How to close an Amazon account for a deceased person – full 2026 process

When someone dies, sorting out their Amazon account is one of many practical tasks that falls to the people left behind. Amazon is not just a retailer – it’s Prime, Kindle, Audible, Amazon Music, Amazon Photos, Echo devices, Amazon Pay, and often Amazon Household too. Several of these run as recurring subscriptions that will continue charging the estate until you act. This guide explains how to contact Amazon’s bereavement team, what documents you need, and what happens to each service when an account is closed.

Quick reference:

• Email: bereavement-support@amazon.co.uk
• Phone: 0800 279 7234 (Amazon UK customer service, 24 hours)
• Amazon bereavement support page: amazon.co.uk – bereavement support
• Documents needed: death certificate + photo ID + account identifier (email, mobile number, or order number)
• Prime membership: £8.99/month or £95/year – prorated refund available for unused period
• Gift card balance: estate asset – transfer must be requested before account closes
• Kindle and digital purchases: cannot be transferred to another account

How to notify Amazon

Amazon does not have a dedicated bereavement phone line in the way that some companies do, but it has 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 – 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 about the gift card balance)

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 July 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 cannot provide full authorisation documents

If you cannot yet supply proof of legal authority – for example, you have not applied for probate, or you are a family member without executor documentation – Amazon can still help with three specific actions using only the death certificate and the account’s email or phone number:

• Terminating subscriptions (Prime, Kindle Unlimited, Amazon Music Unlimited)
• Stopping recurring deliveries (Subscribe & Save)
• Deactivating the account

Full authorisation documents (photo ID and proof of estate authority) are only required when you need Amazon to share account details or take actions that touch the estate’s assets – for example, releasing a gift card balance. Stopping the money going out does not require probate. (Source: Amazon UK – bereavement support, last verified July 2026.)

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, pausing Subscribe & Save deliveries, and downloading 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.

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 typically require one each.

Cancel Prime immediately

Amazon Prime is the most important subscription to deal with quickly. It renews automatically – either monthly at £8.99 or annually at £95 – and will continue charging the estate’s bank account or credit card until cancelled. (Source: Amazon – The Amazon Prime Membership Fee, last verified May 2026.)

If you have login access, cancel Prime directly:

• Sign in to the account
• Go to Account & Lists → Prime Membership
• Select “End Membership”

If you do not have login access, contact the bereavement team to cancel Prime on your behalf. Ask explicitly for a prorated refund of the unused 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 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.

(Source: Amazon Prime Terms and Conditions, last verified May 2026.)

Physical orders in transit

The deceased may have had orders placed that are still being processed or are already in transit.

• Not yet dispatched: Orders that have not been dispatched can usually be cancelled directly through the account (Account & Lists → Returns & Orders) or by contacting Amazon customer service on 0800 279 7234.
• Already dispatched: Once an order has been dispatched, it cannot be cancelled but can be returned when it arrives. Amazon’s standard 30-day returns policy applies. Go to Account & Lists → Returns & Orders to initiate a return.
• Subscribe & Save orders: Check for recurring household deliveries (cleaning products, vitamins, pet food) that will continue shipping and charging unless cancelled. Manage these under Account & Lists → Subscribe & Save.

If you have access to the account, reviewing open orders should be one of the first things you do.

Gift card balance

Any Amazon gift card balance or promotional credit held in the account is treated as an asset of the estate. This is one of the most important things to check before closing the account.

The process:

1. Contact the bereavement team at bereavement-support@amazon.co.uk
2. State that you are requesting the gift card balance to be transferred to the estate
3. Provide your estate documentation (grant of probate or letters of administration)
4. Amazon will arrange a transfer or refund of the balance

This request must be made before the account is closed. Once the account is permanently closed, the balance cannot be recovered. Amazon’s gift card terms state that balances are not generally refundable – but in the context of an estate with proper legal authorisation, Amazon will typically cooperate. (Source: Amazon UK – gift card terms and conditions, last verified May 2026.)

