Chase UK is a digital bank launched in 2021 and backed by JP Morgan. It has no branches, but it does have a dedicated bereavement team reachable by phone, email, and post. This guide covers how to notify Chase UK after someone dies, what documents you’ll need, what happens to the account and any cashback rewards, and when probate is required.
Quick reference:
- Phone: 0800 376 3333 (UK) or +44 20 3493 0829 (from abroad)
- Email: bereavements.uk@chase.com
- Death Notification Service: deathnotificationservice.co.uk (notify multiple banks in one step)
- Probate required if: sole account balance exceeds £25,000
- Timeline: 10 working days via the Death Notification Service; timelines vary if notifying directly
Source: Chase UK bereavement page, last verified May 2026.
How to notify Chase UK of a death
Chase UK offers several ways to report a bereavement. You do not need to be the next of kin to make the initial notification — anyone can contact them on behalf of the family. Chase will not pressure you to act before you are ready.
Option 1: Death Notification Service (recommended if dealing with multiple banks)
Chase is a member of the Death Notification Service (DNS), a free online service that lets you notify several banks and financial institutions simultaneously with a single form. Using the DNS means you will not need to send Chase a copy of the death certificate or complete ID checks as part of that initial notification. Chase will respond within 10 working days.
The DNS is especially useful if the deceased held accounts at other major banks — most high-street banks are members, so one notification can cover several institutions at once.
Option 2: Phone
Call 0800 376 3333 (free from UK landlines and mobiles). From abroad, call +44 20 3493 0829. Chase’s bereavement specialists handle these calls during business hours.
Option 3: Email
Send details to bereavements.uk@chase.com. This is useful if you prefer written communication or are coordinating notifications across multiple organisations.
Option 4: Post
Write to: Bereavement Team, Chase UK, PO Box 17507, Edinburgh, EH12 1PX. Post is slower and better suited for sending supporting documents than for initial notification.
| Contact method | Details |
|---|---|
| Phone (UK) | 0800 376 3333 |
| Phone (abroad) | +44 20 3493 0829 |
| bereavements.uk@chase.com | |
| Post | Bereavement Team, Chase UK, PO Box 17507, Edinburgh, EH12 1PX |
| Death Notification Service | deathnotificationservice.co.uk |
Source: Chase UK bereavement page, last verified May 2026.
Before you call, have the following ready:
- The deceased’s full name, date of birth, and address
- Their Chase account number (if you have it)
- The mobile number and email address associated with their Chase account
- Your own contact details and your relationship to the deceased
- Executor details, if applicable
Chase is an app-only bank with no branches, so there are no in-person appointments. For most families this makes little practical difference — the phone line and email work well. The one area to be aware of is device access: Chase uses the app as part of its identity verification process. If no one has access to the deceased’s phone or login details, mention this when you first make contact. The bereavement team can work around it.
Documents you’ll need
The documents Chase requires depend on the account balance. You do not need everything in place before notifying — contact Chase first, and they will confirm exactly what to submit.
Proof of death (one of the following):
- A copy of the death certificate from a register office
- An interim death certificate (available before the full certificate is issued)
- A coroner’s certificate of the fact of death
- A death certificate issued outside the UK (translated into English)
Proof of your identity (one of the following):
- Valid UK or international passport
- Valid UK or international driving licence
- UK armed forces card
Grant of representation (only required for higher balances):
- Grant of probate (if the deceased left a valid will)
- Letters of administration (if they died intestate — without a will)
- Certificate of confirmation (Scotland)
| Account balance | Documents required |
|---|---|
| £25,000 or under | Death certificate copy, one proof of your identity |
| Over £25,000 | Death certificate copy, proof of your identity, grant of probate or letters of administration |
If you need multiple certified copies of the death certificate — likely if you’re dealing with several institutions at once — order them from the register office when you register the death. In England and Wales they cost £11 each. See gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate.
What happens to the account
Sole current account
When Chase is notified of a death, they will freeze the sole account. Incoming and outgoing payments — including direct debits and standing orders — will stop. This is intentional: it protects the estate from money leaving the account before the estate is formally settled.
If any of those payments covered shared household expenses — utilities, council tax, insurance, subscriptions — you will need to contact those providers to arrange alternative payment methods. It is worth making a list of what was running as soon as possible.
Any outstanding debt or overdraft with Chase is a liability of the estate. It will be settled from the account balance before any remaining funds are released.
Chase savings pots
Chase customers can hold money in separate savings pots within the app. These pots form part of the overall Chase account and are included in the total balance for probate threshold purposes. You do not need to take separate action on each pot — they are handled as part of the same account closure process.
Cashback rewards
Chase UK offers 1% cashback on everyday debit card spending. If the deceased had an unredeemed cashback balance, this is a point worth raising explicitly with the bereavement team when you make contact. Chase’s terms state that any cashback balance must be redeemed before the account is closed — if the account is closed without the cashback being redeemed, it cannot be recovered afterwards. The bereavement team should be able to advise on how to handle this in practice.
Source: Chase UK Everyday Cashback Terms and Conditions, last verified May 2026.
