuver #1 — Transfer points to a coalition program before canceling
It's the safest maneuver and the first you should try.
How it works:
- Identify the coalition program tied to your card (Livelo at Itaú/Bradesco/BB, Esfera at Santander, Smiles/LATAM Pass via partner).
- Access the coalition program's app and create an account (if you don't have one).
- Link the account's CPF to your current card.
- In the bank's app, choose "transfer points" and pick the coalition program.
- Confirm the transfer. Can take from instant up to 5 business days.
- Verify in the coalition program's app that the balance arrived.
- Only then call to cancel the card.
The critical point: the transfer must be completed before cancellation. Requesting isn't enough. Brazilian banks have documented cases of transfers automatically canceled when the source card is closed mid-process.
Typical ratios:
- Itaú → Livelo: 1:1, instant for Personnalité, up to 3 business days for basic cards
- Bradesco → Livelo: 1:1, up to 2 business days
- BB → Livelo: 1:1, up to 5 business days (BB is slow)
- Santander → Esfera: 1:1, instant (Esfera belongs to Santander itself, but the balance persists after card cancellation if the Esfera account stays open with the CPF)
Warning: Nubank and Inter have no route to a coalition program. Pontos Nubank Ultravioleta only redeem inside the Nubank app (cashback, purchases, travel via Nubank). Cancel the Ultravioleta, lost.
Maneuver #2 — Redeem first (even a bad route)
If you're in a hurry to cancel and there isn't time to transfer, or the balance is sitting in a program with no good exit route, redeem first.
The logic is mathematically simple:
- Points at zero reais (lost) = R$ 0
- Points at R$ 0.02/point redeemed for a mediocre flight = better than zero
Even if you don't plan to use the flight now, many programs let you issue a ticket up to 11 months later. You buy time.
How to execute:
- Check the total points balance
- Look for a short domestic leg (Rio-SP, BH-SP, Curitiba-SP) — those cost fewer points
- Issue the ticket on a flexible date (Friday night or Sunday usually have availability)
- If there's leftover balance after redemption, transfer the rest to a coalition program
- Cancel the card
When this maneuver is the best: Nubank Ultravioleta (redeem inside the app), Inter Loop (redeem as cashback/shop), and any mid-sized bank card without a Livelo/Esfera route.
About the author
Curadoria Voyspark
2 years in the Voyspark editorial team
Time editorial da Voyspark — escritores, repórteres, fotógrafos e fixers em Lisboa, Tóquio, Nova York, Cidade do México e Marrakech. Coletivo. Sem voz corporativa. Cada peça com checagem cruzada por um editor regional e um chef ou curador local.
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