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. When you purchase digital content from Amazon, you are buying a licence to access it – not ownership of the underlying content.

Kindle books

Amazon’s terms are explicit: Kindle content cannot be transferred to another account or person. When the account closes, the Kindle library becomes permanently inaccessible. (Source: Amazon Kindle Store Terms of Use, last verified May 2026.)

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. There is no time limit on how long this can remain open – but any active Prime or other subscriptions will continue charging in the meantime, so these should be cancelled separately while the account itself remains accessible.

Amazon Household’s Family Library feature allows 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 sharing ends when the deceased’s account is closed.

Kindle Unlimited

Kindle Unlimited (£9.99/month) is a subscription lending library, separate from purchased Kindle books. Subscribers can borrow from a selection of titles rather than purchasing them outright. Unlike purchased Kindle books, borrowed Kindle Unlimited titles are never permanently added to the account – they are returned when the subscription ends. There is nothing in a Kindle Unlimited subscription that forms part of the estate; cancel it promptly under Account & Lists → Memberships & Subscriptions.

Audible

Audible is owned by Amazon and uses the same login credentials, but it operates as a separate service with its own subscription (typically £7.99–£14.99/month depending on the plan) and its own credits system. Audiobooks purchased through Audible are, like Kindle books, licences and cannot be transferred to another account.

To cancel an Audible membership:

• Log in at audible.co.uk
• Go to Account Details → Cancel membership
• Or contact Audible customer service directly

Important: Audible credits expire when the membership is cancelled. If there are unused credits at the time of cancellation, they are forfeited. If you have login access and there are unused credits, consider whether there is any practical use for them before cancelling. Contact Audible’s customer service – they sometimes allow credits to be used up within a short window after cancellation in bereavement circumstances. (Source: Audible conditions of use, last verified May 2026.)

Amazon Music Unlimited

Amazon Music comes in two tiers:

• Prime Music – basic streaming included with a Prime membership, around 100 million songs but with shuffle-only listening. Ends automatically when Prime is cancelled.
• Amazon Music Unlimited – a standalone subscription at £12.99/month (£11.99/month for Prime members). This is a separate charge that continues even if Prime is cancelled. (Source: Amazon Music – pricing update, February 2026, last verified May 2026.)

If the deceased had Amazon Music Unlimited as a standalone subscription, cancel this separately:

• Account & Lists → Memberships & Subscriptions → Amazon Music Unlimited → Cancel

Downloaded music will become unplayable once the subscription ends.

Prime Video purchases

Films and TV series purchased (rather than streamed) through Prime Video are subject to the same licence restrictions as Kindle content. They cannot be transferred to another account.

If there are recently purchased films or series the family would like to retain access to, downloaded copies on a device may remain playable offline for a limited period, depending on the content’s download permissions and the device.

Amazon Photos

Photos stored in Amazon Photos – including any automatically backed up from phones – will be deleted when the account closes. This is the most time-sensitive item: if the deceased used Amazon Photos for phone backups (which Prime enables automatically), those images could be permanently lost.

Download all photos before closing the account. Log in and download everything from Amazon Photos before submitting the account closure request. This should be treated as urgent.

Amazon Household and Family Library

Amazon Household is a sharing arrangement between two adults and up to four children that allows Prime benefits to be shared and Kindle books to be shared through Family Library.

When the deceased’s account is closed:

• Shared Prime benefits end for any linked accounts
• The Family Library sharing arrangement ends
• The surviving adult member will need to set up their own Prime membership

If the deceased was the primary Prime account holder and the surviving partner has been sharing Prime benefits, they will need to set up their own Prime subscription after the account closes. This is worth doing before the account closes, rather than after – you can set up a new Prime account independently without waiting for the deceased’s account to be formally closed.

Amazon Pay

Amazon Pay is Amazon’s payment service that allows customers to use their Amazon stored payment methods at third-party websites and apps. If the deceased used Amazon Pay on external merchant sites, those merchants may still have Amazon Pay connected as a payment option.

