What to do when a Nintendo account holder dies
Nintendo of America Inc. accounts are forfeited under the program's terms when the account is closed
OverviewWhen someone dies
Nintendo Customer Support
Phone1-800-255-3700
WebsiteVisit website→
HoursMon-Sun 6am-7pm PT (English, Spanish, Portuguese); 7am-4pm PT (French). Closed major US holidays.
Nintendo Customer Support
Phone1-800-255-3700
Timeline
No published timeline. Nintendo does not document an inactivity deletion policy for accounts. Save Data Cloud backups remain accessible if Nintendo Switch Online is resubscribed within 180 days of expiration. Gold Points are valid for 12 months after the month earned. Gold Points earning on digital purchases, Nintendo New York store purchases, and eShop card balance usage ended at 9:30 PM PDT on March 24, 2025; Gold Points earning on physical Nintendo Switch software registration ended March 25, 2026; Platinum Points continue to be earnable.
WebsiteFile estate claim→
HoursMon-Sun 6am-7pm PT (English, Spanish, Portuguese); 7am-4pm PT (French). Closed major US holidays.
(General customer service)
Verified May 2026
Nintendo of America Inc.'s terms state that accounts are not the property of the account holder and are forfeited at death. The program does not provide a mechanism for transferring accounts to heirs.
Families have occasionally received goodwill accommodations from Nintendo of America Inc., but these are not part of the published terms and cannot be relied upon.
What to do
After a Nintendo account holder's death, here is how to proceed:
1
Nintendo has no published process for deceased account holders. Contact Nintendo Customer Support at 1-800-255-3700 to inquire about options; Nintendo's public position is that accounts cannot be transferred or sold to another person.
2
If you have the account credentials: sign in directly at accounts.nintendo.com and manage the account. Direct credential access is the only reliable path since there is no formal estate process.
3
Preserve the pass-enabled console (formerly "primary console") designation to keep family access to the digital library:
- •Do NOT delete the Nintendo Account. Deletion permanently wipes the digital license library, Gold Points, and eShop balance.
- •Do NOT deregister the pass-enabled console. As long as the account remains active and the Switch stays pass-enabled, other user profiles on that console can play the digital library without the account holder's credentials.
- •Avoid signing into the account on a different Switch; accessing the eShop from a different console can reassign pass-enabled status to that new console.
4
For Nintendo Switch Online cloud saves: if the membership expires, the account holder loses access to Save Data Cloud backups but can regain access by resubscribing within 180 days. Nintendo does not document what happens to backups after that 180-day window. Classic game libraries (NES, SNES, Game Boy, N64, Sega Genesis, GameCube) become inaccessible immediately when the membership lapses.
5
For Gold Points: points are valid until the last day of the month 12 months after the month they were earned. They can only be redeemed for eShop purchases - there is no way to transfer or cash them out. Nintendo discontinued earning Gold Points on digital purchases, Nintendo New York store purchases, and eShop card balance usage as of 9:30 PM PDT on March 24, 2025, and on physical Nintendo Switch software registration as of March 25, 2026. Existing points remain valid until their individual expiration dates. Platinum Points (from My Nintendo missions) continue to be earnable.
6
For Nintendo eShop balance: non-refundable and non-transferable. Use any remaining balance for eShop purchases before the account is closed, since the balance is permanently forfeited on account deletion.
7
For game save data: save data stored locally on the Switch console persists regardless of account status. Cloud saves require an active Nintendo Switch Online membership on the account that created the save.
8
For Animal Crossing: New Horizons: island save data cannot be backed up to Nintendo Switch Online cloud saves. The only transfer method is Nintendo's Island Transfer tool, which requires both the source and destination Switch consoles. If the console is lost, damaged, or wiped, the island data is permanently gone.
Required Documents
- No published requirements (no formal bereavement process exists)
- If contacting support: death certificate, proof of legal authority, and government-issued photo ID may be requested case-by-case (not guaranteed to unlock account access)
Timeline
No published timeline. Nintendo does not document an inactivity deletion policy for accounts. Save Data Cloud backups remain accessible if Nintendo Switch Online is resubscribed within 180 days of expiration. Gold Points are valid for 12 months after the month earned. Gold Points earning on digital purchases, Nintendo New York store purchases, and eShop card balance usage ended at 9:30 PM PDT on March 24, 2025; Gold Points earning on physical Nintendo Switch software registration ended March 25, 2026; Platinum Points continue to be earnable.
Frequently asked questions
No. Nintendo has no published bereavement form, support article, or documented path for handling deceased users' accounts. Nintendo's public position is that "neither your Nintendo Account nor your Nintendo Network ID can be transferred or sold to another person." The only option is to contact Nintendo Customer Support at 1-800-255-3700 and inquire directly.
No. Nintendo Support explicitly states Nintendo Accounts cannot be transferred or sold to another person, and the Nintendo Account User Agreement describes the account as personal and non-transferable. All games are licensed, not owned. The practical workaround is the pass-enabled console (formerly "primary console") mechanism, which lets other user profiles on the same Switch play the deceased's digital games as long as the account remains active.
Yes, through the pass-enabled console mechanism. If the deceased's Nintendo Account designated the Switch as its pass-enabled console (renamed from "primary console" when Switch 2 launched), other user profiles on that console can play the digital game library. This continues as long as (1) the Nintendo Account is not deleted, (2) the pass-enabled designation is not moved to another console, and (3) no one deregisters the console from the account.
Gold Points are valid until the last day of the month 12 months after the month they were earned and cannot be transferred or cashed out. As of 9:30 PM PDT on March 24, 2025, Nintendo discontinued earning Gold Points on digital purchases, Nintendo New York store purchases, and eShop card balance usage; as of March 25, 2026, earning on physical Nintendo Switch software registration also ended. Existing points remain valid until their individual expiration dates. Nintendo eShop balance is non-refundable and non-transferable. Both are permanently lost if the account is deleted.
No. A Nintendo Switch Online family membership covers up to 8 people, but it is linked to the purchaser's Nintendo Account, not shared ownership. The purchaser manages the group and handles renewal. If the purchaser's account becomes inaccessible, family members retain their own individual Nintendo Accounts but lose access to the family membership benefits once it lapses; each remaining member would need to buy their own membership.
No dedicated bereavement line. General Nintendo Customer Support is at 1-800-255-3700 (6am-7pm PT daily). Nintendo has no published estate claims email, and their support articles do not acknowledge a formal deceased-user workflow.
Since Nintendo accounts are forfeited at death under the official terms, accounts can only be used during the account holder's lifetime. Redeeming, transferring, or sharing accounts while the account is active preserves their value.
Nintendo Customer Support
Phone1-800-255-3700
WebsiteVisit website→
HoursMon-Sun 6am-7pm PT (English, Spanish, Portuguese); 7am-4pm PT (French). Closed major US holidays.
Nintendo Customer Support
Phone1-800-255-3700
Timeline
No published timeline. Nintendo does not document an inactivity deletion policy for accounts. Save Data Cloud backups remain accessible if Nintendo Switch Online is resubscribed within 180 days of expiration. Gold Points are valid for 12 months after the month earned. Gold Points earning on digital purchases, Nintendo New York store purchases, and eShop card balance usage ended at 9:30 PM PDT on March 24, 2025; Gold Points earning on physical Nintendo Switch software registration ended March 25, 2026; Platinum Points continue to be earnable.
WebsiteFile estate claim→
HoursMon-Sun 6am-7pm PT (English, Spanish, Portuguese); 7am-4pm PT (French). Closed major US holidays.
(General customer service)
Verified May 2026
