FPL chips 2026/27: when they expire and when they come back
There are two sets of four. The first set dies at the Gameweek 19 deadline whether you have used it or not, and the second set only becomes available at Gameweek 20. These are the game's own dates, not a prediction.
The deadline that matters
Any chip from the first set that you have not played by Friday 1 January 2027, 18:30 UK is lost. It does not roll over and it does not come back — the second set is a separate allocation, not a renewal of the first.
Every chip, both windows
| Chip | What it does | First window | Second window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcard | Unlimited transfers for one deadline, and the new squad is kept. | GW2–19 | GW20–38 |
| Free Hit | Unlimited transfers for one gameweek only; the squad reverts afterwards. | GW2–19 | GW20–38 |
| Bench Boost | All fifteen players score, bench included. | GW1–19 | GW20–38 |
| Triple Captain | The captain scores triple instead of double. | GW1–19 | GW20–38 |
Note for anyone carrying over last season's habits: there is no assistant manager chip in 2026/27. The game lists four chips per window, eight in total across the season.
The Christmas squeeze
The three deadlines either side of the cliff fall close together, which is what catches people out — there is a single weekend between the last normal deadline and the expiry.
| Gameweek | Deadline | |
|---|---|---|
| Gameweek 18 | Tuesday 29 December 2026, 18:00 UK | last deadline before the cliff |
| Gameweek 19 | Friday 1 January 2027, 18:30 UK | the cliff — unused first-half chips are gone |
| Gameweek 20 | Tuesday 5 January 2027, 18:00 UK | second set is live |
Wildcard or Free Hit?
They look similar and are not. A Wildcard gives unlimited transfers and you keep the squad you build — it is for fixing a team you intend to run for months. A Free Hit gives unlimited transfers for one gameweek and then puts your old squad back — it is for surviving a single bad week, typically a blank, without damaging the team you have built. If you want the new squad to persist, it is a Wildcard; if you only need to get through one weekend, it is a Free Hit.
Blanks and doubles
Bench Boost and Free Hit are usually saved for double and blank gameweeks, when clubs play twice or not at all. Those do not exist yet: all 38 gameweeks currently hold ten fixtures each. They appear once cup competitions force rearrangements, typically from February, and we will list them here as soon as the fixture list moves.
Dates come straight from the official FPL API and update automatically. For what to do with a wildcard when you play one, see the squad builder; for the weekly captain call, the captain page.