What happens to Avis Preferred points when the owner dies
Avis Budget Group has a formal process for transferring points after an account holder dies
Avis Customer Service (Avis Preferred Points death transfer)
Avis publishes no processing timeline for a death transfer of Avis Preferred Points, and no deadline of its own for making the request. The transfer is discretionary and turns on Avis receiving and reviewing the documentation and communications it requests, so timing varies. The 60-month point expiration measured from when each point was earned and the 12-month inactivity forfeiture both continue to run while a request is pending, which is what puts the balance at risk when a request is delayed.
Avis Budget Group offers a process for transferring Avis Preferred points to family members after the account holder dies.
How to request a transfer
Follow these steps to initiate a transfer of Avis Preferred points after the account holder's death:
- •Certified copy of the death certificate
- •Deceased member's Avis Preferred account number
- •Recipient's active Avis Preferred account number
- •Executor or estate administrator documentation (for example, Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration), if Avis asks for proof of authority
- •A written request identifying the recipient and the points balance, signed by the executor or administrator
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Deceased member's Avis Preferred account number
- Recipient's active Avis Preferred account number
- Written request identifying the recipient and the points balance, signed by the executor or administrator
- Executor or estate administrator documentation (for example, Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration), if requested by Avis
Timeline
Avis publishes no processing timeline for a death transfer of Avis Preferred Points, and no deadline of its own for making the request. The transfer is discretionary and turns on Avis receiving and reviewing the documentation and communications it requests, so timing varies. The 60-month point expiration measured from when each point was earned and the 12-month inactivity forfeiture both continue to run while a request is pending, which is what puts the balance at risk when a request is delayed.
Frequently asked questions
Section 4.g of the Avis Preferred Loyalty Program Terms and Conditions provides that Avis may, in its sole discretion, allow a deceased member's unredeemed points to be transferred to a family member or friend who is an active Avis Preferred member, after Avis receives and reviews all requested documentation and communications. The transfer is discretionary rather than automatic. Where no eligible active member receives the points, they are forfeited on termination of the membership, at the 60-month point expiration, or once the account becomes Inactive.
No. The terms describe only a discretionary transfer to a family member or friend who is already an active Avis Preferred member. Section 5.e states that program benefits and services "are the sole property of Avis, and are not the property of Avis Preferred Members," that unredeemed points are forfeited on termination of membership for any reason, and that Avis "will not compensate or pay cash for any forfeited or unused Avis Preferred Points." Points are not payable to an estate or a trust and have no cash value.
A family member or friend who already holds an active Avis Preferred membership. The recipient's membership has to be active when Avis reviews the request, so the recipient enrolls (free at avis.com) before the request goes in. The deceased member's Preferred status and tier benefits are not part of what Avis may transfer; Section 4.g reaches unredeemed points only.
Section 4.g conditions the transfer on "Avis's receipt and review of all requested documentation and communications," so Avis names the exact list when the request is opened. Have ready a certified copy of the death certificate, the deceased member's and the recipient's Avis Preferred account numbers, a signed written request identifying the recipient and the balance, and executor or administrator documentation such as Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration if Avis asks for proof of authority. Avis Customer Service at 1-800-352-7900 opens the request.
Under Section 4.a, points are valid for sixty (60) months from when they were earned, and points are separately forfeited without notice once the member becomes Inactive, meaning that during a 12-month period the member completed no eligible rental, earned or redeemed no points, or the account was cancelled. Points earned by residents of Ontario, Canada do not expire on the 60-month clock but can still be cancelled for inactivity. Both clocks keep running while a death transfer request is pending.
There is no probate-specific closure form. An account with no qualifying activity for 12 months becomes Inactive and its points are forfeited, so the membership can be left to lapse once any transfer request is resolved. Section 5.b of the terms states that a membership is cancelled by emailing the Avis Shared Service Center at profile.update@avisbudget.com, which is the published channel if the family wants the account affirmatively closed. Cancelling forfeits unredeemed points immediately, so it belongs after the points question is settled.
The Avis Preferred Loyalty Program Terms and Conditions state no fee for a Section 4.g death transfer, and Avis publishes no fee schedule for one. Confirm any current charge with Avis Customer Service at 1-800-352-7900 when the request is opened.
Once transferred, points are subject to the program's standard terms. Having the deceased account holder's details documented in advance makes the transfer process significantly easier for the family.
Sources
Data sourced from Avis Budget Group primary sources (6 pages reviewed). How we research.
Avis Customer Service (Avis Preferred Points death transfer)
Avis publishes no processing timeline for a death transfer of Avis Preferred Points, and no deadline of its own for making the request. The transfer is discretionary and turns on Avis receiving and reviewing the documentation and communications it requests, so timing varies. The 60-month point expiration measured from when each point was earned and the 12-month inactivity forfeiture both continue to run while a request is pending, which is what puts the balance at risk when a request is delayed.
