When someone dies, sorting out their Amazon account is one of many practical tasks that falls to the people left behind. Amazon Prime, Kindle books, stored photos, active subscriptions and pending orders all need to be dealt with – and the account will continue to generate charges until you take action. This guide explains how to contact Amazon’s bereavement team, what documents you will need, and what happens to each type of content and service when an account closes.
Quick reference:
- Email: bereavement-support@amazon.co.uk
- Phone: 0800 279 7234 (Amazon UK customer service)
- Amazon bereavement support page: amazon.co.uk – bereavement support
- Documents needed: death certificate + photo ID + account identifier
- Kindle and digital purchases: cannot be transferred to another account
- Prime membership: prorated refund available for the unused period
How to notify Amazon
Amazon does not have a dedicated bereavement phone line in the way that some companies do, but it does have a specific email address and a help page for deceased customer accounts.
By email
The dedicated bereavement email address for Amazon UK is bereavement-support@amazon.co.uk. This is the recommended route for most people, as it creates a clear written record and allows you to attach documents directly.
In your email, include:
- That you are contacting on behalf of a deceased account holder
- The email address or phone number registered to the Amazon account
- The date of death
- What you are requesting (account closure, cancellation of subscriptions, information)
Amazon’s bereavement team will respond and guide you through the next steps. They will verify your documents before taking any action on the account.
If you do not know the email address associated with the account, you can instead provide information to help identify it – such as a mobile number, a recent order number, or a unique charge ID visible on a bank statement. Amazon will use this to locate the correct account. (Source: Amazon UK – bereavement support, last verified May 2026.)
By phone
Amazon UK customer service can be reached on 0800 279 7234. This is a freephone number available 24 hours a day. While the phone line is general customer service rather than a dedicated bereavement team, agents can handle deceased customer requests and escalate where needed.
Phone is useful if you have a time-sensitive matter – for example, if there is a pending large order, an active subscription renewing imminently, or if you need to discuss Amazon Household arrangements quickly.
If you have access to the account
If you know the deceased’s email address and can reset the password (using the Forgot password link on the Amazon sign-in page), you can log in to the account and manage or cancel services directly. This is the fastest route for cancelling Prime and active subscriptions, and for downloading any photos from Amazon Photos before the account closes.
Whether or not you have login access, Amazon asks that you still notify them of the death using the bereavement email, so that the account can be formally flagged.
What documents you will need
Amazon’s documentation requirements depend on what you are asking for. The process varies depending on whether you have access to the account or are acting as an authorised representative without access.
| Situation | Documents required |
|---|---|
| You have access to the account (email + password) | Death certificate (scan or photo) |
| You are closing the account without login access | Death certificate + photo ID + proof of authority |
| You are requesting account information | Death certificate + photo ID + proof of authority |
| You cannot identify the account by email | Alternative identifier (mobile number, order number, charge ID) + documents above |
Proof of authority means documentation showing you are the legally authorised person to act on behalf of the estate – for example, a grant of probate, letters of administration, or confirmation as executor under a will. If you are a surviving spouse acting without formal probate (common for smaller estates), explain this in your email and Amazon’s team may be able to assist depending on the circumstances.
Death certificates: Amazon accepts a scanned copy or a clear photograph of the death certificate – you do not need to send an original. All documents are securely deleted by Amazon after verification. (Source: Amazon UK – bereavement support, last verified May 2026.)
If you need additional certified copies of the death certificate for other organisations, they cost £12.50 each in England and Wales, ordered from the General Register Office at gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate. It is worth ordering several when registering the death, as banks, pension providers, and HMRC will each typically require one.
What happens to the Amazon account
Once Amazon verifies your documentation and closes the account, all services associated with it will be cancelled permanently across all Amazon sites globally. This is a significant decision – see the section below on digital content before proceeding.
Prime membership
Amazon Prime can be cancelled and a prorated refund requested for any unused portion of the membership period. The refund eligibility depends on whether Prime benefits have been used since the last renewal:
- If no Prime benefits have been used since the last payment, a full refund is available.
- If only delivery benefits have been used (but not Prime Video, Prime Music, or Prime Gaming), a partial refund may be available.
- If any streaming benefits have been used (Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Gaming), a refund is less likely – but it is still worth asking Amazon’s bereavement team directly, as they may exercise discretion in bereavement circumstances.
Contact Amazon’s bereavement team to request a refund on the unused portion. Amazon’s general terms state that if Amazon terminates a membership, a prorated refund is issued – bereavement teams typically apply the same principle.
(Source: Amazon Prime Terms and Conditions, last verified April 2026.)
Gift card balance and credits
Any Amazon gift card balance or promotional credit held in the account is treated as an asset of the estate. Amazon will transfer balances to the estate on request – contact the bereavement team to arrange this before the account is closed, as once the account is closed, the balance cannot be recovered.
Amazon Household
If the deceased was part of an Amazon Household – a sharing arrangement between two adults and up to four children – the surviving adult member will need to update or remove the Household association. Amazon Household allows sharing of Prime benefits, and with the deceased’s account closed, those shared benefits will end. The surviving adult can set up their own Prime membership independently.
What happens to digital content
This is the most important thing to understand before you close an Amazon account: most digital content cannot be transferred to another account.
