What happens to Amex Rewards points when someone dies
American Express publishes its own process for a deceased person's account; the request starts by phone at 1-800-266-7064.
American Express decides what happens to Amex Rewards points after a death case by case; its terms promise no transfer.
American Express publishes its own process for a deceased person's account: American Express Guidance for Managing Deceased Accounts; the request starts by phone at 1-800-266-7064. The request takes 4 documents. American Express' customer service answers at 1-800-266-7064 (Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-10:00 PM ET).
How to request a transfer
- •The date of death
- •Contact information for the executor, trustee or attorney
- •The caller's relationship to the Card Member and contact information
- •A card eligible for transfer
- •An account closed no more than 1 year and not 30 days or more past due
- •A credit review of the applicant, who assumes the existing balance and future charges
Required Documents
- Date of death
- Executor, trustee or attorney contact information
- The caller's relationship to the Card Member and contact information
- Card account information
What American Express's terms say at death
- The terms
“Points don't belong to you and are not your property. You can't transfer them to someone else's Rewards Account, you can't sell them, and you can't pass them on as part of a legal action, such as a divorce, an inheritance or bankruptcy. ... 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. However: 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).”1
What American Express says happens8
- Who owns the asset
Points do not belong to the Card Member and are not their property; they cannot be transferred to someone else's Rewards Account, sold, or passed on as part of a divorce, an inheritance or bankruptcy.1
- Closing the account
If American Express cancels any of the Card Member's cards for any reason, including death, all points in the Rewards Account are lost.1
A New York Card Member, one with a New York billing address on a linked Card Account, can continue to use points for 90 days after the cancellation by calling the number on the back of the card.1
- Balances, payouts and refunds
The executor of the estate or personal representative may be able to make a one-time points redemption upon the Card Member's death, depending on the card, by calling the Membership Rewards line.1
A family member or third party handling the decedent's affairs is not personally responsible for the card debt; the estate or the business of the deceased Card Member bears ultimate responsibility for the account.2
American Express can provide instructions for interest-free monthly payments on the balance for up to 24 months on most Personal and Small Business accounts; for Corporate Cards it directs the caller to the company's Program Administrator.2
- How requests are reviewed
The one-time redemption is discretionary and depends on the card. American Express does not convert points automatically on notification of death; the executor requests the redemption.1
- Inactive accounts and expiry
If American Express cancels the Card Account due to inactivity, there are 90 days to use the points.1
- Verifying the requester
Anyone may notify American Express of the passing of a Card Member.2
- Transfer at death
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, assuming the existing balance and future charges.2
A takeover requires a card eligible for transfer, an account not closed for more than 1 year and not 30 days or more past due, and a credit review. No one is obliged to take it over, and requests from more than one eligible person are first-come, first-served.2
- Passwords and login
The death report and the one-time redemption run on account details and the caller's own identification, not on the Card Member's online credentials.2
Other companies and product lines involved1
- American Express National Bank
A deceased owner's savings and CD accounts, by a Deceased Letter of Instruction sent by mail or fax3
Fax: 1-800-542-0779
Mailing address: American Express National Bank, PO Box 30384, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0384
Not in Amex Rewards's published guidance7
- A mailing address for a written request
- A form for estate requests
- An estates upload portal, email address or fax number for card accounts
- A complete list of the documents to send
- How long a request takes
- A post-cancellation window outside New York
- The redemption types available after death
Sources3
- 1.Membership Rewards Terms and Conditions, Last Updated: September 2026
- 2.Guidance for Managing Deceased Accounts
- 3.American Express National Bank deceased account owner requirements
A written request to American Express can ask it to redeem the points to the estate, preserve the account while the estate is opened and transfer the points to a named family member.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter for Amex Rewards drafts that request from the estate's details.
Sources
Data sourced from American Express primary sources (5 pages reviewed). How we research.
Amex Rewards estate claims
American Express deceased cardmember line (Corporate Cards: 1-888-297-3947, Mon-Fri 8:00 am-8:00 pm EST)
Is this your situation?
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Forms for Settling an Estate
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Affidavit of Death
Put a joint owner's or a transfer on death deed owner's death on the land records with the affidavit your state's statute names, laid out for recording.
IRS Form 56
Notify the IRS that you are the fiduciary of an estate, a trust or a person, or end a notice filed before, on the official form.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
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