How to notify MBNA when someone dies

When someone dies with an MBNA credit card, it needs to be notified separately from any bank accounts – even if those accounts are with Lloyds, Halifax, or Bank of Scotland. MBNA is part of Lloyds Banking Group, but it operates with its own bereavement team and its own account records. Depending on how you approach the notification, you may be able to handle everything in a single call. This guide explains the options.

Quick reference:

• Phone: 0800 028 0691 (Monday–Sunday, 8am–8pm)
• Death Notification Service: Yes – MBNA participates
• Part of: Lloyds Banking Group (acquired 2017)
• Documents: Death certificate and, if the estate requires it, grant of probate or letters of administration

How to notify MBNA

There are three ways to notify MBNA: by phone, through the Death Notification Service, or in writing.

By phone

Call 0800 028 0691 to reach MBNA’s bereavement team directly. Lines are open Monday to Sunday, 8am to 8pm. The number is free from UK landlines and mobiles. If you are calling from outside the UK, the international number is +44(0)173 326 1630.

When you call, have the following to hand:

• The deceased’s full name, date of birth, and date of death
• Their last known address
• The MBNA credit card number (helpful but not essential – the team can locate accounts from other details)
• Your name, contact details, and your relationship to the deceased

You do not need every document before you call. MBNA will log the notification, freeze the account to prevent further use, and tell you what to send and how. Calling on a weekday morning tends to mean shorter wait times, though lines are open seven days a week.

Through the Death Notification Service

MBNA is a member of the Death Notification Service (deathnotificationservice.co.uk), a free service that lets you notify multiple banks and financial institutions through a single online form. If the person who died held accounts at several banks – Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Nationwide, HSBC, and many others are all members – this can save considerable time and reduce the number of separate calls you need to make.

Using the Death Notification Service starts the process officially, but it is not the end of it. You will still need to deal with MBNA directly to submit documents, confirm the outstanding balance, and close the account.

By post

You can write to MBNA’s bereavement team at:

MBNA, Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN

Include the deceased’s full name, date of birth, date of death, card number if known, and a copy of the death certificate. Allow additional time for postal notification to be processed – calling or using the Death Notification Service is significantly faster.

Using the Lloyds Banking Group route

MBNA is part of Lloyds Banking Group. If you are also notifying Lloyds Bank, Halifax, or Bank of Scotland, it is worth asking the LBG bereavement team to confirm whether the notification will also cover MBNA. In some cases, one group-level notification can cascade to MBNA and other group entities. Ask explicitly – do not assume the notification has reached MBNA without confirmation.

See our guides to notifying Lloyds Bank and notifying Halifax if you are dealing with those accounts alongside an MBNA card.

What documents you’ll need

You do not need to have everything ready before making first contact. MBNA will accept initial notification by phone with basic details, and you can send documentation separately.

Proof of death – one of the following:

• Death certificate (original or certified copy)
• Interim death certificate issued by a coroner (accepted when the full certificate is delayed)

Identifying information:

• The deceased’s full name, date of birth, and date of death
• Their last known address
• Their MBNA credit card number (helpful but not always required)
• Recent statements or correspondence, if you have them

Your own details:

• Your name, address, and contact number
• Your relationship to the deceased (executor, next of kin, or other)
• Photo ID and proof of address may be requested in some circumstances

Grant of probate or letters of administration: These are not needed to freeze the account or stop interest. You will need them if the estate goes through formal probate and you are acting as executor to authorise settlement of the outstanding balance. Not every estate requires probate – see do I need probate? for guidance on when it applies.

If you are dealing with several organisations at the same time, order multiple certified copies of the death certificate from the register office. In England and Wales, each copy costs £11 – see gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate. Use certified copies and keep the originals safe.

What happens to the credit card account

The account is frozen

When MBNA is notified of a death, they freeze the credit card account. The card is cancelled, no further purchases can be made, and any recurring payments linked to the card will stop. This includes direct debits set up on the card and any subscriptions charged to it.

Before you call, make a note of any recurring payments attached to the deceased’s MBNA card – streaming services, insurance premiums, gym memberships, and similar – and arrange to update those separately. Once the card is cancelled, those payments will fail.

Interest is stopped

MBNA stops applying interest to the outstanding balance from the point at which they are notified of the death. This is standard practice among FCA-regulated lenders. The balance at the point of notification is the figure the estate will need to address – it will not grow while the estate is being administered.

The debt belongs to the estate, not the family

Any outstanding balance on a sole MBNA credit card account does not pass to family members when the account holder dies. It becomes a liability of the deceased’s estate. The executor or administrator is responsible for paying it from the estate’s assets before distributing anything to beneficiaries.

This is an important distinction. A spouse, child, or other family member is not personally liable for the balance unless they were named as a joint account holder. Being an additional cardholder – that is, someone who was authorised to use the card but whose name was not on the account – does not create personal liability.

