Sainsbury’s is far more than a supermarket. A single person may have held a Sainsbury’s online grocery account, a Nectar loyalty card, a Sainsbury’s Bank savings account or credit card, and possibly a Sainsbury’s Energy account. Each of these is handled separately, by different teams, and in some cases by entirely different legal entities. This guide walks through each one: the right number to call, what documents you’ll need, and what to expect from each process.
Quick reference:
- Sainsbury’s retail and grocery: 0800 636 262 (Mon–Fri 8am–8pm, Sat 8am–8pm, Sun 10am–6pm)
- Nectar loyalty: 0344 811 0 811
- Sainsbury’s Bank: 0345 013 0199 (Mon–Fri 8am–8pm, Sat–Sun 8am–6pm)
- Sainsbury’s Energy: 0808 501 5277 (Mon–Thu 9am–5pm, Fri 9am–5pm)
- Probate required if: Sainsbury’s Bank sole accounts exceed £25,000
Sainsbury’s retail account and grocery deliveries
The place to start is Sainsbury’s main customer line. Calling 0800 636 262 allows you to close the deceased’s online grocery account, cancel any standing delivery orders or subscriptions (including a Deliveries pass), and stop any automatic payments or pending orders.
Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am–8pm; Saturday, 8am–8pm; and Sunday, 10am–6pm.
Before you call, have the following ready:
- The deceased’s name and address
- Their Sainsbury’s account email address (if you can find it)
- Your own name and contact details, and your relationship to the deceased
Sainsbury’s typically takes one to two weeks to process a bereavement notification once documents are received. During this period, the account will be frozen and no new transactions can be authorised. Any pending grocery orders should be cancelled and refunds arranged during the call.
Tu clothing account: If the deceased held a Tu clothing account with an active order or store credit, mention this when you call the main line. It falls under the same Sainsbury’s customer service team.
Gift cards and credit: Any Sainsbury’s gift card balance or store credit is part of the estate. Ask the bereavement team about this when you call – they can advise on how it can be redeemed or refunded to the estate.
Note that Argos and Habitat are separate brands. Sainsbury’s owns Argos, but they operate entirely independently, with their own customer service and bereavement processes. If the deceased held an Argos Pay credit account or had pending Argos orders, see our Argos bereavement guide.
Nectar loyalty points
Nectar is Sainsbury’s loyalty scheme, but it is administered separately from the main Sainsbury’s retail account. Closing a Sainsbury’s grocery account does not automatically close the Nectar account – you need to contact Nectar directly.
Call Nectar customer service on 0344 811 0 811. You can also visit nectar.com/help for written contact options.
Before you call, have ready:
- The deceased’s 16-digit Nectar card number (printed on the front of the card, or found on any Nectar statement or promotional email)
- The deceased’s name and registered address
- Your own name and your relationship to the deceased
- If you want points transferred: the name of the intended recipient and their Nectar card number
What happens to points
Under Nectar’s Collector Rules, points are personal to the account and cannot normally be transferred. However, Sainsbury’s does allow a points transfer on death if adequate evidence is provided. This means a bereaved family member or executor can request that accumulated points be moved to another Nectar account rather than simply forfeited.
To make a transfer request, you will need to provide a copy of the death certificate and your proof of identity. The process is handled by the Nectar team once you call.
Points have real value. A single Nectar point is worth 1p – so 10,000 points equals £100 in Nectar spend. For someone who shopped at Sainsbury’s regularly over many years, the balance can be substantial. Do not skip this step.
Points expiry: Nectar points expire after 24 months of account inactivity. If the account has been inactive for a period already, it is worth asking the team to confirm the current balance before it lapses.
Sainsbury’s Bank
Sainsbury’s Bank requires separate notification from the retail side. If the deceased held savings accounts, credit cards, loans, or insurance products with Sainsbury’s Bank, contact the bereavement team directly.
Phone: 0345 013 0199 (or +44 131 40 50 60 from abroad) Hours: Monday–Friday, 8am–8pm; Saturday–Sunday, 8am–6pm
Post:
- Savings and loans: PO Box 4955, Worthing BN11 9ZA
- Credit cards: PO Box 5289, Worthing BN11 9SX
The NatWest transfer
On 1 May 2025, Sainsbury’s Bank accounts were transferred to National Westminster Bank Plc. NatWest is now the legal deposit-taker for savings accounts and the lender for credit cards and loans. Sainsbury’s Bank Plc continues to service these accounts on NatWest’s behalf, and the Sainsbury’s Bank brand name remains in use.
