Bonus miles and customer points in an estate: access and expiry

Section 531 ABGB covers the transferable rights and liabilities of the deceased. A contractual claim to credit or redeem points may therefore be an asset of the estate. The statutory provision does not decide whether every rewards balance is inheritable or transferable.

The relationship with the provider is decisive. A personally structured membership can make the member’s name, identity check, personal activity or an express death clause important. The balance should therefore not be treated as worthless by default or as freely transferable cash.

The first review needs the programme name, membership number, balance, applicable participation conditions and date of death. In a card programme, also establish whether points were credited to the deceased, an employer or another contracting party.

Participation conditions may state whether points are personal, whether transfer is permitted and what happens when a member dies. Redemption may also depend on the account holder, an identity check or a specific deadline. The version applying to the account and relevant period must be identified.

Heirs should therefore preserve an account statement together with the participation conditions. An advertising promise to earn and redeem points does not replace a review of clauses on termination, suspension, transfer, expiry and death. Date the different versions so that the relevant contractual text can be identified.

Contractual access and technical access are different matters. A password or saved login indicates access to an account. It does not by itself prove the right to redeem points or succession. The provider may prescribe its own procedure for handling a death notification.

For an estate review, identify the provider and rewards account as precisely as possible. Useful documents include the membership number, the deceased member’s name and address, account statements, card or contract records and the last communication with the provider.

Depending on the procedural stage, the provider may ask for a death certificate, a court order confirming devolution or another accepted proof of succession. Where several people are involved, a power of attorney, joint statement or agreement on further use may also be requested. The required form must be confirmed with the provider in writing.

Send only documents required for the review and keep a record of the transmission date. If the provider asks for additional material, the response should identify the missing document and state whether the balance remains protected while the matter is clarified.

Many rewards programmes connect expiry to their participation conditions, account activity or special events. Austrian law does not provide one universal period for all bonus miles and customer points. The wording and temporal application of the specific clause govern the review.

After the death, notify the provider promptly in writing and ask that the account balance be preserved for the estate review. Request clear information on the balance, expiry, suspension, transfer and the required proof. A preservation request does not automatically extend the period. It records that the estate addressed the position in time.

The balance at the date of death is especially important. Later credits, cancellations, redemptions or fees must be recorded separately. If expiry is approaching, review the provider’s response and the applicable clause together before making a statement or using the balance.

Bonus miles and customer points can often be used only within the programme. Their economic value depends on permitted rewards, redemption timing and personal restrictions. The account balance therefore cannot automatically be equated with cash.

The co-heirs should first decide whether the balance will be administered jointly, used for a specific benefit or balanced against another estate position. One person should not empty the account without clear authority. This applies even where that person knows the login details or previously managed the account.

A written agreement should record the balance, redemption purpose, costs, beneficiaries and treatment of later credits. If no agreement is reached, keep the position visible in the estate schedule. The focus page on inheritance division and co-heirs explains why shared estate assets should be recorded separately.

If the provider refuses access, request the reason in writing. It should state, as far as possible, whether the refusal is based on a personal contractual relationship, missing proof of succession, an expired period, account suspension or another contractual clause.

The correspondence should be compared with the rest of the estate file. Under section 797 ABGB, acquisition of the inheritance is generally connected with devolution after probate. Section 802 ABGB concerns liability for estate obligations; it does not decide whether bonus points are transferable. Until succession is clear, account access, redemption and a possible transfer must be assessed separately. Where classification is disputed, keep the correspondence in the estate file.

If a valuable balance is expiring or the provider does not permit a comprehensible review, assess the contract, balance, death record and complete correspondence together. The guide to estate claims and heir liability provides additional orientation for claims and estate documents.