NotifyNOW
NotifyNOW lets you "Notify companies of the passing of a loved one securely and efficiently." Its terms describe "deceased notification services in the United States" covering banks, credit card companies, finance companies, utilities, telecoms and other creditors. It's a service of Estate Resolution Technologies (US) LLC, part of The Estate Registry.
- Built for
- The same job in the United States
- Published cost
- Its home page calls them "our free services." No fee appears in its FAQ or terms.
- Free tier
- The notifications
- Account
- Required, as a "Notifier," with identity verification. Notifications go out within 3 days of entry, per its FAQ.
- The limit to know
- US residents only, per its terms. A death certificate is optional to submit, but its FAQ says companies "may not complete the action without one."
NotifyNOW ↗ NotifyNOW FAQ ↗ NotifyNOW terms ↗
Empathy
Empathy's Loss Support page says "We take the job of canceling accounts and subscriptions off your plate," alongside help claiming benefits and navigating probate, through a dedicated Care Manager. It's sold to employers, insurers and financial institutions rather than to families.
- Built for
- Account closing and paperwork through an employer or life insurer
- Published cost
- No consumer price is published. Its terms say the site "is currently offered free of charge" and that the app "may be subject to the purchase of a subscription" when you don't come through a sponsor.
- Free tier
- Access through an employer or insurer code
- Account
- Through the sponsoring employer or insurer, then the mobile app.
- The limit to know
- You need a sponsor. Its terms say the Care Team can't give legal, financial or insurance advice.
Empathy Loss Support ↗ Empathy terms ↗
MORTL
MORTL doesn't send notifications for you. Its someone-just-died path orders the first tasks by day and week, its guide to closing accounts says what banks, card issuers, utilities, phone companies, subscriptions, government agencies and insurers each require, and the Who to Notify tracker keeps the list. All of it is free and needs no account.
- Built for
- Knowing what each company will ask for, and tracking who you've told
- Published cost
- Free. The crisis path stays free and carries no upsell.
- Free tier
- Everything on this job
- Account
- None.
- The limit to know
- You make the calls. MORTL tells you what to bring and in what order.
When someone dies ↗ How to close accounts after a death →
Experian deceased notification
Experian's guide says the bureaus are usually told of a death by the Social Security Administration or the person's creditors, and that "only a spouse or other legally authorized person, such as the executor of an estate, can report a death." You upload a certified copy of the death certificate online or mail it to its Consumer Assistance Center. Once one bureau is notified, "it'll notify the other two."
- Built for
- Flagging the credit file so nobody opens accounts in the name
- Published cost
- The guide names no fee.
- Free tier
- The notification
- Account
- None. A certified death certificate copy, the name, Social Security number, dates of birth and death.
- The limit to know
- Credit reports only. It adds a deceased alert; it doesn't close the accounts. The page is an Ask Experian article dated August 12, 2024.
How to report a relative's death to the credit bureaus ↗
Deceased Do Not Contact List
The ANA's Deceased Do Not Contact List exists "to assist family members, friends and caretakers seeking to remove the names of deceased individuals from commercial marketing lists." A monthly file goes to subscribing companies; the page says to expect less promotional mail within three months.
- Built for
- Stopping the marketing mail
- Published cost
- "$6 administrative processing fee," paid online with an email verification.
- Free tier
- None
- Account
- None. The form asks the month and year of death, the age at death and your relation to the person.
- The limit to know
- Marketing lists only, and only companies that subscribe to the file. It doesn't touch accounts, creditors or government records.
Deceased Do Not Contact List registration ↗ DMAchoice consumer tools ↗
Settld
Settld says "When a loved one dies, use Settld to close or transfer their accounts in one go, fast-track probate, sell the property - and much more." It "reports a death to multiple companies in one go, and requests any credit owed to the estate," and assigns a Settld Assistant. Its terms say the service is free to individuals; its home page says partner referral fees keep it that way. It's a service of The Estate Registry, the same parent as NotifyNOW.
- Built for
- UK company notifications with a named assistant
- Published cost
- "It's free!" for individuals, per the home page and terms. Its home page counts more than 1,400 organisations; an older FAQ entry on the same site says over 950.
- Free tier
- The notifications and the assistant
- Account
- A web form, then a death certificate or interim coroner's certificate, photo ID and an identity check before anything sends.
- The limit to know
- UK only. Its home page also offers probate, property clearance, asset searches and bridging loans through partners that pay it a fee.
Settld ↗ Settld for families ↗ Settld terms ↗
Tell Us Once
Tell Us Once "lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go": HMRC, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Passport Office, the DVLA, the local council, Veterans UK, Social Security Scotland and some public sector pension schemes. The registrar gives you a reference number when you register the death.
- Built for
- UK government departments in one report
- Published cost
- The gov.uk page names no fee.
- Free tier
- The service
- Account
- The reference number from the registrar, used within 28 days, online or by phone.
- The limit to know
- England, Scotland and Wales only, and government bodies only. The page says you still have to contact banks, mortgage and insurance providers, utilities, landlords and workplace pensions yourself.
Tell Us Once on gov.uk ↗