A subscription does not know you have died. It keeps renewing, quietly, until someone cancels it or the payment fails. The streaming plan. The cloud storage. The gym. That makes subscriptions after death one of the easiest loose ends for a family to miss.

Domain names are the opposite problem. They do not keep going on their own. If nobody renews one, it expires, the website and email on it stop working, and the name can end up with a stranger.

This is a practical guide to what actually happens to domains, streaming and shopping subscriptions, and airline and hotel points, using each company's own published rules as of October 2026. It explains how the rules work and is not legal advice for your situation.

The short answer

Subscriptions keep billing until someone cancels them. Domains lapse unless someone renews them, and the renewal notices go to an email that may no longer be read. Loyalty points depend on each program's rules. The fix for all three is one small habit: keep a list of what you pay for and own online, and make sure your executor can find it.

Why subscriptions after death are easy to miss

Digital services usually sit on a card, renew quietly and send receipts to one email inbox. When that inbox's owner dies, the trail goes cold. Our guide on accessing a deceased person's email and social media accounts covers that side.

The easy ones to overlook:

  • Domain names and web hosting: a personal or business site, or email on your own domain.
  • Streaming and music: video, music, audiobook and podcast plans.
  • Shopping: delivery memberships and "subscribe and save" orders.
  • Software and cloud storage: paid apps, work tools, photo and file storage.
  • Gyms and clubs, often billed monthly to a card.
  • Airline miles and hotel points, which can hold real value.
  • Royalties from books, music, apps or other work that may keep arriving.

Some of these cost money every month. Others, like points and royalties, are worth money. Both kinds need someone to know they exist.

What happens to domain names when you die

A domain name is not owned forever. You register it for a set period, which ICANN says is typically between one and ten years, and then you must renew it. ICANN sets the policy registrars must follow here.

For generic top-level domains (gTLDs, the kind ICANN's policy covers), its Expired Registration Recovery Policy sets out what happens around expiry:

  1. Reminders before expiry. The registrar must send at least two renewal notices, about one month and about one week before the domain expires.
  2. One more notice after. The registrar must send at least one more notice within five days after expiry, with instructions for renewing.
  3. A possible grace period. Some registrars offer an Auto-Renew Grace Period of 1 to 45 days after expiry, sometimes for a fee. ICANN warns that, depending on the registrar's terms, the name may be auctioned to someone else during this time.
  4. The website and email go dark. Before deleting the domain, registrars must interrupt its DNS service, generally for at least the last 8 days, so any website or email on it stops working.
  5. A 30-day Redemption Grace Period. After deletion, the registry holds the name for 30 days. The registrant can restore it through the registrar, which may charge a fee.
  6. Release to the public. If nobody restores it, the name enters a 5-day PendingDelete status and is then released for anyone to register, first come, first served.

Here is the catch for families. ICANN says all of these notices go to the registrant email address on the domain's records. If that is the email of the person who died, nobody may read them. The warnings are sent. They just land in an inbox nobody is opening.

If your domain ends in a country code rather than a generic ending, the registry for that country may have different rules. Ask your registrar which rules apply.

How to transfer a domain name after death

Every registrar has its own process. GoDaddy's is a clear example.

GoDaddy says that to access a domain or account after the account holder's death, you must be the Estate Administrator of the deceased. You must send all four of these items, or the request will not be considered:

  1. A completed Regain Access To My Account form with the Estate Administrator listed as the requestor.
  2. Legal documentation listing the name of the Estate Administrator.
  3. A copy of the death certificate.
  4. Government-issued photo ID for the Estate Administrator, as a color copy, scan or digital picture showing the photo, name, signature and expiration date clearly.

GoDaddy asks you to allow up to 72 hours for initial correspondence.

Notice the timing problem. Getting legal documents that name an estate administrator can take a while. Meanwhile, the expiry clock keeps running. That is why the owner's own planning matters most.

What you can do now is simple. Turn on auto-renew and keep the payment card current. ICANN notes you can ask your registrar about renewing for more than one year at a time. Make sure the registrant email on each domain is one that will still be read, and consider setting up a legacy contact on Apple and Google so someone you trust can reach your account data later. Then write down where each domain is registered and who should take it over.

How to cancel subscriptions of a deceased person

Start with money, not memory. Card and bank statements show what is actually billing. Email receipts and app store purchase histories fill the gaps. Then go provider by provider.

