What happens to Emerald Club free days when the owner dies

National Car Rental free days are forfeited under the program's terms when the account is closed

National Car Rental

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Emerald Club Member Services

HoursGeneral Member Services 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM Eastern, 7 days a week; option 5 reaches a loyalty specialist 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM Central, Mon-Fri; general National Customer Service at 1-844-393-9989 available 24/7

Emerald Club Member Services

Phone1-800-962-7070

Timeline

No formal process; Free Days are forfeited upon membership termination

WebsiteFile estate claim→

(General customer service)

Verified Jul 2026

When a Emerald Club account holder dies, free days are forfeited under National Car Rental's terms. The account balance has no transferable value, and there is no formal process for heirs to claim free days.

Families have occasionally received goodwill accommodations from National Car Rental, but these are not part of the published terms and cannot be relied upon.

What to do

If a Emerald Club account holder has passed away, here is what to do:

Contact Emerald Club Member Services at 1-800-962-7070 (general line 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM Eastern 7 days a week; option 5 reaches a loyalty specialist 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM Central, Mon-Fri) to report the death of a member. General National Customer Service at 1-844-393-9989 is available 24/7 for account access issues.

Note: Under the 2026 Emerald Club Terms and Conditions (effective February 5, 2026), Free Days "do not constitute property" of the member and cannot be redeemed for cash or other value, including upon termination of membership.

If the deceased had pending rental credits (from rentals completed before death but not yet converted to Free Days), contact Member Services promptly:

•Provide a certified copy of the death certificate
•Ask whether any unconverted rental credits can be applied to a qualifying rental before profile dissolution

The member's profile will be dissolved upon termination, and accumulated Free Days are forfeited. There is no formal estate claims process.

Required Documents

Certified copy of the death certificate
Deceased member's Emerald Club account number

Timeline

No formal process; Free Days are forfeited upon membership termination

Download instructions for the whole estate

Frequently asked questions

Free Days are forfeited. The terms state they "do not constitute property" and cannot be redeemed upon membership termination. The member's profile is dissolved and Free Days cannot be transferred to an estate or beneficiary.

No. Free Days are explicitly classified as non-property in the program terms. There is no estate transfer mechanism or claims process. An executor can still contact Member Services to ask whether National will, as a discretionary courtesy, transfer Free Days to an immediate family member, but National is not obligated to do so.

Since Emerald Club free days are forfeited at death under the official terms, free days can only be used during the account holder's lifetime. Redeeming, transferring, or sharing free days while the account is active preserves their value.