Closing the Amazon account will deactivate the Amazon Pay link – merchants will no longer be able to process payments through it. However, you may also want to contact any subscription-based merchants where Amazon Pay was used, to cancel those subscriptions directly before the account closes.

You can review Amazon Pay activity at pay.amazon.co.uk while the account is still accessible.

Echo and Alexa devices

Alexa devices – Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, Fire TV, and others – are registered to an Amazon account. When that account closes, the devices lose access to:

• Music and Audible playback
• Alexa routines and skills
• Smart home device management
• Any subscriptions managed through the device

If a family member wants to keep using an Echo device, it should be deregistered from the deceased’s account and registered to a new account before the account is closed. You can deregister an Alexa device in two ways:

• Through the account (Alexa app or alexa.amazon.co.uk → Devices → select the device → Deregister), or
• Through the device itself by performing a factory reset (hold the mute and volume-down buttons simultaneously on most Echo devices)

Once deregistered, the device will factory reset and can be set up fresh with a new Amazon account. Any personal settings, skills, and routines will be lost, but the hardware will be fully functional.

Note on Alexa voice profiles: If the deceased had a personalised Alexa voice profile (allowing Alexa to recognise their voice for personalised responses), this is stored against the account and is deleted when the account closes. No action is needed – it does not affect other users’ profiles on the same device once the device is transferred.

Amazon seller accounts

If the deceased operated an Amazon seller account, this is a separate matter from the consumer account and requires a different process.

Seller accounts have their own credentials, seller metrics, and potentially outstanding orders, payments, or disputes. Contact Amazon Seller Support directly – the consumer bereavement team cannot handle seller accounts. The relevant contact is via Seller Central at sellercentral.amazon.co.uk.

Sole trader sellers: If the deceased ran the Amazon selling business as a sole trader, the business and the seller account are legally their personal business. The executor or administrator of the estate takes over responsibility for outstanding orders, fulfilment, and financial obligations. The account cannot be transferred to another person – the estate will need to fulfil outstanding orders, resolve any disputes, and then close the account.

Limited company sellers: If the deceased ran the Amazon business through a limited company, the company continues to exist (companies do not die with their directors). The seller account belongs to the company and continues under the remaining directors or newly appointed directors. The company’s accountant or solicitor should advise on director changes and any estate administration crossover.

Seller accounts may also have tax implications (VAT, self-assessment) that form part of the estate administration. If the deceased ran a business through Amazon, seek professional advice from an accountant or solicitor before taking action.

Amazon Business accounts

Amazon Business is a separate B2B service that provides business pricing, multi-user accounts, and procurement tools. If the deceased held an Amazon Business account – either as an individual sole trader or as the account administrator for a business – this is separate from their personal Amazon account.

Contact the Amazon Business customer service team to notify them of the death and discuss what happens to any outstanding business purchases, payment methods, or user access. If the deceased was the sole administrator of a business account and other employees need continued access, this should be treated as a priority.

Amazon Pharmacy

Amazon Pharmacy is a prescription delivery service available in some parts of the UK. If the deceased was using Amazon Pharmacy for repeat prescription deliveries, these will need to be cancelled separately. Contact Amazon Pharmacy customer service directly – their team handles prescription account closures separately from the consumer bereavement team.

Any pending prescription deliveries should be returned unopened to a pharmacy if they arrive after the date of death and are no longer needed. Controlled drugs (Schedule 2 and 3 medications) should be taken to a community pharmacy for safe disposal – do not put them in household waste.

Probate and Amazon

Unlike banks and building societies, Amazon does not publish a specific probate threshold below which they will act without a grant of probate. In practice, Amazon assesses each case individually:

• For straightforward requests (account closure, Prime cancellation) from someone who can demonstrate a clear connection to the deceased, Amazon may act with a death certificate and a statutory declaration without requiring formal probate.
• For higher-value requests – particularly requesting a refund of a substantial gift card balance – Amazon is more likely to ask for a grant of probate or letters of administration.

