What happens to your points when you die (and how not to let Uncle Frank rob your last Marriott free night)

🎧 Always Turn Left: Dead Last Flight | How Millions in Loyalty Points Vanish When You Vanish

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Loyalty points are weird. they’re not property in the normal legal sense, each program writes its own rules, and whether your hard-earned miles survive you depends entirely on whichever airline, bank, or hotel you trusted with your weekend getaways. Some programs will let an executor do a one-time redemption or transfer with paperwork. Some will slam the account shut and call it a day. And a few will quietly help your loved ones move your stash - for the right documents, patience, and maybe a processing fee.

Below: an unromantic but necessary tour through the legal fine print, program-by-program highlights, what executors actually need to do, and the clever little moves you can make right now if you care where your points go when you’re gone. I’ll try to make it funny where possible; you’ll be grateful later.

First: the unpleasant (but true) framing

Most loyalty programs treat points, miles, and similar “currencies” as non-property. That’s lawyer-speak for “you can’t will them like a car or a bank account.” Programs usually put it bluntly: miles are not the property of members and can’t be transferred by operation of law, including by inheritance. Translation: your will alone often won’t move a single mile.

Why? Because loyalty currencies are basically promissory notes sold to you under a contract. If you think of them as “internet coupons with mood swings,” you’re not wrong. That means the program (not the probate court) gets to decide what to do.

The program categories (and what they usually do)

1) The “we’ll help if you prove it” group

These programs explicitly allow (or often permit) a transfer or one-time redemption if the estate or an authorized person submits paperwork - usually a death certificate, proof that you’re the executor or beneficiary, and sometimes a will or court docs. Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and several others fall into this camp: they permit transfers on receipt of documentation and within a time limit (commonly 12 months). American Airlines offers a similar path: submit the required documentation and they’ll consider transferring miles (they may delay action while ensuring there are no competing claims).

Practical translation: this is the “fill out some forms, wait, get some points” route.

2) The “one-time mercy” bank/issuer option

Some credit card issuers or points programs will allow an executor to make a one-time redemption (gift cards, statement credits, or transfers to certain partners). American Express and some card programs have language that allows a designated executor or personal representative to do one final redemption - again, subject to the account being in good standing and proper paperwork. This is not the same as “inheritance” - more like “you can empty the piggybank once.”

3) The “we close the account and forfeit everything” club

This is the most sucky category. Several major programs specifically say the account will be closed on death and points forfeited. Chase Ultimate Rewards’ published rules state points may be permanently forfeited upon the cardholder’s death (even if staff sometimes do things differently in practice). Southwest Rapid Rewards explicitly disallows transfer to an estate or will - if the account closes, the points vanish. Delta’s language is famously strict: miles are not property and “may not be transferred … by operation of law, upon death.” Bottom line: for these programs, donors don’t get a warm afterlife.

Program snapshots (short, useful): who’s usually generous and who’s not

• American Airlines (AAdvantage): Will consider transfers to a beneficiary with documentation; may waive fees and can reinstate expired miles if contacted within a timeframe. Expect a formal process and possible delays.
• Delta SkyMiles: Strongly restrictive: the program states miles are not the property of members and are generally not transferable on death. If you want these miles to be useful to anyone, don’t leave them in Delta’s account after you die and expect magic.
• Hilton Honors: Allows transfers of points after death with required documentation and usually within one year. They publish a death-transfer affidavit form. Hotels are often more flexible than airlines.
• World of Hyatt: Typically permits a one-time transfer to someone at the same residential address as the deceased (documentation required). Hotels again showing mercy.
• Chase Ultimate Rewards: The rules say points may be permanently forfeited at death (though agent experiences vary). Don’t count on Chase points surviving probate.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards: Explicitly forbids transfer to an estate; account closure leads to forfeiture after its administrative timeline.

(If you want a full program-by-program table, say the word - I’ll follow up with a new article next week. But this is the gist.)

