Close accounts and cancel subscriptions

Find out what accounts and subscriptions to close or transfer after someone passes away.

Overview

The executor or administrator will also need to:

  • close or transfer accounts no longer in use

  • cancel subscriptions or memberships

This helps to avoid incurring charges from automatically renewing accounts. It also prevents identity theft and fraud.

Accounts and subscriptions include:

  • bank accounts

  • credit card accounts

  • investment accounts

  • utilities (e.g. electricity, water, gas)

  • mobile plans

  • broadband internet and TV subscriptions

  • print subscriptions (e.g. magazines or newspapers)

  • online accounts (e.g. social media, email, data storage etc.)

  • memberships

Bank accounts and credit cards

To find out what bank accounts and credit cards were owned by the deceased:

  • check through the deceased's belongings (for example: wallet, files, etc.)

  • ask close friends or family members if they know

  • check the deceased's will if there's one

To gain access and manage the deceased's bank accounts and credit cards, the executor or administrator of the deceased's estate will have to contact the bank directly for help.

The bank may require you to provide:

  • the deceased's death certificate

  • your NRIC or passport

  • the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration

For joint accounts, the remaining account balance will belong automatically to the surviving account holder.

Investment accounts

The deceased may have held investment accounts for:

  • shares

  • bonds

  • unit trusts or funds

  • exchange traded funds (ETFs)

  • real estate investment trusts (REITs)

If you know that the deceased held a Central Depository (CDP) account for investments, the executor or administrator will have to inform the CDP.

Read more about how to notify the CDP and manage estate matters

Utilities

If there was a utilities account under the deceased's name for water, gas or electricity, the account should be cancelled or transferred to the name of a surviving family member.

To cancel or transfer a utilities account, you’ll have to contact the utility provider directly.

Mobile, broadband internet and TV subscriptions

There may be mobile plans, broadband internet and TV subscriptions under the deceased's name.

These accounts can either be cancelled or transferred to the name of a surviving family member.

You’ll have to contact the mobile, internet or TV subscription provider directly.

Online accounts

The deceased may have owned a variety of online accounts for email, shopping, business or entertainment.

To prevent identity theft or fraud, any accounts with the deceased's credit card details should be cancelled or transferred to another person's card as soon as possible.

You may also choose to cancel all of the deceased's credit cards to avoid incurring automatically renewing payments.

Some of the common online accounts to close or manage include:

  • social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)

  • email (e.g. Gmail, Hotmail, etc.)

  • entertainment or media-streaming sites (e.g. Netflix, Spotify, etc.)

  • business (e.g. Amazon, PayPal, eBay, Shopify, etc.)

  • data storage (e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, etc.)

You’ll have to contact the respective organisations directly.