The Passport benefit can only be linked to one PBS account at a time. You can create multiple PBS accounts with different email addresses, but only the account you originally linked to your Passport benefit will grant you access to Passport videos. This page shows you how to change the email address that is linked to your Passport account to another email address.
PBS offers two ways to change the email address you use with your Passport benefit.
- If you would like to simply update the email address of your PBS account, you can make this change through your account's User Profile. Please visit this help page for instructions. Note: You will only be able to update the email address of your PBS account if you have not previously created a new PBS account with the updated email address. Please use the below tool if you have multiple PBS accounts.
- If you would like to switch the PBS account you use to log in to watch Passport videos, you can transfer your Passport benefit with a new account through the Passport Transfer Tool.
Transferring your Passport benefit is easy and only takes a few minutes.
Open the Passport Transfer Tool page.
Go to https://www.pbs.org/passport/transfer/ and click Sign In to sign in with the PBS account that is currently linked to your Passport benefit.
If you do not remember the PBS account linked to your Passport benefit and have multiple PBS accounts, try signing into each account one at a time. Once you sign in, you will receive a message confirming if the PBS account is linked to your Passport benefit or if you need to try another account.
Log in with your PBS account.
Choose one of the four login options (PBS Account, Google, Facebook, or Apple) and enter the email address and personal password for your account. This will be a PBS account you previously created to originally activate your Passport benefit.
Don't remember your password or receive an invalid login error message? Reset your PBS account password here.
Enter your login information and login.
A screen displays confirming that your sign in is successful.
Passport benefit transfer is confirmed.
You are redirected to the PBS Passport page where you can browse using your new Passport login.
You will also receive an email confirming your Passport benefit has been transferred. This email is sent to both accounts: The account from which the benefit was transferred and the account to which the benefit was transferred.
Common Issues and Solutions
No Passport Membership Benefits
The message means you have signed into the Passport Transfer Tool with a PBS account that is not linked to an active Passport benefit. We recommend signing out and signing back in with another PBS account you or someone in your household may use. You may have set up an older PBS account in the past when you originally activated your Passport benefit.
*This message does not always mean you are not a member with your local station or that you do not have the Passport benefit. Your Passport benefit likely exists, but is linked to a different PBS account or has not yet been activated.
Passport Benefit Expired
The PBS account you signed in with is linked to a Passport benefit, however the expiration date of the Passport benefit has passed. Please contact your local station to inquire about your membership and billing, and either renew your membership or request they update the expiration date of your Passport benefit.
Unable to sign into my PBS account
If you are unable to sign into your PBS account because you have forgotten your password, or because you previously used a Facebook or Google login option which you no longer have access through, please reset your password for your PBS account.
Once you have reset your password for your PBS account, return to the Passport Transfer Tool and log in with your email address and new password.
If you are unable to reset your password for your PBS account because you no longer have access to the email inbox for your email address of your PBS account, please send our support team a message with the email address of your previous PBS account and the email address you currently use.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
What information do I need to provide in order to use this tool?
You will need the email address and personal password of the PBS account you originally linked to your Passport benefit. If you do not remember the personal password for this PBS account, you can reset the password for the PBS account at this page. If you no longer have access to the inbox for this email address, please submit a message to us at the bottom of this site requesting that your benefit be transferred.
Do I need to make a new donation when my Passport benefit is transferred?
You will not need to make a new donation, or make any updates to your billing information. If you ever need to update your billing information, or would like to renew or cancel your recurring donation, please contact your local station.
What will happen to items saved to My List on my PBS account if I use this tool?
This tool does not delete your original PBS account, however saved videos and shows will remain on your original PBS account. When you reactivate your benefit with a different PBS account, the new PBS account will not share the same saved videos and shows.
Can I update the email address on my PBS account without using this tool?
You can update the email address for your PBS account by signing in to your User Profile and selecting "Edit" or "Update Personal Information." However, you will only be able to update your account to an email address that is not already in use - if you have set up multiple PBS accounts already, then you cannot use the same email address for two PBS accounts.