- Tell Us Once reaches government bodies only. It does not cancel subscriptions, utilities or bank payments.
- In the UK, a card issuer must stop recurring card payments when asked, without you contacting the business first.
- US guidance from the CFPB: withdraw permission with the company and the bank, in writing.
- A list of your subscriptions and which card pays each one saves your family hours.
Streaming services, cloud storage, apps, memberships and software keep charging after a death until someone stops them. Some, such as app store subscriptions, have no published route for anyone but the account holder, so the payment method is often the only lever your family has.
Set it up now
Write down each subscription, the email address it’s under, the card or account that pays it, and roughly what it costs. Add it to your digital asset inventory and update it when you sign up for something new. Bank and card statements are a good place to start the list.
Two points to note while you do it:
- App store subscriptions are the hardest to stop. An Apple Legacy Contact cannot see subscriptions and in-app purchases. Apple’s own help page only says that you can’t cancel a family member’s subscription for them. We found no Apple or Google page explaining how an executor cancels them, so record which card they are billed to.
- Paid storage can keep an account alive. Google does not delete an inactive account that has an active purchase or subscription, so a Google One plan may carry on charging. See photos and cloud storage.
If someone has died in the UK
Tell Us Once: government only
Tell Us Once lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go. It reaches HMRC, DWP (including Universal Credit and State Pension), HM Passport Office, DVLA, the local council, Veterans UK, Social Security Scotland and several public-sector pension schemes.
It works in England, Scotland and Wales, not Northern Ireland. The registrar either completes it with you or gives you a reference number, which must be used within 28 days.
It does not cover banks, mortgage providers, insurers, or companies the person had contracts with, such as utilities. It cancels none of their subscriptions.
Death Notification Service: some banks
The free Death Notification Service lets you notify several member banks, building societies and other financial firms at once. Members reply within 10 working days and may ask for the death certificate. It doesn’t close accounts by itself: members update their records and tell you the next steps.
Several app-based and newer banks are not members as of October 2026, including Monzo, Starling, Revolut and Wise, along with PayPal, Metro Bank, TSB and Virgin Money. Contact these directly (see PayPal and online banks). The member list changes, so check it before you rely on it.
Stopping recurring card payments
For recurring payments on a debit or credit card, the FCA says that once you’ve asked, the card issuer must stop the payments, even if you haven’t contacted the business, and it can’t insist you contact the business first. Payments taken after cancellation must be refunded immediately. To avoid the next charge, cancel by the end of the business day before it is due.
The FCA’s guidance is written for the cardholder. It doesn’t say whether an executor can use the same right, so in practice the simplest step is to tell the bank about the death. Some banks then freeze the account and stop all payments out; Starling, for example, says Direct Debits are stopped too.
Direct Debits can be cancelled at any time by contacting the bank or building society. Written confirmation may be needed.
Junk mail and identity fraud
Two free services help here. The Bereavement Register takes the person off mailing lists, stopping most advertising mail within as little as six weeks. The Deceased Preference Service shares registrations with credit agencies and financial firms to help prevent fraud. Both are worth doing early, because criminals sometimes use dead people’s identities (see scams that target bereaved families).
If someone has died in the US
The CFPB’s steps for stopping automatic payments:
- Tell the company you are withdrawing permission, then put it in writing.
- Notify the bank or credit union that you have revoked the authorisation, also in writing.
- If the bank suggests a stop payment order, it usually charges a fee.
- Report any unauthorised payment straight away.
Cancelling an automatic payment does not cancel what is owed. The CFPB says relatives are generally not responsible for a dead person’s debts unless they co-signed, held a joint account, or are a surviving spouse in a community property state.
Credit bureaus
Ask the credit bureaus to mark the file as deceased. Equifax and TransUnion each say they will notify the other two bureaus once they’ve added the flag. Experian accepts the notice only from the spouse or someone with legal authority, such as the executor, with a certified death certificate and proof of authority.
The Social Security Administration also sends lists of deaths to the bureaus periodically. A credit report is also a good way to find accounts you didn’t know about.
Keep a simple log as you go: company, date contacted, reference number, outcome. It makes the closing accounts process far easier to pick up if you are interrupted.