Just to be clear, this is true of only certain types of points. For example, hotel transfers, mall purchases, and flower bonus points all seem to post with an activity date based on the date of the transaction. This is true, even though they don't post on RR until some days later. Our Chase points always post two days after our statement closing date. Even when our statement closing date was on 12/24, our points posted to RR on 12/26.

I will say that we just went through this (and made it, thankfully), but that when my wife called RR, she was told by an agent that they would "sweep" the points in mid-January if you were close to earning the companion pass and that the points would count for 2013, even if they posted in 2014. The agent either said, or strongly implied, that credit card purchases made and paid in 2013 would count, even if the statement closing date was in 2014. After our statement closed, my wife called back and spoke to someone else at RR and someone at Chase. Both of them completely contradicted this and confirmed my earlier understanding--points from Chase post to RR only at the end of each billing cycle. Any charges that posted to our Chase account after 12/24 (even if actually charged before 12/24) would count toward 2013. We went crazy transferring every point we could think of and buying flowers to make sure we hit the CP level, and we did on 12/31.

I'm sorry that this happened to you. I'd try calling and see if someone can take pity on you or move the posting date for something. I don't know that you'll get anywhere, but it can't hurt.