Joint accounts
If the deceased held a joint Chase account with another person, the position is different. Joint accounts are governed by the right of survivorship: the funds pass automatically to the surviving account holder. The account is not frozen.
You should still notify Chase of the death so they can update their records and remove the deceased’s name from the account. The surviving account holder retains full access throughout this process.
Any direct debits or standing orders set up in the deceased’s sole name (separate from the joint account) will be cancelled when their sole accounts are frozen — review these and make sure nothing essential is missed.
See our guide to what happens to joint bank accounts when someone dies for a full explanation of how the right of survivorship works.
Probate and the £25,000 threshold
Probate (or confirmation in Scotland) is the legal authority granted to an executor to manage and distribute an estate. Chase UK’s threshold for requiring probate is £25,000.
If the sole account balance is £25,000 or under, Chase can release the funds without a grant of probate, once identity and death documents have been verified.
If the sole account balance exceeds £25,000, Chase will require either:
- A grant of probate (if the deceased left a valid will and named an executor), or
- Letters of administration (if the deceased died without a will, or without a valid executor named)
Chase’s £25,000 threshold puts it in the middle tier among UK banks. Many high-street banks such as Barclays, HSBC, and Lloyds operate at £50,000. Digital banks are typically lower: Monzo shares Chase’s £25,000 threshold, while Starling sits at £10,000.
Joint account balances do not count towards the probate threshold — that figure applies only to sole accounts.
If you need to apply for probate, you can do so directly through the government service at gov.uk/applying-for-probate, or through a solicitor or probate specialist.
Source: afterloss.uk bank probate thresholds guide, last verified May 2026.
How long does it take?
If you notify Chase through the Death Notification Service, Chase responds within 10 working days. Direct notification timelines are not published by Chase — the practical timeline depends on how quickly documents can be gathered and processed.
| Situation | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Balance under £25,000 – no probate needed | A few weeks once ID and death certificate submitted |
| Balance over £25,000 – probate required | A few weeks after grant of probate received; probate itself typically takes 4–16 weeks |
| Death Notification Service route | Chase responds within 10 working days of DNS submission |
| Joint account name update | Faster – notify Chase and they will update records |
The main delay in most cases is not Chase — it is waiting for the grant of probate if the balance exceeds £25,000. If the deceased held accounts at multiple institutions, notify all of them early and in parallel, even before probate, so the process can move quickly once the grant arrives.
Things to watch out for
Cashback cannot be recovered after account closure. This is the detail most guides miss. Chase’s cashback terms are clear: any unredeemed cashback balance must be redeemed before the account is closed. If the account closes with cashback still outstanding, it is forfeited. When you contact the bereavement team, ask directly whether any cashback can be transferred or redeemed as part of the closure process.
The £25,000 threshold catches digital bank users by surprise. Chase is marketed as an everyday spending account, but customers often hold significant balances in savings pots. A combined pot balance of £30,000 would require probate — worth checking early.
Direct debits stop immediately on notification. Once Chase freezes the account, all outgoing payments cancel. If the deceased was paying household bills — energy, broadband, council tax, insurance — from their Chase account, you’ll need to contact those providers quickly to arrange alternatives. See our guide to what happens to direct debits when someone dies for more detail.
No branches means no in-person options. Chase has no physical locations. All documents are submitted remotely — by email, post, or through the DNS. This is not a problem for most people, but worth knowing if the deceased’s family is not comfortable with digital processes.
Chase is separate from J.P. Morgan’s private banking. Chase UK (chase.co.uk) is JP Morgan’s UK retail digital bank for personal customers. It is an entirely separate entity from J.P. Morgan’s private banking and investment services. If the deceased held accounts or investments with J.P. Morgan (not Chase), those are handled through separate processes.
Ask about funeral payment options. Some banks can release funds directly to a funeral director before the estate is fully settled, to ease cash-flow pressure on the family. This is not mentioned explicitly on Chase’s bereavement page, but it is worth asking the bereavement team when you make contact — specifically whether they can make a direct payment to a funeral director against the final invoice.
Summary
To notify Chase UK after a bereavement, call 0800 376 3333, email bereavements.uk@chase.com, or use the Death Notification Service to notify Chase alongside other banks in one step. Chase’s probate threshold is £25,000.
Key contacts:
- Phone: 0800 376 3333 (UK) or +44 20 3493 0829 (abroad)
- Email: bereavements.uk@chase.com
- Post: Bereavement Team, Chase UK, PO Box 17507, Edinburgh, EH12 1PX
- Death Notification Service: deathnotificationservice.co.uk
What to have ready:
- Death certificate (copy is fine; translated into English if issued abroad)
- Your own photo ID (passport, driving licence, or armed forces card)
- The deceased’s Chase account number, associated mobile, and email address (if you have them)
- Grant of probate or letters of administration (only if the sole account balance exceeds £25,000)
- Details of any unredeemed cashback balance to raise with the bereavement team
For a broader overview of what happens to bank accounts after a death, see our guide to what happens to bank accounts when someone dies.