What happens to Marriott Bonvoy points when the owner dies
Marriott International has a formal process for transferring points after an account holder dies
Marriott Bonvoy Customer Service
Deceased Member Account Support
Marriott publishes no processing timeline and no submission deadline for a deceased-member points transfer. The Terms say only that the transfer "will be processed upon the Company's receipt and review of the required documentation," at Marriott's sole discretion. The one clock that does run is the points expiry policy: an account inactive for 24 consecutive months forfeits all accumulated points.
Marriott International offers a process for transferring Marriott Bonvoy points to family members after the account holder dies.
How to request a transfer
Follow these steps to initiate a transfer of Marriott Bonvoy points after the account holder's death:
- •Give the deceased member's full name and Marriott Bonvoy membership number, the date of death, and the recipient's name and Bonvoy membership number.
- •Marriott replies by email with a secure link for uploading the supporting documentation.
- •The will of the deceased, or an attorney's attestation that there is no will
- •The death certificate of the deceased member
- •A marriage certificate evidencing the marriage, if the requestor is the spouse
- •Two forms of legal identification of the requestor
- •The recipient's Marriott Bonvoy account number
Required Documents
- Death certificate of the deceased member
- The deceased member's will, or an attorney's attestation that there is no will
- Marriage certificate evidencing the marriage, if the requestor is the spouse
- Two forms of legal identification of the requestor
- Deceased member's Marriott Bonvoy account number
- Recipient's Marriott Bonvoy account number (the account must have been open at least 30 days with qualifying activity, or 90 days without)
Timeline
Marriott publishes no processing timeline and no submission deadline for a deceased-member points transfer. The Terms say only that the transfer "will be processed upon the Company's receipt and review of the required documentation," at Marriott's sole discretion. The one clock that does run is the points expiry policy: an account inactive for 24 consecutive months forfeits all accumulated points.
Frequently asked questions
Under Section 1.6.c.ii of the Loyalty Program Terms, Marriott "may, in its sole discretion, allow a one-time transfer of unredeemed Points from the deceased Member's Account to a single recipient, who must be either the legal spouse or named in the deceased Member's will as the intended recipient" of the points. The request requires the will (or an attorney's attestation that there is no will), the death certificate, a marriage certificate if the requestor is the spouse, and two forms of legal identification. Awards, hotel stays, Elite Membership Status, Lifetime Membership Status, and Elite Night Credits do not transfer.
No. The Loyalty Program Terms state that the Loyalty Program, Points, and Awards "are the sole property of the Company, and are not the property of Members," so the points are not an estate asset and cannot be transferred into the estate. What the Terms do allow is a one-time, discretionary transfer of unredeemed points to a single qualifying survivor — the legal spouse, or the person named in the will as the intended recipient of the loyalty program points. Split transfers are not permitted, and Marriott decides each request.
Marriott does not publish a specific deadline for submitting an estate transfer request. However, it is advisable to submit the request promptly, as Marriott retains sole discretion over whether to approve the transfer and the account must be in good standing.
No. Elite Membership Status, Lifetime Elite Status, Elite Night Credits, awards, and hotel stay benefits do not transfer to the recipient of the deceased member's points. Only unredeemed points are eligible for the estate transfer process.
Only the legal spouse or a person explicitly named in the deceased member's will as the intended recipient of loyalty program points can receive the transfer. The recipient must have an active Marriott Bonvoy account that is at least 30 days old. Points can only go to a single account.
Per the Marriott Loyalty Program Terms and Conditions, the required documentation includes (1) the deceased member's will, or an attorney's attestation that there is no will; (2) a certified death certificate; (3) a marriage certificate, if the requestor is the legal spouse; and (4) two forms of legal identification of the requestor. The request is submitted through the Deceased Member Account Support form on help.marriott.com, which provides a secure link to upload documentation.
The recipient can use transferred points under the program's normal terms. Keeping the deceased account holder's account number and contact details on file simplifies this process for the executor or surviving family.
Sources
Data sourced from Marriott International primary sources (7 pages reviewed). How we research.
Marriott Bonvoy Customer Service
Deceased Member Account Support
Marriott publishes no processing timeline and no submission deadline for a deceased-member points transfer. The Terms say only that the transfer "will be processed upon the Company's receipt and review of the required documentation," at Marriott's sole discretion. The one clock that does run is the points expiry policy: an account inactive for 24 consecutive months forfeits all accumulated points.
