What happens to CVS ExtraBucks when the owner dies
CVS Pharmacy, Inc. ExtraBucks are forfeited under the program's terms when the account is closed
ExtraCare Customer Service
ExtraCare Customer Service (no dedicated estates channel is published; the email form states CVS responds within two business days)
There is no estate-claim timeline for ExtraBucks Rewards; they are non-transferable, have no cash value, and expire 90 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which they were issued regardless of the member's status. For ExtraCare Plus, cancellation must be completed at least three days before the renewal date to stop the next charge; benefits are provided until the effective date of cancellation and there are no refunds once a charge has processed. CVS publishes no service-level timeline for a prescription-records request; the ExtraCare Customer Care contact form states CVS will respond within two business days.
Under CVS Pharmacy, Inc.'s terms, CVS ExtraBucks do not constitute property of the account holder and are forfeited when the account is closed upon death. There is no established process for transferring ExtraBucks to heirs or the estate.
Some families have reported receiving accommodations from CVS Pharmacy, Inc. customer service, though this is not part of the official policy.
What to do
When a CVS account holder dies, these are the steps to take:
- •Cancel online at the ExtraCare Plus cancellation page (https://www.cvs.com/extracareplus/cancellation)
- •Call 1-800-SHOP-CVS (1-800-746-7287), TTY 711
- •Cancel at least three days before the renewal date — CVS states there are no refunds for membership fees after the recurring charge is processed, and benefits are provided until the effective date of cancellation
- •Complete CVS Pharmacy's Authorization for Disclosure of Protected Health Information (https://www.cvs.com/bizcontent/forms/CVS_Pharmacy_DISCLOSURE_AUTHORIZATION_FORM_v2.pdf) and select "My complete Patient Prescription Record (PPR), which reflects my prescription history and any other pharmacy services, including immunizations"
- •Sign on the "Signature of Patient/Personal Representative" line; the form directs anyone signing other than the patient to print their full name and explain their authority to act, and notes CVS Pharmacy may request additional paperwork (attach Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration and the death certificate)
- •Submit it by mail to One CVS Drive, MC-B120, Woonsocket, RI 02895, by fax to 401-652-1593, or by email to PrescriptionRecordSvcCenter@cvshealth.com (CVS notes email is not secure unless encrypted)
- •For any other health-information right (an accounting of disclosures, a copy of records held outside the pharmacy), write the CVS Health Privacy Office, One CVS Drive, Woonsocket, RI 02895, PrivacyOffice@CVSHealth.com, 1-833-571-1784
Required Documents
- No documents are required to cancel ExtraCare Plus — CVS allows cancellation online or by phone (1-800-746-7287) without estate documentation
- No documents are published for ExtraBucks Rewards, because CVS states rewards do not constitute property of any ExtraCare member and there is no estate-claim process
- For a prescription record: CVS Pharmacy's Authorization for Disclosure of Protected Health Information, signed on the Patient/Personal Representative line with the signer's authority explained
- Certified copy of the death certificate (for the prescription-records request, and to accompany any goodwill request to ExtraCare Customer Care)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, or other evidence of authority to act for the estate — CVS Pharmacy states it may request additional paperwork from anyone signing the authorization on a patient's behalf
Timeline
There is no estate-claim timeline for ExtraBucks Rewards; they are non-transferable, have no cash value, and expire 90 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which they were issued regardless of the member's status. For ExtraCare Plus, cancellation must be completed at least three days before the renewal date to stop the next charge; benefits are provided until the effective date of cancellation and there are no refunds once a charge has processed. CVS publishes no service-level timeline for a prescription-records request; the ExtraCare Customer Care contact form states CVS will respond within two business days.
