What to do when a Amazon account holder dies
Amazon.com, Inc. has a formal process for transferring accounts after an account holder dies
Amazon Customer Service
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Amazon Bereavement Support (Sellers)
Timeline
No published timeline for bereavement requests. No documented inactivity deletion policy for Amazon consumer accounts. AWS accounts have a 90-day post-closure recovery window. Amazon Pay inactive balances are escheated to state government after a notification period. Twitch accounts inactive for 12+ months may be reclaimed.
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Verified Mar 2026
Amazon has a formal bereavement support process. Family members can contact Amazon with a death certificate, account email/phone, proof of estate authorization (e.g., letters testamentary), and photo ID. If you have access to the account email, you can sign in directly using "Forgot password." For seller accounts, contact bereavement-support-cs@amazon.com. Amazon's Conditions of Use grant only a "limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable license" for all digital content. All digital purchases (Kindle books, Prime Video, Music, Audible, apps, games) are licensed, not sold, and cannot be inherited or transferred.
How to request a transfer
To request a transfer of Amazon accounts after an account holder's death, follow these steps:
1
If you have access to the account email: use "Forgot password" at amazon.com to reset the password and sign in directly. This bypasses the formal process entirely and gives you full account access.
2
If you do NOT have email access: contact Amazon bereavement support and provide:
- •Death certificate
- •Email address or phone number linked to the Amazon account
- •Proof of authorization as estate representative (letters testamentary, executor documentation)
- •Government-issued photo ID
3
For seller accounts: contact bereavement-support-cs@amazon.com directly.
4
Download Amazon Photos before closing the account. Unlike licensed digital content, photos are user-owned content. Prime members get unlimited photo storage, but storage reverts to 5GB when Prime lapses, and excess files may be deleted.
5
Understand that ALL digital content licenses terminate with the account: Kindle books, Prime Video purchases, Amazon Music purchases, Audible audiobooks, app purchases, and game purchases are all non-transferable. There is no mechanism to transfer digital media to another account.
6
For Ring devices: contact Ring support with the deceased owner's email, device MAC address (serial number), and executor documentation. Ring can transfer device ownership to your account. Alternatively, through the Ring app, request device ownership; the previous owner receives 3 emails over 15 days, and if no response, the device transfers to you.
7
For AWS accounts: root user credentials are required to close the account. AWS Support cannot close accounts on your behalf. Running infrastructure continues to accrue charges until the account is closed. After closure, there is a 90-day period during which the account can be reopened, then it is permanently closed.
8
For gift card balances: balances cannot be transferred between accounts but can be used for purchases on the deceased's account before closure. For Amazon Pay balances, contact customer service to request a disbursement.
Required Documents
- Death certificate
- Account email address or phone number
- Proof of estate authorization (letters testamentary, executor documentation)
- Government-issued photo ID
Timeline
No published timeline for bereavement requests. No documented inactivity deletion policy for Amazon consumer accounts. AWS accounts have a 90-day post-closure recovery window. Amazon Pay inactive balances are escheated to state government after a notification period. Twitch accounts inactive for 12+ months may be reclaimed.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Amazon has a formal bereavement support process. Provide a death certificate, the account email/phone, proof of estate authorization, and photo ID. For seller accounts, contact bereavement-support-cs@amazon.com. If you have access to the account email, you can reset the password and sign in directly.
No. Kindle content is licensed, not sold. Per the Kindle Store Terms: "Each copy of Kindle Content you purchase may only be redeemed by a single Amazon.com user account and cannot be revoked or transferred by you after redemption." When the account is closed, access to all Kindle content is permanently lost.
All are licensed, not sold, under non-transferable license terms. Prime Video, Amazon Music purchases, and Audible audiobooks cannot be transferred to another account or inherited. Audible credits have no cash value and are non-refundable. All access is lost when the account is closed.
Yes. Ring has a specific process for deceased or medically incapacitated owners. Provide the deceased's email, device MAC address (serial number), and executor documentation. Ring support transfers the device to your account. Alternatively, request ownership through the Ring app; if the previous owner doesn't respond to 3 emails over 15 days, the device transfers automatically.
AWS has no published bereavement process. Root user credentials are required to close the account, and AWS Support cannot close it on your behalf. Running infrastructure (EC2 instances, S3 storage, databases) continues accruing charges until the account is closed. After closure, there is a 90-day recovery window before permanent deletion.
Gift card balances cannot be transferred between accounts, are not refundable (except as required by law), and never expire. The balance can be used for purchases on the deceased's account before closure. Amazon Pay balances from inactive accounts are escheated to the account holder's state of residency under unclaimed property laws.
After the transfer is complete, the recipient can use the accounts according to the program's standard terms. Document the deceased account holder's details to make this process easier for your executor or family.
Amazon Customer Service
WebsiteVisit website →
Amazon Bereavement Support (Sellers)
Timeline
No published timeline for bereavement requests. No documented inactivity deletion policy for Amazon consumer accounts. AWS accounts have a 90-day post-closure recovery window. Amazon Pay inactive balances are escheated to state government after a notification period. Twitch accounts inactive for 12+ months may be reclaimed.
WebsiteSubmit claim online →
Verified Mar 2026