What happens to your points and miles after you die?

Losing a loved one is never easy. Determining what to do with their points and miles can be complicated, especially when you're managing many aspects after their passing.

Fortunately, many programs have flexible policies that allow you to transfer points and miles after a death.

If you're currently deciding what to do with your deceased loved one's rewards, let's help simplify the process. First, we'll walk through the basics of what can happen with rewards points after a member's death. Then, we'll examine the airline, credit card and hotel rewards policies.

What to do with reward points after the account holder dies

If you're preparing for what to do with your points and miles before you die, you can streamline the process by adding your loyalty accounts to your will.

Then, it's best to ensure your loved ones have access to them by sharing your login information.

Since nearly every rewards program allows you to book travel for someone else with points and miles, your loved ones will be able to book travel with your rewards as long as they can log in to your account. The most important consideration here is to keep expiration dates in mind.

Related: Why you should register for loyalty programs before planning your points transfers

How to ensure points or miles aren't lost

Your loved one worked hard to earn their points and miles, so you'll want to be sure they can be used once they pass away.

That's why we recommend becoming familiar with each program's policy regarding a member's death.

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Aside from keeping their account login information (including answers to security questions and email login information for two-factor authentication), you'll likely also need electronic copies of their death certificate.

Related: How to protect your travel documents

Passing on your points or miles

As we analyze each program's terms for passing on rewards after a member's death, you'll notice there are a few choices you can make.

Each program's policy may provide you with access to some of these options. Here they are, ranked from best to worst:

• Transfer the points or miles to another person.
• Redeem the points or miles for someone else's travel.
• Have points or miles converted toward a fixed-rate redemption.

The best option is to transfer points or miles to another person's account. However, if you aren't able to do this, see if you can keep their account open to book travel for another person (keeping expiration policies in mind).

Finally, some programs require you to convert rewards into a fixed-rate redemption. While it's a common requirement for unused credit card points, it is typically the least valuable.

Related: Why points and miles are a bad long-term investment

Airline mile policies after a person dies

Many airlines make it easy to book award flights for others using points and miles. Let's get into the details of some of the most popular programs.

American Airlines AAdvantage

Generally, American Airlines' AAdvantage terms and conditions state that miles are not transferable upon a member's death, and the member's account will be terminated.

However, the policy states that if a loved one provides relevant documentation, credit for a deceased member's unused miles may be transferred to another account:

"However, under certain limited situations and upon receipt of documentation satisfactory to American Airlines and payment of any applicable fees, American Airlines may elect to, in its sole discretion and on a one-time basis only, credit eligible accrued AAdvantage® miles of the deceased AAdvantage® member to persons specifically identified in documentation satisfactory to American Airlines, which may include (i) a declaration in support of request for transfer, (ii) a copy of the member's death certificate, and (iii) a copy of an official document establishing the legal authority of the individual in applicable circumstances."

Atmos Rewards

The Atmos Rewards website does not provide any specific details on transferring or redeeming points after a program member passes away.

However, if there's an Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card cardholder in the family, you can create a free points-sharing network with up to 10 other Atmos Rewards members who can transfer their points back and forth between accounts without transfer fees.

If your loved one has a lot of Atmos Rewards points, this could be worth setting up before they pass.

Delta Air Lines SkyMiles

Delta SkyMiles has one of the most restrictive policies out there. According to SkyMiles' terms and conditions, Delta will close the account if a member is deceased, and the miles will be forfeited once the account is closed.

JetBlue TrueBlue

According to JetBlue's terms and conditions, the airline does not allow transfers after a member dies.

However, like Atmos Rewards, JetBlue TrueBlue does provide a family pooling feature, so this may be the best thing to leverage if something happens.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

Southwest's terms and conditions state that points cannot be transferred to another member's estate as part of an inheritance, a settlement or a will, and that points will be forfeited in the event of a member's death.

So, in this case, we'd recommend retaining access to the member's account information so you don't lose their Rapid Rewards points.

United Airlines MileagePlus

The policy outlined in United Airlines' terms and conditions is more flexible than those of some other airline programs. MileagePlus includes an option for crediting all or a portion of a deceased member's miles to "authorized persons" after documentation and fees are provided:

"In the event of the death or divorce of a Member, United may, in its sole discretion, credit all or a portion of such Member's accrued mileage to authorized persons upon receipt of documentation satisfactory to United and payment of applicable fees."

Credit card issuer policies after a person dies

This is one of the most important sections to analyze. With credit card accounts, unused points on a closed account could be forfeited. So, make sure you understand these policies before you close — and risk losing some of the most valuable currencies.

American Express Membership Rewards

American Express provides multiple details for loved ones to analyze in the event of a cardholder's death.

While the website does not explicitly state what happens to Membership Rewards points after a loved one's passing, it does state that executors of the estate can contact Amex at 800-266-7064 with any questions related to the account.

Capital One miles

Per Capital One's estate guide for credit cards, a loved one cannot take over the account of a deceased member.

Once Capital One is alerted to the death of a cardmember, the issuer immediately closes the account and converts miles left in the account to a cash-back redemption at the rate of 0.5 cents per mile. Any balance left in the account is paid off with the value of the miles in it, and the remaining cash is sent to the estate as a check.

Chase Ultimate Rewards

The policy for Chase Ultimate Rewards (PDF link) is identical to Capital One's. It states:

"If we're notified of your death, your points will be automatically redeemed for cash in the form of an account statement credit."

Citi ThankYou Rewards

It appears that an estate representative can redeem their loved one's ThankYou points, according to Citi's estate services guide. However, they must be redeemed within one year of the member's passing. You can call 833-956-0413 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time to receive more information.

Hotel point policies after a person dies

Generally, hotel points programs are among the most flexible for transfers. Most of the time, rewards can be transferred to any member without many restrictions. Here's what to know.

Hilton Honors

Hilton Honors' policy states that a deceased member's points can be transferred to another member, provided proper documentation and the transfer request (and relevant documents) are submitted within one year of the member's death. You won't pay a fee for this service.

Elite status cannot be transferred, and points can be transferred to multiple accounts.

IHG One Rewards

The policy for IHG One Rewards members is straightforward and similar to that of Hilton Honors. The request must be submitted with proper documentation (such as a will and a death certificate) within one year, with no fees applying to the transfer.

As with Hilton Honors, you can transfer IHG points to multiple accounts.

Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy's policy allows points to be transferred to only one recipient, who is the legal spouse or person named in a will. Elite status, elite night credits and points that were converted into miles cannot be transferred.

World of Hyatt

World of Hyatt provides similar guidance to Marriott Bonvoy in its terms and conditions, though it is slightly more restrictive. One member can receive points from a deceased member on a one-time basis if they share the same mailing address. Points can't be transferred via an inheritance.

Bottom line

As you navigate the difficult time after a loved one passes away, it's helpful to know each loyalty program's policy regarding death.

Whether you're able to transfer rewards to your account, book travel with their rewards after they die or receive the rewards after they're converted to a fixed-rate redemption, it's important that you don't lose the value of your loved one's hard-earned rewards.

Finally, if you have specific questions or your situation is more complicated, I'd recommend making a quick call to the airline, credit card company or hotel program to get clarification and alleviate stress.

Related: What happens to credit cards after a cardholder dies?