What happens to Radisson Rewards points when the owner dies
Radisson Hotel Group has a formal process for transferring points after an account holder dies
Radisson Rewards Member Services
Radisson Loyalty Management B.V., Avenue du Bourget 44, 1130 Brussels, Belgium
Radisson Rewards Member Services
Radisson Loyalty Management B.V., Avenue du Bourget 44, 1130 Brussels, Belgium
The request must be made within one year of the date of death; the Program Terms provide that otherwise the deceased member's account is closed and all points are forfeited. Radisson publishes no processing time for a request that is made in time. Separately, points may be voided after any 24-month period without points activity, so a dormant balance can be reduced before the one-year window is even reached.
(General customer service)
The Radisson Rewards Program Terms contain an "Upon Death" provision in the Transferring Points section: points belonging to a Radisson Rewards or Radisson Rewards for Bookers and Planners member who is deceased may be transferred to the account of the deceased member's beneficiary or beneficiaries in Radisson's sole discretion. Three conditions are stated. The membership must have been in good standing at the time of death. The request must include documentation showing proof of death, such as a death certificate, and proof of authority to make the request, such as court documents or the decedent's will. And the request must be made within one year of the date of death, failing which the deceased member's account is closed and all points are forfeited. Two other clauses frame what the transfer is not. Section 6.g provides that points "have no cash value and do not constitute member property", and that the only right a member acquires in points is the opportunity to surrender them for redemption. Section 7.i provides that membership, points, Award Nights, Elite Tier and other programme benefits may not be transferred or given away "including without limitation as part of a domestic relations matter, divorce, inheritance, or otherwise by operation of law", except as the Program Terms expressly allow — the Upon Death clause being that express allowance. The transfer is therefore a discretionary route to a named beneficiary, not an estate asset. The Terms say nothing about whether Elite Tier or accrued stay credit follow the points; Section 7.i lists Elite Tier among the benefits that may not be transferred.
How to request a transfer
Here is the process for transferring Radisson Rewards points after the account holder dies:
- •Documentation showing proof of death, such as a death certificate.
- •Proof of authority to make the request, such as court documents or the decedent's will.
- •The deceased member's Radisson Rewards membership number.
- •The name and Radisson Rewards account details of the beneficiary the points are to be transferred to — the clause describes a transfer "to the account of the deceased member's beneficiary(ies)", so the recipient needs an account.
Required Documents
- Proof of death, such as a certified death certificate
- Proof of authority to make the request, such as court documents (letters testamentary or letters of administration) or the decedent's will
- Deceased member's Radisson Rewards membership number
- The beneficiary's Radisson Rewards account details, as the clause transfers points into a beneficiary's account
Timeline
The request must be made within one year of the date of death; the Program Terms provide that otherwise the deceased member's account is closed and all points are forfeited. Radisson publishes no processing time for a request that is made in time. Separately, points may be voided after any 24-month period without points activity, so a dormant balance can be reduced before the one-year window is even reached.
Frequently asked questions
The Program Terms contain an "Upon Death" clause. Points belonging to a member who is deceased may be transferred to the account of the deceased member's beneficiary or beneficiaries in Radisson's sole discretion, provided the membership was in good standing at the time of death. The request must include documentation showing proof of death, such as a death certificate, and proof of authority to make the request, such as court documents or the decedent's will, and it must be made within one year of the date of death — otherwise the Terms provide that the account is closed and all points are forfeited.
Yes, and it is the term most likely to cost a family the balance. The Upon Death clause requires the request to be made within one year of the date of death. The Terms state that otherwise the deceased member's account will be closed and all points forfeited. A separate rule also allows Radisson to void points, in its sole discretion and without notice, after any 24-month period with no points activity.
Not to the estate. Section 6.g of the Terms states that points have no cash value and do not constitute member property, and Section 7.i states that membership, points, Award Nights, Elite Tier and other programme benefits may not be transferred or given away "including without limitation as part of a domestic relations matter, divorce, inheritance, or otherwise by operation of law", except as the Terms expressly allow. The Upon Death clause is that express allowance, and it transfers points into the account of a named beneficiary rather than to the estate. A will is still useful here: the clause accepts the decedent's will as one form of proof of authority to make the request.
The clause names two things: documentation showing proof of death, such as a death certificate, and proof of authority to make the request, such as court documents or the decedent's will. In practice the deceased member's membership number and the beneficiary's Radisson Rewards account details should also be supplied, because the clause transfers the points into the beneficiary's account.
The Terms do not say that it does. The Upon Death clause is confined to points, and Section 7.i lists Elite Tier among the programme benefits that may not be transferred except as the Terms expressly allow. There is no express allowance for status, so a request should be framed around the points balance alone.
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 Radisson Hotel Group primary sources (5 pages reviewed). How we research.
Radisson Rewards Member Services
Radisson Loyalty Management B.V., Avenue du Bourget 44, 1130 Brussels, Belgium
Radisson Rewards Member Services
Radisson Loyalty Management B.V., Avenue du Bourget 44, 1130 Brussels, Belgium
The request must be made within one year of the date of death; the Program Terms provide that otherwise the deceased member's account is closed and all points are forfeited. Radisson publishes no processing time for a request that is made in time. Separately, points may be voided after any 24-month period without points activity, so a dormant balance can be reduced before the one-year window is even reached.
(General customer service)
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