The executor’s playbook (what to do if a loved one dies and they had points)

If you’re the executor or a loved one: breathe. The contact-list-and-paperwork is bureaucratic, but doable. Here's a practical checklist:

1. Inventory the accounts. Check the deceased’s email, physical files, and password manager for program names and membership numbers. If you don’t have their login, don’t panic — programs accept estate documentation.
2. Don’t immediately close related credit cards. Some programs require the card/account to be in good standing to allow an executor to redeem or transfer. Closing accounts too quickly can forfeit points. (Yes, this is wildly counterintuitive.)
3. Gather paperwork. Typical documents programs ask for: certified copy of the death certificate, proof you’re the executor (letters testamentary), copy of the will (if sole beneficiary), and a government ID. Keep copies.
4. Call the program (and call back). Start by calling the loyalty program’s estates/deceased-member line and ask for the specific forms/process. Agents sometimes give different answers; get the form name and an email confirmation if possible.
5. Act quickly on time limits. Many hotel programs give a 12-month window to request transfers; airlines may have similar limits. Don’t wait to start the process.
6. Consider using points urgently if practical. If transfer will be denied, you may be able to use the account to book travel for family immediately (if you have login access). Booking while the account is open often beats paperwork. (Not legal advice - just practical.)
7. Check for conversion options. Some issuers will convert points to cash back or a check payable to the estate - a less fun but sometimes necessary route.
8. Keep receipts of everything. If fees are charged (some programs still charge processing fees for transfers), track them as estate expenses.

Estate planning moves you can do today

If you’re alive and reading this (good), take five minutes and do one or all of the following:

• Write the high-level instructions into your will (e.g., “All hotel loyalty points to my spouse; any transferable airline miles to my estate executor to use or transfer as permitted”). It won’t make programs change their rules, but it gives your executor the authority and clarity to act.
• List your accounts and give a trusted person access. Yes, sharing login credentials has security risks - but it’s the single most reliable way to ensure your points can be used after you’re gone. Use a password manager and leave emergency access instructions.
• Use them now. If your stash is huge and there’s risk it will vanish, consider booking travel for family now or converting to transferrable assets (gift cards, partner transfers) while you can. Points tend to earn sentimental value, not financial appreciation.
• Name a digital executor. Some states and many programs respond faster if a named executor is ready with appointment documents.
• Know which programs are flexible and which are not. If you prioritize leaving points to heirs, consider holding balances in programs known to allow transfers (many hotel chains), rather than in programs that spell forfeiture.

A few real-world annoyances you should know

1. Programs change their minds - frequently. Terms and conditions get updated, sometimes without notice. That means a transfer-friendly program today could close its doors tomorrow. Keep an eye on the T&Cs. (Yes, read the boring stuff.)
2. Time limits exist. Many hotel programs require transfer requests within 12 months of death. Miss it, and the points can be gone.
3. Agents are human - sometimes helpful, sometimes not. You may find an empathetic agent who greases the wheels or a rules-by-book rep who insists on exact forms. Perseverance helps.
4. Some transfers cost money. For normal point transfers between living members you’ll sometimes pay fees; postmortem transfers may be free or charged depending on the program and circumstances. Expect to produce paperwork and possibly pay processing fees (United historically has had forms/fees, for instance).

Example scenarios: What likely happens?

• You’re a Hyatt diehard. Your spouse shares your address, submits the death certificate, and gets the points transferred (one-time rule applies). The heir now has the points in their name.
• You sit on a pile of Chase Ultimate Rewards and you die. The published rules say points may be forfeited at death; an executor might be able to get a statement credit or work with Chase in practice, but you should not rely on it. If you care where these points go, either use them now or designate someone with login access.
• You hoard Southwest points. Southwest’s T&Cs explicitly bar transfer to an estate - in practice, accounts close and the points are forfeited. Sad trombone.
• You’re an AAdvantage collector. Call AA’s estate line, provide documentation, and there’s a process to request a transfer; they may require time to ensure no competing claims. It’s doable, but paperwork-heavy.

The moral of the Story (+ the one ProTip that actually works)

The worst thing you can do is assume points are automatically inheritable. Treat them like an odd asset that needs attention in your estate planning. If you want your points to benefit people after you’re gone, either make them usable now (book travel or convert to something transferable) or make sure a trusted person has access and instructions. Otherwise, you might leave a tidy nest egg of internet air miles — which programs will happily reclaim for themselves. The Wall Street Journal and other outlets have repeatedly warned that many Americans learn this the hard way after a death.

Quick checklist: what to leave your executor (print this and tape it to your will)

• Membership numbers + program names
• Login info or password manager access (or explicit instruction on where to find it)
• Copies of program T&Cs you care about (the relevant pages or links)
• A statement: “Executor may redeem or transfer loyalty balances per program rules” (this helps)
• Contact info for the programs’ estates or deceased-member lines

Final brutal truth (but with a soft landing)

Points and miles are valuable only while someone can use them. The safest transfer mechanism is still human: tell someone you trust where the keys are. Legal documents help, but programs answer customer-service lines, not probate courts. If you want your points to be your legacy, make it explicit in the living world - donate them, book travel for loved ones, or set up an account in your partner’s name and keep it active. Anything else is optimistic paperwork and crossed-fingers.