Sorting out a loved one's recurring charges is one of the quieter tasks after a death, and it can feel overwhelming when you do not know what they were paying for or where each plan lived. This page is a calm, practical checklist: how to find the subscriptions, work out where each one is billed, and contact the right provider or bank to stop the charges. There is no rush and no single right order — take it one charge at a time. This is general information, not legal advice.
You cannot cancel what you cannot see, so the first step is building a list. Recurring charges hide in a few predictable places, and a death often surfaces them all at once when renewals keep posting.
Write each one down with the amount, how often it bills, and where it appears to be charged. That list is what you will work through.
Just like cancelling your own plans, the cancellation lives wherever the money is taken — not always on the company's own site. The statement descriptor is your biggest clue.
Grouping the list this way means you can clear several plans at once from a single account rather than chasing each company separately.
If you have lawful access to the person's account — for example as the account holder of a shared or family plan, or with credentials that you are authorized to use — you may be able to open the billing settings and turn off auto-renewal yourself. That is the fastest route when it is available to you.
When you cannot or should not log in, contact the company directly and explain that the account holder has died. Many large services have a documented process for this. Be ready with the person's name, the email or account on file, and the approximate billing date. Some providers ask for proof; see the note below on documents.
Subscriptions bought through an app store are cancelled inside that Apple or Google account, not on the company's website. If you can access the device or account, open its subscription settings; if not, the platform's support team can advise on their bereavement process.
Notifying the bank or card issuer of the death, or closing the account, will eventually stop charges tied to that card. Be aware this can simultaneously stop every service on that card, including ones a surviving partner may still want, so cancel the individual plans first where you can. The bank can also tell you their own process for a deceased account holder.
Save confirmation emails or reference numbers as you go, and tick each item off your list. If a charge posts after you were told a plan was cancelled, that record is what supports asking the provider for a refund or, if needed, raising it with the bank.
Documents you may be asked for. Some providers will cancel on a simple phone request, while others ask for proof such as a death certificate or evidence that you are the executor or next of kin. Requirements vary widely from one company to the next, and there is no universal rule, so it is worth asking each provider what they need before gathering paperwork. Never share more sensitive information than a provider's official process actually requires.
The hardest part is often just knowing what the subscriptions were. SubScan reads a list of charges you paste from a statement and adds up every recurring one, flags the duplicates, and shows the true monthly and yearly total with renewal dates — so nothing keeps billing in the background after you think you are done. Everything runs on your device: no bank login, no account, no upload.
Find every recurring charge →Cancellation processes for a deceased account holder are set by each company, so they vary, and proof requirements differ too. Separately, ordinary consumer protections around recurring billing still apply: a proposed FTC "click-to-cancel" rule that would have tightened cancellation requirements was struck down by a US appeals court in July 2025 and is not currently in effect, but rules such as ROSCA and various state auto-renewal laws still require clear terms and a straightforward way to cancel. If a charge posts after a confirmed cancellation, the Fair Credit Billing Act generally allows about 60 days from the statement date to dispute a credit-card charge, and Regulation E covers unauthorized debit-card transactions. Settling a person's affairs can also involve probate or estate rules that differ by state. This page is informational only; it does not cancel anything for you, and for anything involving an estate it is wise to confirm with a qualified professional.
It depends on the provider. Many will cancel on a phone call or a written request without one, while some ask for a death certificate or proof that you are the executor or next of kin before they close an account or issue any refund. There is no single rule, so the simplest approach is to contact each provider and ask what they require before assembling paperwork.
Notifying the bank of the death or closing the card will eventually stop charges tied to it, but it can stop every service on that card at once, including ones a surviving family member still uses. Where you can, cancel the unwanted plans individually first, then use the bank as a backstop. The bank can also explain its own process for a deceased account holder.
Contact the company directly and explain that the account holder has died. Many services have a bereavement or support process and can locate the account from the person's name, email, or billing details. App-store plans (Apple or Google) are handled through that platform's support. Keep notes of who you spoke to and any reference numbers.
Possibly. Some providers refund a charge taken after a death as a goodwill gesture, but refunds are at the merchant's discretion and are not guaranteed. Ask with a confirmation reference. If a charge posts after a provider confirmed a cancellation, you may also be able to dispute it with the bank within the applicable time window.
Cross-check three sources: the last few bank and card statements, the person's email inbox searched for renewal and receipt notices, and their app-store accounts. Pasting the recurring charges into an on-device tool like SubScan adds them up and surfaces duplicates and renewal dates, so a forgotten plan does not keep billing quietly in the background.
For informational purposes only — not legal, financial, or estate advice. SubScan does not cancel, refund, or manage any subscription on your behalf. Cancellation and proof requirements are set by each provider and vary; whether a charge is refunded is at the discretion of the merchant or platform and is not guaranteed. Consumer-protection rules such as the Fair Credit Billing Act, Regulation E, ROSCA, and state auto-renewal laws apply in the United States and details can vary by state and over time; confirm the current process, your rights, and any estate matters with the provider, your bank, or a qualified professional. Brand and service names are used for identification only.