- No family member can log in and withdraw a dead person’s balance. PayPal, Venmo and the app banks pay out only after checking documents.
- Each firm sets its own limit for when a grant of probate is needed. There is no single UK figure.
- Most app banks are not on the Death Notification Service, so contact each one directly.
- List every online money account now, so nothing is missed.
Online banks and payment apps have no branch to walk into, so family may not know an account exists. Every company below publishes a bereavement process.
Set it up now
- Make a list. Name each PayPal, Venmo, app bank and money transfer account, and the email or phone number it uses. Leave out passwords and full account numbers. See our digital asset inventory guide.
- Say where it is. Tell your executor where the list is kept, or keep it with your letter of instruction.
- Don’t plan on someone logging in. These accounts are not handed over to family. PayPal says it does not change ownership of the funds, and Venmo says it can’t transfer an account to anyone but the original holder. The balance goes to the estate.
If someone has died
Who to contact
The free Death Notification Service reaches many high-street banks at once, but Monzo, Starling, Revolut, Wise and PayPal are not members as of October 2026. Contact each directly. For the usual documents, see what you need after a death.
| Firm | How to report | Grant of probate needed |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal UK | Email or post to 5 Fleet Place, London EC4M 7RD | For balances over £5,000 |
| Monzo | Online form or [email protected] | If the balance is more than £25,000 (investments over £20,000) |
| Starling | 020 7930 4450 or [email protected] | If the balance is more than £30,000 |
| Revolut | [email protected] (email only) | No threshold published |
| Wise | [email protected] or a secure link | No threshold published |
Thresholds are as published at the time of writing (October 2026) and can change. GOV.UK confirms that “every organisation has its own rules”. Money held jointly passes automatically to the surviving owner.
PayPal UK
Send a cover sheet with your name, email and phone, saying the holder has died and giving the account details, plus the death certificate.
If there is a balance, PayPal also asks for:
- The will (a certified copy), or a statement naming the administrator.
- Your government photo ID.
- A signed indemnity form for balances under £5,000, or a grant of probate or letters of administration for balances over £5,000.
- Written consent from all beneficiaries where others are entitled.
- Instructions for where to send the money.
The money can go to the linked bank account, a PayPal account the executor chooses, or a bank account by wire. PayPal then closes or locks the account, with no timescale given.
PayPal US
Send a cover sheet giving the account’s primary email and asking for closure, plus your email, the death certificate, your government photo ID, legal documentation or the will naming the executor (state documents if there is no will), and a W-9 for the estate. Post to PayPal Inc., Attn: ICA, P.O. Box 45950, Omaha, NE 68145, or email. The balance is paid by cheque in the deceased’s name, or to the linked bank account if the executor has access.
Venmo (US)
The death certificate is the minimum. If there is money or crypto in the account, Venmo may also ask for your ID, proof of address, proof of authority (such as a probate order or letters) and an IRS Form W-9 for the estate. Documents go through a secure upload link, not email. Any balance is paid by cheque.
Monzo
Monzo replies within 3 business days. It closes savings pots held with partner banks and returns the money to the next of kin. Joint and business accounts are reported the same way.
Starling
Send the death or coroner’s certificate, the will if there is one, executor details and certified ID. Starling freezes the account and stops all payments out, including Direct Debits. Money is usually transferred within 2 working days of receiving all documents. A funeral invoice can be paid from the account.
Revolut
You need your ID, the death certificate, a grant of probate, letters of administration or an official document naming the heir, a signed indemnity or bereavement form, and birth or marriage certificates if needed. Revolut cancels scheduled payments and cards. Any stocks, precious metals or crypto are sold and paid out as money. First contact is within 15 days, and closure can take from a few days to a year.
Wise
Wise deals only with people legally entitled, such as executors, legal next of kin and legal representatives. Send the will or proof of executor appointment (all pages), or, with no will, proof of your relationship under the inheritance law of the country where the person lived.
Never use a dead person’s banking app or PayPal login, even with their phone and passcode. It can breach the provider’s terms and, in the UK, raises a legal risk under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. Use the bereavement routes above.
US bank accounts
We found no official federal guide to US bank accounts after death, so ask the bank and check your state court’s small-estate pages. For automatic payments, see subscriptions and recurring payments, and for crypto, our crypto page.