Kindle books
When you purchase a Kindle book, you are buying a licence to read it – you do not own the underlying content. Amazon’s terms are explicit: Kindle content cannot be transferred to another account or person. (Source: Amazon Kindle Store Terms of Use.)
If the Kindle library is large and has sentimental or practical value to the family, the only way to retain access is to keep the account open. Some families choose to do this rather than close the account immediately – keeping the account active with a minimal footprint and continuing to use the Kindle device registered to it.
Amazon Household’s Family Library feature does allow certain Kindle books to be shared between adult members while both accounts are active. If this was set up before the death, the surviving adult can access those shared titles from their own account – but this sharing ends when the deceased’s account is closed.
Prime Video purchases and rentals
Films, TV series, and other content purchased or rented through Prime Video are subject to the same licence restrictions. They cannot be transferred. Once the account closes, access to purchased Prime Video content ends.
If there are recently purchased films or series the family would like to keep access to, download them to a device before the account closes – downloaded content may remain available offline for a period, depending on the device and the content’s download permissions.
Prime Video subscription (streaming)
This is part of the Prime membership and will end when Prime is cancelled. There are no carry-over rights to a new account.
Amazon Music
Purchased music tracks (from the old Amazon MP3 store) and music stored in Amazon Music cannot be transferred. Amazon Music Unlimited subscriptions will end when the account closes.
Amazon Photos and Prime Photos
Photos stored in Amazon Photos – including any backed up from phones or devices – will be deleted when the account closes. This is particularly important: if the deceased backed up their phone photos to Amazon Photos (automatically, via Prime), those images could be lost permanently.
Download photos before closing the account. Log in (or ask someone with access to log in) and download any photos or videos from Amazon Photos before submitting the account closure request.
Accessing and closing the account
Amazon’s approach to account access is careful about privacy. They will only share account information or take action when the request comes from an authorised representative of the estate.
Amazon will not give you login access to the deceased’s account – they will close it or action specific requests, but they will not hand over the account credentials to a third party.
If you already have the login details (email and password), you can use them to access the account yourself to manage subscriptions, download photos, and review order history before requesting formal closure. Amazon’s bereavement process does not require you to prove you logged in – you can do both: access the account to retrieve information, and separately notify the bereavement team for formal closure.
How long does it take?
There is no fixed published timeline from Amazon for bereavement account closures. In practice:
- Email response: Amazon’s bereavement team typically responds within a few working days.
- Account closure: Once documents are verified, the account is usually closed within a few days to two weeks, depending on complexity.
- Delays: Can occur if documents are unclear, if the account cannot be identified, or if there are outstanding disputes (such as an active return or a disputed charge).
While you are waiting for formal closure, any active Prime membership will continue to renew unless you cancel it through the account directly. If you have login access, cancelling Prime immediately is a sensible first step.
Things to watch out for
Cancel active subscriptions before closing the account. Amazon has several subscription services that renew automatically. If you have access to the account, cancel these individually before requesting closure – it speeds up the process and avoids additional charges:
| Subscription | Where to manage it |
|---|---|
| Prime (annual or monthly) | Account & Lists → Prime Membership |
| Audible | Manage membership at audible.co.uk |
| Kindle Unlimited | Account & Lists → Memberships & Subscriptions |
| Subscribe & Save orders | Account & Lists → Subscribe & Save |
| Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods delivery | Manage in account orders |
Audible is a separate account. Audible, while owned by Amazon, operates as a separate service with its own subscription and login. It shares the same Amazon credentials, but you may need to contact Audible specifically to cancel an Audible membership – or log into audible.co.uk and cancel from there. Audiobooks purchased through Audible are, like Kindle books, licences and cannot be transferred.
Recurring orders and Subscribe & Save. The deceased may have had Subscribe & Save orders for household items – cleaning products, vitamins, pet food – that will continue to ship and charge unless cancelled.
Amazon Alexa and Echo devices. Alexa devices registered to an Amazon account will stop functioning fully once the account is closed – routines, skills, and music services connected via Prime will no longer work. If a family member wants to keep using the device, it should be deregistered from the deceased’s account and registered to a new one before the account closes.
Amazon seller accounts. If the deceased ran an Amazon seller account, this is a separate matter requiring contact with Amazon Seller Support, not the consumer bereavement team. Seller accounts involve business assets and VAT implications that may need professional advice.
Tell Us Once does not cover Amazon. The government’s Tell Us Once service notifies government departments of a death in one step but does not extend to private companies. You need to contact Amazon directly.
Summary
To notify Amazon of a bereavement, email bereavement-support@amazon.co.uk with the death certificate, your photo ID, and the account identifier (email address, mobile number, or order number). If you have login access, you can also contact customer service on 0800 279 7234.
Before requesting account closure, download any photos from Amazon Photos and consider whether the Kindle library has value to the family – once the account closes, that content is gone permanently. Digital purchases (Kindle books, Prime Video, music) cannot be transferred to another account.
Cancel Prime and any other active subscriptions to stop ongoing charges. Ask Amazon’s bereavement team about a prorated refund on unused Prime membership. Any gift card balance or credit should also be claimed before account closure.
For related guidance, see our pages on what to do when someone dies – the complete guide, how to notify Apple when someone dies, how to notify Google when someone dies, how to notify Netflix when someone dies, how to notify PayPal when someone dies, how to notify Currys when someone dies, what happens to direct debits when someone dies, and how to apply for probate if you are the executor managing the estate.