If we leave a battle prior to collecting the loyalty chest, that loyalty chest should not count toward the cap.
This way, we can still support our favorite captains by placing units, even though we have not earned enough loyalty points yet. We are willing to forfeit the lesser rewards now so that we can get better rewards later.
It is frustrating for both viewers and captains when we avoid placing on loyalty chest battles simply because we are waiting until we have more loyalty with them.