Estate planning as a Amtrak Guest Rewards account holder

Amtrak Guest Rewards is the loyalty program for Amtrak, the national passenger railroad service. Points are earned through train travel, credit card spending, and partner purchases, and can be redeemed for train tickets, upgrades, hotels, and rental cars. The program has an explicit non-transfer-at-death policy: the terms state "Accrued points are not transferable in the event of Member death or divorce."

When a Amtrak Guest Rewards account holder dies, their points are forfeited. The program's terms state that points do not constitute property of the account holder and cannot be transferred upon death, by operation of law, or through estate planning documents.

During their lifetime, Amtrak Guest Rewards members can transfer points to other program members for a fee. This provides a straightforward way to share accumulated value.

What happens at death

The Amtrak Guest Rewards Program Terms and Conditions state, in Section F (Amtrak Guest Rewards Conditions): "Accrued points are not transferable in the event of Member death or divorce." Points in a deceased member's account are forfeited. Section C separately provides that "Accrued points, reward trips and coupons have no cash value except where required by applicable law and do not constitute property. Points represent a limited, revocable, non-transferable contractual right granted by Amtrak." The terms therefore disclaim the balance as property at all, rather than treating it as an asset of the member or of the member's estate. Amtrak publishes no estate claims process and no exception mechanism. Section D adds that a member's points automatically and immediately expire, and the member forfeits them, if the member terminates membership, and that forfeited or expired points are not reinstated even if the individual later re-joins the Program.

Frequently asked questions