If you are managing a small estate and have not yet applied for probate, start with the bereavement email and be transparent about your situation. Amazon may be able to help without formal probate for lower-stakes requests.

For guidance on the probate process itself, see our guide to applying for probate.

What happens to the account

Once Amazon verifies your documentation and closes the account, all services associated with it are cancelled permanently across all Amazon sites globally. This is irreversible. Before you request account closure, ensure you have:

1. Downloaded all photos from Amazon Photos
2. Noted the Kindle library contents (if relevant) and decided whether to keep the account open for access
3. Requested transfer of any gift card balance
4. Cancelled or arranged transfer of any Amazon Household benefits
5. Deregistered any Echo/Alexa devices you want to keep using
6. Cancelled Amazon Music Unlimited and Audible separately (to stop charges before formal closure)
7. Checked for any Amazon Pharmacy repeat prescriptions that need cancelling

Accounts are not held in limbo during the estate administration period – once Amazon processes the closure request, the account is gone.

How long does it take

Amazon does not publish a service standard for how long a bereavement request takes, and its bereavement support page gives no timeframe. In practice, once the bereavement team has received the death certificate and any documents they have asked for, most people report the account being actioned within a week or two. The main delays come from Amazon asking for further documents (for example, proof of authority when releasing a gift card balance), so sending everything relevant in your first email tends to speed things up.

Two points worth planning around:

• Charges do not stop the moment you email. Until Amazon processes the request, any active subscription keeps renewing. If a large renewal is imminent, cancel it directly through the account if you have access, or ask the bank to block that card as a backstop (see our guide on what happens to direct debits when someone dies).
• There is no automatic freeze. Amazon does not hold the account in a protected state while the estate is administered. It stays live – and keeps billing – until you notify them and they act, or until you cancel the individual subscriptions yourself.

If you have login access, cancelling subscriptions yourself is faster than waiting for the bereavement team, and you can do both in parallel: cancel the recurring charges directly, and email the bereavement team to formally flag and close the account.

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:

The account email may be unknown. If the deceased used a separate email address for Amazon that you cannot access, provide Amazon with a mobile number, order number, or a charge description from a bank statement. Amazon can use any of these to locate the account.

Bank or credit card charges may continue. Until Amazon processes the bereavement request, any linked subscriptions will keep charging. If you cannot cancel through the account directly and the estate’s bank account is at risk of charges, notify the bank as well – they can block further payments from that card while you wait for Amazon to act.

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.

Amazon is not a member of the Death Notification Service. The Death Notification Service (DNSnotify.co.uk) allows a single notification to reach multiple member banks and building societies. Amazon is a retailer, not a financial institution, and is not a member. You must contact Amazon directly.

Amazon Photos is easily missed. Many people do not think of Amazon as a photo storage service, but Amazon Photos – especially when phone photo backup is enabled through Prime – can hold years of photos. Check whether the deceased used it before closing the account.

Fire tablets and Kindle e-readers are physical assets. Unlike digital content, the devices themselves belong to the estate and can be sold, given away, or factory-reset for use by a family member. Factory-reset removes the deceased’s account from the device.

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 call customer service on 0800 279 7234.

Before requesting account closure: download any photos from Amazon Photos (this is time-sensitive), note whether the Kindle library has value to the family, and request transfer of any gift card balance. Cancel Prime (£8.99/month or £95/year) and ask about a prorated refund. Cancel Audible and Amazon Music Unlimited separately if applicable. Deregister any Echo devices a family member wants to keep.

Digital purchases (Kindle books, Prime Video content, music) cannot be transferred to another account. Once the account closes, that content is gone permanently.

For related guidance, see the what to do when someone dies – the complete guide hub, how to notify Apple when someone dies, how to notify Google when someone dies, how to notify eBay when someone dies, how to notify Netflix when someone dies, how to notify PayPal when someone dies, what happens to subscriptions when someone dies, what happens to digital assets when someone dies, what happens to direct debits when someone dies, and how to apply for probate.