If there is a credit balance

If the account was in credit at the time of death – for example, where an overpayment had been made – that credit balance belongs to the estate. Inform MBNA when you call and ask how to have it returned. It will typically be repaid by cheque to the estate.

Joint accounts

If the deceased held a joint MBNA credit card, the surviving account holder becomes responsible for the full outstanding balance. The account can often continue in the surviving holder’s name, or can be closed if preferred. Contact MBNA to discuss the options.

For a broader explanation of how credit card debt is handled in an estate, see what happens to credit card debt when someone dies.

Probate and the estate

Whether probate is required depends on the overall estate, not on the MBNA balance alone. Credit card debt does not trigger a probate requirement by itself. Probate is typically needed when the estate includes property, significant savings, or other assets that require a grant of authority to collect and distribute.

If the estate does go through probate, the executor will need to account for the MBNA balance as a liability of the estate. Creditors, including MBNA, must be paid before beneficiaries receive anything.

The executor’s responsibilities in relation to the MBNA account are:

1. Notify MBNA as early as possible so interest is stopped and the account is frozen
2. Obtain a statement of the outstanding balance for inclusion in the estate accounts
3. Confirm with MBNA when settlement can be arranged, once the estate’s financial position is clear
4. Consider publishing a Section 27 notice in The Gazette, which gives creditors a two-month window to come forward – this protects the executor from personal liability if unknown debts emerge after distribution has begun

For more on the probate process, see how to apply for probate and how long does probate take.

If the estate is insolvent – that is, debts exceed assets – MBNA’s credit card balance is an unsecured debt and sits lower in the payment hierarchy than funeral expenses, secured debts (such as mortgages), and certain priority debts. MBNA may receive a reduced amount or nothing, depending on the estate’s position.

How long it takes

MBNA can freeze the account on the day you call. Beyond that, the timeline is largely determined by the estate’s complexity.

The main causes of delay are waiting for an original or certified death certificate, probate taking longer than expected (see how long does probate take), and complex estates with multiple creditors or disputed assets.

For straightforward estates – no property, modest assets, clear beneficiaries – the whole process can be resolved within a matter of weeks.

Things to watch out for

MBNA is not the same as Lloyds Bank – notify both. Although MBNA is owned by Lloyds Banking Group, it operates as a separate credit card business with separate account records. Notifying Lloyds Bank does not automatically notify MBNA. If the person who died banked with Lloyds and also held an MBNA card, you need to contact both. If you call Lloyds first, ask specifically whether the notification will cascade to MBNA – and get confirmation that it has.

Additional cardholders are not joint holders. If a family member held a supplementary card on the deceased’s MBNA account, they were an authorised user, not a joint account holder. They are not liable for any balance. Their card will be cancelled when the account is frozen. If you are unsure of your status, ask MBNA to clarify when you call.

Recurring payments will stop. Any subscription or recurring payment charged to the MBNA card will fail once the card is cancelled. Make a list of regular charges to the card before you call and arrange to update payment details with each provider separately.

Direct debits from a bank account may still run. If the deceased had a direct debit set up from their bank account to pay the MBNA minimum payment or full balance each month, that direct debit may continue to run after the death. Notify the bank as well, and check whether any payments have gone out after the date of death. Overpayments can be reclaimed.

MBNA’s website was returning errors as of May 2026. During research for this guide, MBNA’s bereavement support pages were intermittently unavailable. If you cannot reach the website, call 0800 028 0691 directly – the phone team can handle everything the website would otherwise provide.

Interest stops on notification – so notify early. There is no benefit to delaying contact. Notifying MBNA stops interest from accruing, freezes the balance, and starts the clock on closure. The sooner you call, the simpler the estate paperwork becomes.

Summary

To notify MBNA after a death, call 0800 028 0691 (Monday–Sunday, 8am–8pm). Have the deceased’s name, date of birth, date of death, and card number if possible. MBNA will freeze the account and stop interest on the day you call.

The outstanding balance becomes a debt of the estate – family members are not personally liable unless they were a named joint account holder.

If the person who died also had accounts with other Lloyds Banking Group companies – Lloyds Bank, Halifax, or Bank of Scotland – ask the bereavement team to confirm whether a single group notification can cover all entities. See our guides to notifying Lloyds Bank and notifying Halifax for those separate processes.

For a full overview of how credit card debt is handled in an estate, see what happens to credit card debt when someone dies. For guidance on whether probate is needed, visit do I need probate?.

Phone number verified via the Death Notification Service member list (deathnotificationservice.co.uk), which confirms MBNA as a participating institution with number 0800 028 0691. Postal address sourced from Legacy Trail’s MBNA bereavement guide. Last verified: May 2026.