In practice, you continue to use the Sainsbury’s Bank bereavement line above. The branding has not changed and the contact details remain the same. If you are also notifying NatWest for a separate account held by the deceased, it is worth asking whether the two can be handled together – see our NatWest bereavement guide for that process.
Source: Sainsbury’s Bank bereavement support page, verified May 2026.
What documents you’ll need
| Document | When needed |
|---|---|
| Death certificate | Required for all products |
| Statutory Declaration | Required if the balance is between £100 and £24,999 |
| Statutory Declaration signed before a solicitor or Commissioner of Oaths | Required if the balance is £15,000–£24,999 |
| Grant of probate or Certificate of Confirmation (Scotland) | Required if sole accounts total £25,000 or more |
If the death occurred abroad, Sainsbury’s Bank requires original or certified copies of overseas documentation.
What happens to each type of account
Savings accounts and ISAs
The account is frozen and a restriction is placed on it. Interest continues to accrue until closure. If the deceased held a Cash ISA, surviving spouses and civil partners can apply for an Additional Permitted Subscription, which allows them to inherit the deceased’s ISA allowance tax-free. Ask the bereavement team about this when you call.
Credit cards
The account is closed and all cards – including any additional cardholder cards – are stopped. Interest and fees are frozen from the date of death. Any outstanding balance on the card becomes a debt of the estate; it is the executor’s responsibility to settle it from estate funds. Family members are not personally liable unless they were a joint account holder.
Loans
Interest is charged only to the date of death. An outstanding balance on a sole loan becomes a debt of the estate. For joint loans, the account remains open and the surviving account holder continues repayments.
Right of set-off
If the deceased had both savings and debts with Sainsbury’s Bank, the bank may apply savings balances against outstanding debts, with the executor’s acknowledgement. Ask the bereavement team to explain the position clearly at the outset.
Funeral expenses
Sainsbury’s Bank can release funds to pay the funeral director directly before the estate is formally settled. You will need to provide original invoices. This can ease cash-flow pressure considerably in the early weeks.
The £25,000 probate threshold
If the deceased held sole accounts with Sainsbury’s Bank totalling £25,000 or more, you will need to obtain a grant of probate (or letters of administration if there is no will) before the bank can release funds. Below that threshold, a Statutory Declaration is typically sufficient.
For guidance on whether probate is required in your specific situation, see our guide to whether you need probate.
What documents you’ll need – overview
| Service | Documents required |
|---|---|
| Sainsbury’s retail | Deceased’s name, address, account email; death certificate if requested |
| Nectar | Nectar card number, death certificate, ID; recipient’s card number if transferring points |
| Sainsbury’s Bank (savings, credit cards, loans) | Death certificate; Statutory Declaration or grant of probate depending on account balance |
Certified copies of a death certificate cost £12.50 each in England and Wales (source: gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate). If you are notifying Sainsbury’s retail, Nectar, and the bank at the same time as other organisations, order several copies when you register the death. Most institutions will not pass a single copy between them.
Sainsbury’s Energy
Sainsbury’s Energy is a trading name operated under licence by E.ON Next Energy Limited. It was not sold outright in the way that the bank was transferred to NatWest, but if you find older paperwork referring to a different underlying supplier, be aware that E.ON Next has operated the brand since 2021.
To notify Sainsbury’s Energy of a death, call 0808 501 5277, open Monday to Thursday, 9am–5pm, and Friday, 9am–5pm. This is a freephone number. You can also contact them via the Sainsbury’s Energy website.
The process is similar to other energy suppliers: provide the deceased’s name, address, account number, and the date of death. A final meter reading is taken, a closing bill is produced, and any credit on the account is refunded to the estate. Any outstanding balance is a debt of the estate.
If the deceased built up Nectar points through their Sainsbury’s Energy account, these points are held in the Nectar account, not the energy account. Contact Nectar separately to transfer or close the balance.
For a fuller picture of how energy accounts are handled after a death, see our guide to how to notify E.ON when someone dies.
Online account and subscriptions
When you call the main Sainsbury’s retail line (0800 636 262), confirm with the agent that all the following are cancelled or flagged for closure:
- The main Sainsbury’s online account (registered email and password access)
- