How to notify Argos when someone dies

Argos is one of the UK’s biggest retailers – and for many households, there may be more to deal with than a simple shopping account. The deceased might have held an Argos Pay credit account (formerly the Argos Card), a Nectar loyalty account linked to their purchases, or gift cards sitting unused. Each of these is handled separately, and the credit account in particular needs prompt attention to stop interest running.

This guide walks through each element: how to notify Argos customer services, how to handle the Argos Pay credit account (now managed by NewDay), what happens to gift cards, and how to deal with Nectar points. You do not need to have sorted everything out before making the call – getting the account frozen is the priority.

Quick reference:

• Argos customer service (bereavement): 03456 400 700 – Mon–Sat 8am–6pm, Sun 10am–6pm
• Argos Pay (NewDay): 0333 240 8002 – Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat 9am–5pm
• Nectar: Contact Nectar customer service with a death certificate to request transfer of points
• Online notification: No dedicated Argos online bereavement form – phone is the primary channel

How to notify Argos

Argos does not publish a dedicated online bereavement form for its retail accounts. The primary route is by telephone.

Phone: Call 03456 400 700. Lines are open Monday to Saturday, 8am–6pm, and Sunday, 10am–6pm. Ask to speak to the bereavement team or to report a bereavement on the account.

By post: You can write to Argos and include a photocopy of the death certificate along with a covering letter. The covering letter should include the deceased’s full name, date of birth, date of death, and usual address, plus your own details as executor or next of kin. The postal address for bereavement correspondence relating to Argos financial products is:

Argos Financial Services, Dept C
PO Box 211
Park Mill
Huddersfield
HD8 1FA

Note that this address is primarily associated with the Argos Card / Argos Pay credit accounts. For general retail account queries, it is better to call the main customer service number above.

Third-party services: Services such as Settld and Life Ledger allow you to notify multiple organisations from a single submission. This can save time if you are working through a long list of accounts, though Argos is not always listed directly – check their current company lists before using one of these services.

What to have ready when you call

Before phoning, gather:

• The deceased’s full name and date of birth
• The date of death
• The Argos account email address or order reference number, if known
• If there is an Argos Pay (credit) account: the card number or account number, if available
• Your own name and your relationship to the deceased (executor, administrator, or next of kin)

You do not need all of this to make the call. If you only know the name and date of death, the team can usually locate the account from those details.

What happens to the Argos retail account

An Argos online retail account holds order history, saved addresses, and payment methods. There are no ongoing financial obligations tied to a standard retail account – no credit, no minimum payments, no subscription fees.

When you notify Argos of the death, they will close or suspend the account. Any pending or outstanding orders will need to be discussed with the customer service team at the time of the call. If an order has been placed but not yet fulfilled, you may be able to cancel it and have any payment refunded to the original payment method – though this depends on the order status at the time.

Refunds and outstanding payments: If the deceased placed an order using a debit card or bank account that has since been frozen, Argos will typically issue a refund by alternative means. Explain the situation clearly when you call and ask how they can process any refund that is due.

The Argos Pay credit account

This is the account that requires the most urgent attention. If the deceased held an Argos Card – now transitioning to Argos Pay – interest continues to accrue on any outstanding balance until the card issuer is formally notified.

The ownership change you need to know about

In October 2024, Sainsbury’s (which owns Argos) agreed to sell the Argos Financial Services card portfolio to NewDay Group for £720 million. Beneficial ownership transferred to NewDay in early 2025, with full legal migration of accounts expected around early 2026. As of early 2026, many Argos Card accounts have updated to Argos Pay, provided by NewDay. (Source: Sainsbury’s press release, October 2024.)

In practice, this means:

• If the deceased’s account has already migrated to Argos Pay, contact NewDay on 0333 240 8002 (Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat 9am–5pm)
• If the account has not yet migrated and still shows as an Argos Card, start with the main Argos bereavement line on 03456 400 700, who can direct you to the right team
• You can also reach NewDay via their online information hub at portal.newdaycards.com/argospay

What happens when you notify them

The outstanding balance is not passed to family members personally. Unless someone was a joint account holder or guarantor on the credit agreement, they have no personal liability for any debt left on the Argos Pay account. The debt sits with the estate, not with individuals. (Source: National Debtline – Debts after death in England and Wales.)

For a detailed explanation of how credit debts are handled within an estate – including what happens if the estate cannot pay – see our guide to credit card debt after death.

Documents to send for the Argos Pay account

Send a photocopy of the death certificate (an original is not required), along with a covering letter that includes:

• The deceased’s full name, date of birth, date of death, and usual address
• The account number or card number (if known)
• Your name and role (executor, administrator, or next of kin)
• Your contact address

Post to: Argos Financial Services, Dept C, PO Box 211, Park Mill, Huddersfield, HD8 1FA – or contact NewDay directly if the account has migrated.

Gift cards

Argos gift cards are a common fixture in many households. The key points to be aware of:

• Argos gift cards do not expire and can be used in-store or online
• A gift card balance is part of the deceased’s estate, just as unused cash would be
• Gift cards cannot generally be exchanged for cash directly at a till – but as part of estate administration, the executor can contact Argos customer services to discuss what can be done with any remaining balance
• If you can find the gift card (physical or digital/email), note the card number and check the balance via the Argos website

There is no specific public guidance from Argos on gift cards in an estate context. When calling to notify the death, ask the bereavement team directly what options exist for any gift card balance. Argos customer service teams have some flexibility in these situations.

Nectar points

Argos is part of the Nectar loyalty programme, which is shared with Sainsbury’s. Points collected at Argos will sit in the deceased’s Nectar account.

Nectar’s terms state that points are personal to the account holder and cannot normally be transferred. However, Nectar does make provision for transfer after death where adequate evidence is provided. To request a transfer:

1. Contact Nectar customer service with a death certificate (a scan or photo is usually accepted)
2. Provide the deceased’s Nectar card number or the email address linked to their account
3. Provide your own Nectar account number if you wish to receive the points

Nectar will assess the request and may ask for additional documentation. The process is not automatic and approval is at Nectar’s discretion. If there are only a small number of points (worth very little in cash terms), it may not be worth pursuing – each Nectar point is worth 0.5p. (Source: MoneySavingExpert – Nectar points value.)

For a more detailed walkthrough of the Nectar bereavement process, including how to contact Nectar and what documentation they require, see our guide to notifying Sainsbury’s when someone dies, which covers Nectar in full.

Klarna and buy now, pay later

Argos offers Klarna pay-later options at checkout: Pay Now, Pay in 30 days, and Pay in 3 instalments. These are separate credit agreements between the customer and Klarna – not part of the Argos Pay credit account. (Source: Klarna UK – Argos store page.)

If the deceased used Klarna at Argos, the outstanding balance is a debt of the estate, just like any other credit. The key steps:

1. Notify Klarna separately – the Argos bereavement team cannot close a Klarna account. Klarna must be notified via the form at klarna.com/uk/inform-us/.
2. Provide identity documents and the death certificate – Klarna requires proof of identity for the person reporting the death, the deceased’s name and date of birth, and a death certificate (interim or coroner’s certificate is accepted where a full certificate is not yet available).
3. Outstanding payments – Klarna will suspend the account, stop further collection attempts, and provide a balance statement for the executor to settle from estate funds. Family members are not personally liable unless they were joint account holders.
4. Check bank statements for auto-charges – Pay in 3 instalments are charged automatically. If the deceased’s bank account has been frozen, these may fail and trigger debt collection contact. Notifying Klarna promptly prevents this. (Source: Klarna UK – informing Klarna of a death.)

For the full Klarna bereavement process, including what happens to the Klarna Card and any remaining account balance, see our guide to notifying Klarna when someone dies.

Argos Care Plans

Argos sells extended protection and care plans for appliances and electronics under the Argos Care brand. These plans are underwritten and administered by Domestic & General Insurance PLC, not by Argos directly.

If the deceased held an Argos Care plan, the options are:

• Transfer to a new owner – if the covered appliance is being kept by a family member, the plan can often be transferred. Contact Domestic & General on 0333 000 9737 to request a transfer. You will need the plan reference number (found on the original plan documents or welcome letter) and the new owner’s details.
• Cancel for a pro-rata refund – if the appliance is being sold, given away, or scrapped, cancel the plan. Domestic & General will refund any unused premium on a monthly basis. Cancellations can also be made in writing to Domestic & General Insurance PLC, Leicester House, 17 Leicester Street, Bedworth, Warwickshire CV12 8JP.
• Do nothing and let it lapse – if the plan is monthly and paid by direct debit, it will stop collecting once the deceased’s bank accounts are closed. There is no penalty for this, but cancelling formally triggers the refund.

There is a 45-day cooling-off period on new Argos Care policies. Outside this period, monthly plans can be cancelled at any time with a pro-rata refund of the remaining term.

Active orders and reservations

If the deceased had placed an order with Argos – online, by phone, or as a click-and-collect reservation – it is worth checking their email for order confirmation messages.

• Online orders not yet dispatched – can be cancelled via the Argos account order history (if you have access to the login) or by calling 03456 400 700. A refund goes back to the original payment method, or by alternative means if that account is now frozen.
• Click-and-collect orders – Argos holds reserved items for up to seven days. If the order is not collected within that window, Argos cancels it and issues a refund automatically within five working days. If you need to cancel more quickly, call the main number and quote the order reference.
• Orders already dispatched – if goods have been shipped and delivery cannot be completed (for example, to an empty property), Argos will typically attempt re-delivery or return the item. Explain the situation when you call and ask how the refund can be processed.
• Catalogue or in-store reservations – these are generally short-lived and will expire on their own, but cancelling them explicitly during your call to the bereavement line avoids any confusion.

How long does it take

There is no fixed published timeline for closing an Argos retail account – it is typically handled during the call itself or within a few working days of written notification.

The Argos Pay credit account closure takes longer. The process involves:

1. Initial freeze – happens as soon as the death is reported
2. Account review – the team assesses outstanding balances, checks documentation
3. Settlement or write-off – once documentation is confirmed, the account is formally closed

Delays are most common when documentation is incomplete or where there is a dispute about the estate’s ability to repay an outstanding balance. If you have sent documents and have not heard back within four weeks, follow up in writing or by phone.

If you are dealing with a number of accounts simultaneously, see our guide to what to do after someone dies for a suggested order of priority.

Things to watch out for

The credit card is separate from the retail account. Many people assume that calling Argos customer services will close everything – retail account, credit account, Nectar. It does not. The Argos Pay credit account is now managed by NewDay and needs a separate notification.

Interest keeps running until you notify. If the deceased carried a balance on their Argos Card or Argos Pay account, interest does not stop automatically at death – it stops when the lender is formally notified. A delay of several weeks means unnecessary debt added to the estate.

Keep a record of every contact. Note the date, the name of the person you spoke to, and a reference number if one is given. If the account goes to debt collection before the estate notification has been processed – which can happen in error – having a record of your notification protects you.

Photocopy, do not send originals. Argos and NewDay both confirm that a photocopy of the death certificate is acceptable. Keep the original safe – you will need it many times during estate administration. See how to get a death certificate for guidance on ordering additional copies from the General Register Office.

Argos Financial Services postal address may differ from the retail address. Do not send estate correspondence to a general Argos store or the main Argos headquarters. Use the specific address given above (PO Box 211, Park Mill, Huddersfield).

Klarna is entirely separate from the Argos Pay account. If the deceased used Klarna at checkout, this is a separate credit relationship. The Argos bereavement team cannot close it, and Klarna auto-charges will keep running on the deceased’s bank card until Klarna is formally notified. Use the Klarna notification form and do not assume the Argos notification covers it.

Summary

Have the death certificate (a photocopy is enough), the deceased’s date of death and date of birth, and – for the credit account – the card or account number if you can find it.

If you are working through a larger estate, Argos is typically a mid-priority notification – prompt enough to stop credit interest running, but not as time-sensitive as bank accounts or HMRC. For the broader picture of what needs doing and in what order, see our guide to what to do after someone dies. For a retailer with a similar structure – loyalty membership, credit card issued by a separate bank, and gift cards – see the guide to notifying IKEA when someone dies. For other online fashion and retail accounts, see our guides to notifying ASOS when someone dies and notifying Next when someone dies.