What happens to your loyalty points when you die?

As we shop, many of us collect loyalty points from various companies, and throughout a lifetime this can amount to a substantial value. However, many of these points will remain unclaimed.

So, what happens to unclaimed loyalty points when we die? This blog post explores how different retailers treat rewards and points after the account holder has passed away. Let’s take a look at the policies of a selection of high street brands:

Tesco Clubcard

Tesco Clubcard is one of the leading loyalty schemes in the UK and shoppers are awarded one point for every £1 spent in-store or online. Additionally, they award one point for every £2 spent on fuel. The points collected are then turned into vouchers which can be spent on groceries, fun days out, and much more. 150 points are worth a £1.50 Tesco voucher or alternatively, you can get up to three times the value of your vouchers if you spend with Tesco Reward Partners.

Tesco Clubcard terms and conditions state that '[m]embers may inherit the points and/or vouchers of a family member who has died by providing a written request informing us of the membership details of the deceased'. A relative of the deceased needs to phone, write, or email the Tesco’s Customer Service Centre to close the account and request for the points to be transferred to their existing Clubcard or a new one. They need to include the member’s name, address, and Clubcard number in writing.

Sainsbury’s Nectar Card

The Nectar Card allows cardholders to collect points with 300+ partners and redeem points with various brands. It allows shoppers to collect 1 point for every £1 qualifying spend in-store and online, including 1 point for every litre of fuel purchased in Sainsbury’s fuel station stores. Sainsbury’s Collector Rules are very clear in that points are 'personal to the Nectar account and cannot normally be transferred'.

However, they do allow points to be passed on death. The rules set out that 'points can only be transferred from a Nectar Account to another Nectar Account on death or divorce if adequate evidence of the legal division of points is given to us'. Sainsbury’s has said that they assess what processes will need to be followed on a case-by-case basis. This often involves providing a copy of the death certificate. The nominated beneficiary should get in touch with Nectar directly if they wish to transfer the loyalty points collected by a deceased relative.

Boots Advantage

The Boots Advantage Card is one of the longest-running loyalty schemes. From May 2023, there will be a change in how this card works; shoppers will collect 3 points for every £1 spent, and each point is worth a penny. Points can then be used as payment in-store and online.

Boots also allows members to pass their points to a nominated beneficiary. All cardholders need to do is get in touch with the Boots Customer Care team by emailing boots.customercare_team@boots.co.uk or calling 0345 124 4545. Usually, they’ll require the Boots Advantage Card Number, the member’s name and contact details, and the name of the person to whom the points will be transferred.

Avios

Avios allows members to collect points for flights, online shopping, and hotel visits. The points can then be spent on flights with the International Airlines Group, hotels, and car hire.

Avios terms and conditions clearly state that 'upon the death of a Member, Points accumulated but unused at the time of death shall be cancelled together with Membership of the Scheme.' We’d advise reaching out to Avios to see whether the points can be transferred in the event of a death, as their guidelines do not state whether this is possible.

My Morrisons

My Morrisons members can receive digital coupons through the Morrisons app. These can be used to save money while shopping in-store.

The terms and conditions state that ‘[y]our My Morrisons Loyalty Account, vouchers, coupons and rewards are personal to you. They are not transferable and cannot be shared, sold, exchanged, bought, or traded in any way’. As the terms and conditions do not mention transferring on death, we advise contacting Morrisons directly through the contact us section on their website.

Costa Coffee Club

Costa Coffee Club members can collect 1 ‘bean’ for every drink they buy; to get a free drink in-store, customers must earn 8 beans. Extra beans can be collected by using reusable cups. Their app also offers exclusive rewards and bonus beans.

Costa Coffee should be able to transfer the deceased’s beans to a different account. They can be notified of a death through their general enquiry page. Details required may include the deceased’s name, account number, and details of the account that will receive the transferred points.

M&S Sparks

The M&S Sparks club allowed members to collect 10 sparks every time they shopped and for every £1 spent in-store or online. Additionally, 25 sparks were rewarded by writing a review, and offers tailored to members’ buying habits were gifted. Whilst the M&S Sparks club still continues to offer tailored promotions, they ‘waved goodbye to confusing points’ in 2020, therefore, all accumulated points have now been lost and cannot be transferred.

Co-op Membership

When you buy selected Co-op products/services, you receive 2p for every £1 you spend. This goes into your Co-op Membership account. Members also receive personalised offers on the app and exclusive deals. Their terms and conditions state that ‘our Membership account and any digital Membership card can only be accessed and used by you (the person registered on the Membership account). You can't give or transfer your rights or duties as a Member to anyone else’.

You can contact Co-op to inform them of a death of an account owner. Call them on 0800 023 4708 or email membershipcontactus@coop.co.uk. They will require the card number, associated email address, name of the deceased, and contact details of the person dealing with the estate (i.e. the Executor or Administrator). They will then keep you informed on what happens next.

Superdrug Health & Beautycard

This loyalty card earns you 1 point for every £1 spent with Superdrug, as well as providing additional points offers in-store. Superdrug’s terms and conditions state that you ‘may not transfer your points’, but they will do so upon a death.

You can email them at help@superdrug.com to notify them that the card holder has passed away. You will need to provide the Health & Beautycard number, the member’s name and contact details, and the name of the person to whom the unclaimed points will be transferred to.

Kings Court Trust are experts in estate administration; this is the process of dealing with a loved one’s legal and tax affairs after they’ve passed away. We are an award-winning probate and estate administration provider who handles the complicated practicalities after death so that families can focus on life’s important moments.

If you have any questions about probate or estate administration, call our experienced Client Services Team on 0300 303 9000. Alternatively, for a free, no-obligation conversation about probate or estate administration, fill out the form below and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.