If you can get into the Netflix account, Netflix says to use the Cancel Membership link on the Account page. You can also sign out of all devices connected to the account. If you cannot get in, contact Netflix with the email address or phone number on the account and the full payment information currently used to pay for it.

Amazon has a bereavement support team at bereavement-support-cs@amazon.com. Even without full legal authority, Amazon says it can help terminate subscriptions, stop recurring deliveries and deactivate the account. For that, send the death certificate and the email or phone number on the account. To get account information or close the account, Amazon asks for:

  • A copy of the death certificate.
  • Proof you are the legal representative of the estate, such as probate or executor documents.
  • Valid photo ID for that person.
  • The email address or phone number on the account. If you do not know it, a unique charge ID or order number can help Amazon find the account.

Amazon says the documents are securely deleted after validation.

For everything else, search the provider's help center for its process for a deceased account holder. Expect to be asked for account details, and often a death certificate or proof that you represent the estate.

It is tedious work while grieving. It does not have to be done in one sitting.

What happens to airline miles and hotel points

Loyalty points feel like money, but each program writes its own rules, and they differ a lot.

Delta's answer is generally no. Its SkyMiles program rules say miles are not the property of any member. Unless Delta specifically authorizes it in its rules or an officer of Delta agrees in writing, miles cannot be transferred under any circumstances, including upon death.

Marriott's answer is maybe. Its program terms say limited transfers upon death may be permitted only as expressly authorized by Marriott, subject to whatever documentation and verification it requires, and at its sole discretion. Contact Marriott Bonvoy Member Support and expect to provide the death certificate and proof of your relationship or authority.

Hilton's answer is yes, with a form. Hilton publishes a declaration form for transferring a deceased member's Hilton Honors points. The executor or administrator signs it, attaches a copy of the death certificate and the court order or appointment, and names the Hilton Honors member who should receive the points. The form says it must be sent to priorityletter@hilton.com within one year of the member's death.

The lesson: read your program's terms before you assume points will pass on. If your program lets you name a recipient in your will, say so in your will. If a lawyer is helping you with that will, it is a detail worth raising.

How to build a subscriptions and domains inventory

You do not need special software. You need a list your executor can find. For each item, record what it is, where it lives and what should happen to it.

  • Domain names. Look in: registrar account, renewal emails. Record: registrar, expiry date, auto-renew on or off, who takes it over.
  • Web hosting. Look in: hosting account, card statements. Record: provider, what runs on it, renewal date.
  • Streaming and music. Look in: card statements, app stores. Record: service, billing card, cancel or keep.
  • Software and cloud storage. Look in: receipts, app stores. Record: service, what data is stored there.
  • Loyalty programs. Look in: program apps and emails. Record: program, member number, rules on death.
  • Royalties. Look in: contracts, payment statements. Record: who pays, how often, contact details.

Update the list when you sign up for something new. Once a year, check it against your statements. Our post on why families often have no idea what assets exist explains why this list matters.

The bottom line

Subscriptions keep taking money until someone stops them. Domains disappear unless someone saves them. Points depend on fine print. None of it is hard when someone knows where to look.

BlockWill lets you record domain names and hosting, and subscriptions with a renewal date, alongside your other assets, inside a vault that is encrypted in your browser before upload. We do not track or cancel subscriptions for you, so the list is only as current as you keep it. You can name an executor and set how the vault is released to them when the time comes.

Start with one card statement. Much of the list is already written there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do subscriptions stop automatically when someone dies?

No. A subscription keeps renewing until someone cancels it or the payment fails. Card statements and email receipts are the quickest way to find them.

What happens to my domain name when I die?

It stays registered until it expires. If nobody renews it, the website and email stop working, and after the grace and redemption periods it can be released for anyone to register.

How long can an expired domain be recovered?

For generic domains, the registrant can restore a deleted name through the registrar during a 30-day Redemption Grace Period. Before deletion, some registrars also offer a grace period of 1 to 45 days after expiry, and fees may apply.

How do I transfer a domain name after someone dies?

Each registrar has its own process. GoDaddy, for example, asks the Estate Administrator for a completed Regain Access To My Account form, legal documentation naming them, the death certificate and government-issued photo ID. Start early, because the expiry clock keeps running.

How do I cancel Netflix for someone who died?

Use Cancel Membership on the Account page if you can sign in. If not, contact Netflix with the account's email or phone number and the full payment information.

Can airline miles be inherited?

It depends on the program. Delta's rules say SkyMiles cannot be transferred on death unless Delta authorizes it, while Hilton publishes a form for transferring a deceased member's points.

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