According to Robertson, many institutions that are ending their debit card rewards programs will let their existing customers continue in the plan for an extended period of time.
"A lot of banks are phasing out rewards, but they may grandfather people who are already participating," she says.
The debit card rewards program may eventually end, but if you're grandfathered in, you would have extra time to use up your points and earn some nice merchandise before you move on to another rewards alternative, Robertson says.