What happens to Netflix accounts when the owner dies

The account itself cannot be transferred. Section 1.8 of the Terms of Use grants "a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access the Netflix service," and adds that "no right, title or interest shall be transferred to you." The Terms do not address death or succession. What can carry over is profile data, not the account: individual profiles can be copied to a family member's own new or existing account using Profile Transfer, preserving viewing history, recommendations, My List, game saves, and settings.

It is a request, not a right. A redeemed gift card becomes a prepaid Netflix Balance that does not expire and is capped at $500. Section 3 of the Netflix Gift Card and Balance Terms states the balance is "not refundable and may not be redeemed for cash or any cash equivalent, except if you are entitled to receive a refund for cancellations or nonconformity under the mandatory laws of your country of residence." Section 2.8 of the Terms of Use separately records that Netflix may provide "a refund, discount, or other consideration" at "our sole and absolute discretion." An executor can ask Netflix to release an unconsumed balance on that basis, citing the balance figure. Netflix decides. Note that cancelling while a balance remains does not end the subscription immediately -- under the same Section 3, the subscription is cancelled only after the balance has been consumed.

Netflix keeps Viewing Activity for 24 months after an account closes, along with recommendations, ratings, account details, gameplay history, and game saves, so the account can be restarted within that window. A copy of the account's personal information can be requested at netflix.com/account/getmyinfo, which takes up to 30 days from the date Netflix verifies the request.

It can be requested. Netflix documents that the data it holds includes "Payment and Billing Information -- payment details you have provided to Netflix and information about the charges we have made or attempted to make to your payment method for your subscription." The account owner's own route is the self-service export at netflix.com/account/getmyinfo. For someone acting on the member's behalf, Netflix's Privacy Statement documents an authorized-agent route: the agent submits the request to privacy@netflix.com "along with a statement, certifying as may be required, that the agent is authorized to act on your behalf." Netflix may ask for further verification and decides what it releases.

Not on the same account long-term. Family members can use Profile Transfer to copy their profiles to their own accounts, which they pay for separately, before the original account is cancelled. Extra Members (a paid add-on) also lose access when the primary account closes.

Netflix's help article on cancelling a deceased member's account documents no death certificate requirement. Where the account is accessible, it can be cancelled directly. Where it is not, Netflix asks for the account email address or phone number and the full current payment information to identify the account. A death certificate and letters of appointment are still worth enclosing with any discretionary request for a balance or for records, because those are what evidence an executor's authority.

Last. Profile Transfer only works while the source account is active, and a request about an unconsumed Netflix Balance is easier to put while the balance is still on a live account. Netflix does preserve account data for 24 months after closure, but the transfer path does not survive cancellation. Stopping the third-party biller, where there is one, is the step that actually stops the charge.