What Happens to Your Points and Miles When You Die?
Key Takeaways
- Major credit card issuers, airlines, and hotel programs generally state in their terms of service that points and miles are not your property and expire upon death.
- American Express is uniquely generous compared to other major banks, often allowing surviving family members to transfer points after a cardholder passes away.
- Transferring your transferable bank points to airline and hotel loyalty programs or consolidating balances with family members via pooling can protect your rewards before it is too late.
- Documenting every loyalty account, username, password, and member number is essential to ensure your heirs can successfully access and claim your balances.
- Adopting a 'Die With Zero' mindset reminds us not to excessively hoard points and miles, but rather to use them to create meaningful life experiences.
#292: What happens to your points and miles when you die? And how can you make sure they don’t disappear? Chris breaks down how major banks, airlines, and hotel programs handle rewards after death, strategies to protect or transfer your points, and the steps you can take now to make things easier for your family. Plus, learn what to do if you’re already dealing with a loved one’s rewards, why documenting your accounts and logins matters, and the surprising rules around gift cards, divorce, and timeshares.
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Full Show Notes
(00:00) Introduction
(01:16) Your Points & Miles Aren’t Actually Your Property
(02:31) Can You Legally Access a Deceased Person's Accounts?
(07:49) What Happens to Bank & Credit Card Points After Death
(09:52) Why Amex Is One of the Most Generous Programs
(13:51) Transferring Points Before Someone Passes Away
(17:23) How Annual Fees Are Handled
(17:51) What Happens to Business Cards
(18:18) Moving Bank Points to Loyalty Programs
(18:51) What Happens to Airline Miles
(23:09) Why You Should Push Back With Airlines
(24:13) Other Ways to Use or Preserve Airline Miles
(25:50) How Hotel Points Are Handled (and Why They're Easier)
(31:26) Hotel Certificates & Flight Credits
(32:41) What Happens to Rental Car Points
(33:55) Don't Hoard Your Points
(34:12) Document Every Account and Login
(37:17) Set Up Points Pooling and Authorized Users in Advance
(37:43) Leave Clear Instructions for Your Heirs
(38:03) Why You Need a Financial Power of Attorney
(38:36) Don't Let Auto-Pays Shut Down an Account
(39:08) Proactively Transfer Points Out
(39:45) Where to Move Bank Points in a Hurry
(45:30) Choosing Someone to Manage Your Points & Miles
(47:00) The Checklist for When a Family Member Passes
(48:21) Hang Up, Call Again
(49:55) Document Everything You Do
(50:30) How Points Are Handled in Divorce
(51:30) Why Gift Cards Are Different
(51:50) The Risks of Inheriting a Timeshare
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Editor’s Note: The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to your points and miles after death?
In most cases, reward balances technically expire and disappear because loyalty programs state in their terms that points are not your personal property. However, policies vary widely by company, and some programs allow transfers under specific conditions.
Can family members transfer points and miles after someone passes away?
It depends heavily on the specific bank, airline, or hotel program. While some programs strictly forbid it and close the account, others like American Express may allow surviving family members to salvage and transfer points if properly requested.
How can I protect my points and miles for my family?
You can protect your rewards by proactively transferring bank points to loyalty programs, setting up points pooling, adding authorized users, and keeping a securely documented list of all your account logins and instructions for your heirs.