Frequently asked questions
CVS's ExtraCare Terms and Conditions state that participation in the ExtraCare Program is personal and non-transferable, that membership is nontransferable and nonsalable and limited to one account per individual, and that rewards have no cash value and do not constitute property of any ExtraCare member. There is no transfer right and no estate-claim process, so unredeemed ExtraBucks are forfeited in practice. A survivor can still write to ExtraCare Customer Service and ask, as a goodwill matter, whether the balance can be reissued or honored for a named family member — CVS decides that at its discretion, and nothing in the terms obliges it to.
No. CVS states that rewards and benefits available via the ExtraCare Program "have no cash value; are not redeemable for cash, gift certificates or gift cards; are purely promotional; and do not constitute property of any ExtraCare member." They cannot be cashed out, converted to gift cards, or claimed as an asset of the estate.
CVS states that 2% back ExtraBucks Rewards expire 90 days from the end of each calendar quarter following their date of issue — the quarters ending March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 — and that members must redeem rewards before their stated expiration date. The clock runs on that schedule regardless of the member's status, so an unused balance lapses on its own after a death.
It keeps billing. ExtraCare Plus costs $5 per month or $48 annually plus applicable tax, and CVS states membership "requires recurring charges to your payment card and automatically renews until canceled." An executor should cancel it. CVS states memberships cannot be canceled in store — cancel online at cvs.com/extracareplus/cancellation or by calling 1-800-SHOP-CVS (1-800-746-7287, TTY 711), at least three days before the renewal date. There are no refunds for membership fees after a recurring charge has processed, and benefits run until the effective date of cancellation.
No. ExtraCare Plus members receive a monthly $10 bonus reward loaded to the ExtraCare account, but CVS states bonus rewards "are promotional, do not constitute property, have no cash value, are not redeemable for cash except as otherwise required by law," and are "not transferable." A bonus reward is also valid on a single transaction only and expires on its stated date, so it is not something the estate can collect or convert — it is one more reason to cancel the membership rather than let it keep charging.
CVS publishes no deceased-member process, estate-claim form, or bereavement channel for ExtraCare, and its terms contain no death clause at all. The only published intake is ExtraCare Customer Service — the email form at cvs.com/retail/help/extracare-contact-us.html (CVS responds within two business days) or 1-800-746-7287, Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM EST and Saturday to Sunday 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM EST. Cancelling a paid ExtraCare Plus membership requires no estate documents at all; it can be done online or by phone.
This is separate from ExtraCare, and it is the part of CVS that actually holds something worth requesting. CVS Pharmacy is a HIPAA covered entity, and its Notice of Privacy Practices states: "Upon your death, we may share your PHI with a person allowed by law to act for your estate." CVS publishes an Authorization for Disclosure of Protected Health Information with a "Signature of Patient/Personal Representative" line; a signer other than the patient prints their name and explains their authority, and CVS may request additional paperwork such as Letters Testamentary and the death certificate. Selecting the complete Patient Prescription Record produces the prescription history and other pharmacy services, including immunizations. Submit the form to One CVS Drive, MC-B120, Woonsocket, RI 02895, fax 401-652-1593, or PrescriptionRecordSvcCenter@cvshealth.com. A reasonable fee may be charged as permitted by HIPAA and state law.
Under the official terms, ExtraBucks have no value after the account holder dies. The only way to preserve the value of CVS ExtraBucks is to redeem, transfer, or share them while the account is active.
Sources
Data sourced from CVS Pharmacy, Inc. primary sources (7 pages reviewed). How we research.
ExtraCare Customer Service
ExtraCare Customer Service (no dedicated estates channel is published; the email form states CVS responds within two business days)
There is no estate-claim timeline for ExtraBucks Rewards; they are non-transferable, have no cash value, and expire 90 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which they were issued regardless of the member's status. For ExtraCare Plus, cancellation must be completed at least three days before the renewal date to stop the next charge; benefits are provided until the effective date of cancellation and there are no refunds once a charge has processed. CVS publishes no service-level timeline for a prescription-records request; the ExtraCare Customer Care contact form states CVS will respond within two business days.
