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Subscriptions, memberships, utilities, and digital accounts are easy to overlook after a death, but leaving them open can mean unnecessary charges continue for months. Many can be closed without a separate probate process, although providers may require a death certificate or documentation showing who is authorized to act.
The challenge is often less about closing the account and more about identifying everything that exists, figuring out what each provider requires, and following through until every account is resolved.
The individual tasks may be relatively simple, but there can be dozens of accounts to identify, document, and close — each with its own process. Subscriptions can continue billing, utilities may need to be transferred or canceled, and digital accounts can remain active simply because no one knows they exist.
The first step is usually figuring out what's out there. Bank and credit card statements can reveal recurring charges, email can surface receipts and renewal notices, and app-store settings can help identify active subscriptions. From there, each provider may have different requirements, ranging from a simple cancellation request to a death certificate or proof that someone is authorized to act for the estate.
Digital accounts also require an extra layer of care. Before closing anything, it's important to determine whether photos, documents, messages, or other information should be preserved, since some content may be difficult or impossible to recover once an account is deleted. The work isn't necessarily complicated — it's making sure nothing gets overlooked and following each account through to resolution.
Email, social media, cloud storage, and payment apps all need a decision: preserve, memorialize, or close. Apple's Legacy Contact and Google's Inactive Account Manager allow people to plan ahead. If those weren't set up, immediate family members or an estate representative can typically request access or closure, although the documentation required varies by provider.
Read the full guide to closing digital accounts →Bank and credit card statements are a good way to spot recurring charges, especially annual renewals that are easy to overlook. Email receipts and app-store subscription lists round out the picture. Providers' cancellation policies vary, and it's worth asking about a refund or prorated credit either way.
Read the full guide to cancelling subscriptions →For every utility (electric, gas, water, internet, cable, phone) there's a decision: keep it active, transfer it, or close it. That often depends on whether the home is still occupied. Closing usually means requesting a final bill, returning equipment, and any deposit or credit owed back.
Read the full guide to transferring or closing utility accounts →It's better to follow each platform's official process rather than assume that knowing someone's password gives you authority to access or manage their account. Many major providers have a process for immediate family members or an estate representative, and using the person's login directly can raise privacy, authorization, or platform-policy issues.
A legacy contact is a way to decide in advance who can access certain digital information after your death. Apple allows you to name a Legacy Contact who can request access using an access key and death certificate, although some information remains private. Google's Inactive Account Manager lets you choose who can receive certain account data after a set period of inactivity.
If these tools weren't set up ahead of time, there may still be a path forward. Many platforms have a process for family members or estate representatives to request account closure or, in some cases, access to certain information. What's available and what documentation is required depends on the provider.
Bank and credit card statements, email receipts, and the subscription settings inside the Apple App Store or Google Play are good starting points, and all three are worth checking since a subscription can be set up through any of them.
Not necessarily. It's worth considering whether the property needs to stay protected first (heat through a cold winter, for example) before deciding to close an account rather than transfer or simply maintain it.
Sometimes. It varies a lot by provider, so it's worth asking directly rather than assuming a prepaid annual plan is simply forfeited. Some providers prorate automatically once notified; others only refund on request.
Possibly. Ask the provider how any deposit or credit balance on the account is applied or returned: some apply it to the final bill automatically, others issue a separate refund, and documentation of the account holder's death may be required either way.
We'll help find and close the accounts, subscriptions, utilities, and services that need attention, including the ones that may still be billing.
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