Jared Friedman, a New York City resident and social media influencer with over 200,000 followers, faced account cancellations earlier this year after sharing a method to claim courtesy points from Chase. The detail stemmed from a Chase Sapphire promotion offering 5,000 points to cardholders affected by a website crash during early access to World Cup tickets. Friedman highlighted that Chase appeared not to verify if recipients had attempted to purchase tickets before awarding points. Shortly after his video, Chase canceled two of his credit cards, citing points abuse.

Friedman’s experience underscores a broader tension between credit card issuers and consumers who aggressively pursue rewards programs. An increasingly sophisticated subculture of “points gamers” meticulously tracks and maximizes perks, sometimes exploiting loopholes or engaging in behavior issuers consider abusive. Banks argue such practices can violate terms of service and have stepped up efforts to curb misuse.

Earlier this year, Citi implemented a lifetime limit of one sign-up bonus per card on its Strata cards to deter customers from repeatedly applying for bonuses. Chase adopted a similar policy last year for its Sapphire cards, coupled with a longstanding “5/24” underwriting rule that denies approval to applicants who have opened five or more credit cards from any issuer within the past 24 months—a pattern often associated with gaming.

American Express has also taken steps to address upswings in gaming tactics, which executives partly attribute to advances in artificial intelligence enabling more sophisticated strategies. During a recent earnings call, Amex CEO Stephen Squeri acknowledged both the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, noting the company’s ability to adapt rules accordingly. For example, Amex now requires Platinum cardholders to spend $75,000 annually to bring guests into select airport lounges for free.

Amex maintains a dedicated rewards integrity team charged with detecting and curbing program abuse, including recovering points and terminating accounts when necessary. A recent job listing revealed the company’s ongoing commitment to protecting rewards programs from fraud and ensuring they operate as intended.

Despite issuer crackdowns, the community of points enthusiasts remains active, leveraging tips from online forums and influencers. Meanwhile, issuers continue enhancing benefits for high spenders through ultra-premium cards, increasing the stakes for reward seekers.

However, even experienced reward experts face obstacles as banks tighten eligibility and enforcement. Clint Henderson, managing editor of a rewards-focused review site, disclosed difficulties when applying for his 28th credit card—his ninth with Chase—after being denied due to insufficient business income despite aiming to earn a lucrative sign-up bonus.

Following Friedman’s public sharing of the ticketing points hack, Chase alleged his video facilitated fraud and subsequently closed his accounts. Friedman later apologized for his actions but did not regain access to his canceled cards. He was able, however, to transfer his accumulated points to other accounts.

As banks bolster rules and monitoring to safeguard rewards systems, the cycle between points collectors and issuers continues, reflecting the evolving nature of consumer behavior and financial institution responses in the competitive credit card market.