To cash traveler’s checks of a deceased person, you file a claim with the company that originally issued them, submitting the checks along with a certified death certificate and court documents proving you have legal authority to act for the estate. The issuer verifies the serial numbers against its records, confirms your authority, and then pays the face value to the estate. Traveler’s checks generally don’t expire, so even old ones usually still carry their full value.
Prove You Can Act for the Estate
No issuer will release funds to a family member who simply shows up with the checks and a death certificate. You need documented legal authority, and that comes in one of two forms.
If the estate is going through probate, the court issues Letters Testamentary (when there is a will) or Letters of Administration (when there isn’t). These papers show you’ve been appointed as executor or administrator and give you standing to deal with the issuer on the estate’s behalf.
If the estate is small, most states allow a small estate affidavit instead. This lets heirs claim assets without opening a full probate case, provided the total estate value falls below a set threshold. Those thresholds vary widely, from around $10,000 in some states to as high as $275,000 in others. When traveler’s checks are the main asset and the overall estate is modest, the affidavit route saves time and legal fees.
Old Checks Are Usually Still Good
Traveler’s checks generally have no expiration date. Checks purchased decades ago typically still carry their full face value.
There is one wrinkle for very old checks. If traveler’s checks go uncashed long enough, the issuer may turn the funds over to a state unclaimed property program. The dormancy period for traveler’s checks is typically 15 years from the date of issuance. If the checks have been sitting in a drawer longer than that, the money may already have left the issuer. In that case the claim goes to the state’s unclaimed property office rather than the issuer. Every state keeps a searchable unclaimed property database, and a quick search under the deceased person’s name is worth doing before you file anything.
Documents to Gather Before You File
Issuers won’t begin processing a claim until the package is complete. Missing one document is the most common reason claims stall. Pull everything together first:
- The traveler’s checks themselves. Each one has a unique serial number the issuer must verify. Organize them and write down every serial number before you submit.
- A certified death certificate, meaning an official copy with a raised seal from the issuing government office, not a photocopy.
- Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, or a small estate affidavit, whichever applies. It must bear the probate court’s seal or be notarized.
- Valid government-issued photo ID for the person filing the claim.
- The issuer’s claim form. American Express, for example, has a specific Refund Claim for Travelers Cheques form for deceased holders that asks for the decedent’s name, address, date of death, your relationship, and the serial numbers of every check being submitted.
If the original purchase receipt exists, include it. Receipts list serial numbers and purchase details, which speeds verification. The claim can still proceed without one as long as you have the checks.
File With the Issuer, Not Your Bank
The claim goes to the company that originally issued the checks. A bank where the deceased held an account may offer general guidance but almost certainly has no authority to redeem traveler’s checks issued by another company. The final decision rests with the issuer.
American Express is by far the most common issuer people encounter. Their process involves calling to open a claim, gathering the required documents, and then either uploading clear images through their online portal or mailing hard copies.1American Express. Travelers Cheques The deceased claim form is available as a downloadable PDF on their website.2American Express. Claim Form Deceased The customer service line is 1-800-221-7282.
Travelex also maintains an encashment process for estate claims. Their requirements are similar: an original or certified death certificate and a certified copy of probate documents or the will. Payment goes only to the named executor or beneficiary of the estate.
If you’re dealing with Visa-branded traveler’s checks, contact Visa’s customer service to find out which financial institution actually issued them. Visa itself may not be the direct issuer, and the claim has to go to whoever is.
If the Checks Are Lost or Missing
Lost or stolen traveler’s checks may still be eligible for a refund, according to American Express.1American Express. Travelers Cheques Without the physical checks and their serial numbers, the issuer has much less to work with, so you’ll need to provide whatever identifying information you can gather: approximate purchase dates, the bank or location where the checks were bought, the denominations, and any records the deceased kept.
Call the issuer’s customer service line and explain the situation. The representative can search their records using the purchaser’s name and other details and will walk you through the additional documentation needed. Expect this to take longer than a claim with checks in hand.
How the Issuer Pays Out
Once the issuer receives your complete package, they cross-reference every serial number against their records to confirm the checks were never previously cashed, reported lost, or flagged. They also verify your legal authority through the court documents. Accurate serial numbers are the single biggest factor in speed; errors or illegible numbers slow everything down.
Issuers don’t pay out in cash. They issue a new check made payable to the “Estate of [Deceased Person’s Name].” The executor deposits that check into the estate’s dedicated bank account and distributes the funds to heirs according to the will or, if there is no will, according to the state’s intestacy rules. The paper trail stays clean and the money flows through the estate properly.
If the Money Has Already Gone to the State
If the issuer tells you the funds were turned over to a state unclaimed property program, you file directly with that state instead. Each state has its own unclaimed property office and claim procedures, but the documentation is similar: proof of death, proof of your authority over the estate, and whatever identifying information you have about the original checks.
Start by searching the multi-state database at unclaimed.org or the individual state’s unclaimed property website under the deceased person’s name. If the funds appear, the site directs you to that state’s claim form. States hold these funds indefinitely in most cases, so even long-ago escheatment doesn’t put the money out of reach.
A Note on Estate Taxes
Uncashed traveler’s checks are treated as cash belonging to the deceased on the date of death, so the face value is included in the gross estate.3eCFR. 26 CFR Part 20 – Gross Estate For most families this has no practical impact. The federal estate tax exemption is $13.99 million per person in 2026, so unless the total estate exceeds that threshold no federal estate tax is owed. The checks still need to be reported on the estate inventory at face value even when no tax results.