Estate planning as a Amex Rewards account holder
American Express reviews transfer requests for points individually upon receipt of documentation
American Express deceased cardmember line (Corporate Cards: 1-888-297-3947, Mon-Fri 8:00 am-8:00 pm EST)
American Express Membership Rewards is one of the most valuable transferable points currencies, earned on Amex Platinum, Gold, Green, and select business cards. Points transfer to a roster of airline and hotel loyalty partners (most at 1:1, with some at lower ratios) and can be redeemed for travel, statement credits, gift cards, and purchases at select merchants. Points do not expire as long as an enrolled card remains open. The Membership Rewards Terms explicitly state that points "don't belong to you and are not your property" and that you "can't pass them on as part of a legal action, such as a divorce, an inheritance or bankruptcy." However, Amex makes a specific exception allowing an executor or personal representative to request a one-time redemption after the cardholder's death.
When a Amex Rewards account holder dies, their points may be transferred to a designated person at American Express's sole discretion. A transfer is not guaranteed, and satisfactory documentation is required before processing any request.
What happens at death
Under the current Membership Rewards Terms and Conditions (Last Updated: June 2026), points "don't belong to you and are not your property"; you cannot transfer them to someone else's Rewards Account, sell them, or pass them on as part of a legal action such as a divorce, an inheritance, or bankruptcy. In the Lose Points section the Terms state: "When we cancel your Product: If we cancel any of your Products for any reason (including your death, insolvency or bankruptcy), you'll lose all the points in your Rewards Account." Three exceptions follow, the first of which is the death exception: "The executor of your estate or personal representative may be able to make a one-time points redemption upon your death, depending on your Product, by calling 1-800-AXP-EARN (297-3276)." A footnote on the forfeiture sentence adds that New York Card Members (a Card Member with a New York billing address on a linked Card Account) can continue to use points in that scenario for 90 days by calling the number on the back of the Card. Separately, American Express publishes a deceased-cardmember process on its Guidance for Managing Deceased Accounts page: anyone may notify Amex of the passing of a Card Member by calling 1-800-266-7064 (Mon-Fri, 8:00 am to 10:00 pm EST; Corporate Cards 1-888-297-3947, Mon-Fri 8:00 am to 8:00 pm EST). That page also publishes an account-takeover path: a person appointed by a will or court order, or handling the decedent's affairs, may request that the account be cancelled or, if eligible, apply to become the new Basic Card Member, which requires the Card to be eligible for transfer, the account to be closed no more than 1 year and not 30 or more days past due, and the applicant to pass a credit review.
Planning your estate
Protecting Amex Rewards points while the account is active
No beneficiary designation, lifetime transfer options for points, and 7-step plan.
View details →When someone dies
Handling Amex Rewards points after a death
Transfer is handled on a case-by-case basis, 7-step process, and 4 required documents.
View details →Amex Rewards does not support beneficiary designations. Unlike bank accounts or investment accounts, there is no way to formally name a beneficiary on this type of account.
Frequently asked questions
Transfer points to airline and hotel partner loyalty programs during your lifetime. Add family members as Additional Card Members (90-day minimum), then transfer points to their partner loyalty accounts. Once points are in a Delta, Hilton, or other partner account, they follow that program's rules. This is the most reliable way to preserve value.
No. Points cannot be transferred between Amex accounts. They can only be transferred to airline/hotel partner loyalty program accounts held by the Basic Card Member or an Additional Card Member linked for at least 90 days.
No, as long as at least one enrolled Membership Rewards Product stays open. Under the current Terms, cancelling or unenrolling the last linked Product causes the immediate loss of all points in the Rewards Account (a last linked Corporate Card allows redemption for up to 30 days). If Amex cancels the account due to inactivity, there are 90 days to use the points before losing them. Points generally cannot be used while a Product is in restricted status, cancelled, past due, or carrying a returned payment.
Per the Terms, the Rewards Account is linked to a partner loyalty program account before points can be transferred, and the partner account must be in the Basic Card Member's name or in the name of an Additional Card Member whose Additional Card was issued at least 90 days before the linking. Transfers cannot be reversed once made, and the partner program's own terms then govern the miles or points. A U.S. airline frequent flyer transfer carries an excise tax offset fee of $0.0006 per point, capped at $99. The partner roster and the transfer ratios change over time and are published in the Amex transfer portal at global.americanexpress.com/rewards/transfer, which requires an account login; the live portal is the place to confirm which partners and ratios apply before counting on a transfer.
No. Most partners transfer at 1:1, but several do not, and both the roster and the ratios move: partners have been added, suspended, and removed (for example, U.S.-side transfers to Emirates Skywards were paused in May 2025, and Etihad Guest was scheduled to leave the program after June 29, 2026). American Express publishes the live partner list and the current ratios in the transfer portal at global.americanexpress.com/rewards/transfer, which requires an account login and is the only authoritative source for what a given partner pays today.
Sources
Data sourced from American Express primary sources (7 pages reviewed). How we research.
American Express deceased cardmember line (Corporate Cards: 1-888-297-3947, Mon-Fri 8:00 am-8:00 pm EST)
