Guidance for Managing Deceased Accounts

Letting us know

We understand that this is a difficult time and we will do our best to make this process as easy as possible. The first step is contacting us. Please note that anyone may notify us of the passing of a Card Member.

When you call, please be prepared to provide the following information:

• Date of Death
• Executor, trustee or attorney contact information
• Your relationship to the Card Member
• Your contact information
  

It is important that we receive this information, so we can finalize the account. If you were appointed by a will, court order or are handling the affairs of the decedent, you can request the account be cancelled or, if eligible, you may apply to take over the account. 

For more information, please see Taking over the account of a deceased Card Member.

If you decide to cancel the account, we can help arrange a payment option and assist with the cancellation of the account(s). 

For more information, please see Arranging Payment Options.

When you are ready, please call us at 1-800-266-7064, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm EST.

For Corporate Cards, please contact us at 1-888-297-3947, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 8:00pm EST.

Taking over the account

If you are considering taking over the account of a deceased Card Member, please contact us to determine if you are eligible to assume liability of the account. If more than one person is eligible to take over the account, requests will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that no person is obligated to take over the account, as the Estate or the Business of the deceased Card Member bears ultimate responsibility for the account.

To be eligible to become the new Basic Card Member, the account must meet the following requirements:
      •  The Card must be eligible for transfer.

      •  The account cannot be closed for more than 1 year.

      •  The account cannot be 30 days or more past due.

      •  The new Basic Card Member must pass a credit review.

For Personal Accounts, any individual under the age of 21 must apply in writing. All applicants must provide their total annual income*. Please note that the person taking over the account will be responsible for any existing balance on the account at the time of the account takeover and will also be responsible for future charges.

*Include all income available to you. If under age 21, include only your income. Income includes wages, retirement, investments, rental properties, etc. Alimony, child support, or separate maintenance need not be revealed if you do not wish to rely upon it.

For Small Business accounts, only an officer of the Business may assume liability of the account.

Once you have assumed liability of the account, you may reinstate Membership Rewards^® points associated with the account. 

For more information, please see Transferring Membership Rewards.

When you are ready, please call us at 1-800-266-7064 Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm EST.

For Corporate Cards, please contact your company's Program Administrator.

Reinstating Membership Rewards^® points

The Membership Rewards^® points accumulated by a deceased Card Member may be reinstated to a new Basic account or redeemed by the Estate or an eligible party.

You may send a written request to redeem the points to the following address:

         Membership Rewards Correspondence Unit

         American Express Membership Rewards

         PO Box 297813

         Ft Lauderdale, FL 33329-7813 

To assume ownership of the account, please see Taking over the account.
Not all accounts are eligible; please contact us for more information
If you are not eligible to assume ownership, or have chosen not to assume ownership of the account:

• The Executor of the Estate must send a formal written request to the Membership Rewards Correspondence Unit for distribution of the points. 

The written request must include:

• A letter of testamentary or letter of administration. (The county of jurisdiction must issue the documentation, post-dating the Card Member’s death.)  California / Arizona residents: A letter of testamentary, letter of affirmation and / or an affidavit is acceptable.
  
• Name(s) of individual(s) designated/entitled to the Membership Rewards points.
• Specific redemptions to process (e.g. 50,000 to Delta, 10,000 Home Depot).
• A copy of the death certificate.

The written request should be addressed to:

         Membership Rewards Correspondence Unit

         American Express Membership Rewards

         PO Box 297813

         Ft Lauderdale, FL 33329-7813

When you are ready, please call us at 1-800-266-7064. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 10:PM EST, and closed Saturday and Sunday.

Please note that accrued Membership Rewards points will be forfeited immediately upon cancellation of all Cards. Based on the product type, the Estate or eligible party may only be able to redeem points within a certain time frame.

To learn about Membership Rewards and redemption options, click here.

Arranging payment options

We understand that this is a difficult time, and we will do our best to make this process as easy as possible. To assist you, we can help you set up a one-time payment. We also offer an interest-free payment option for up to 24 months. We can even help you set up weekly or monthly payments. This option is available for most Personal and Small Business accounts. For Corporate Cards, please contact your company's Program Administrator. 

Be advised, as a family member or third party handling the affairs of the decedent, you are not personally responsible to pay this debt.

When you are ready, please call us at 1-800-266-7064 Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm EST.

For Corporate Cards, Program Administrators can contact us at 1-888-297-3947 Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 8:00pm EST.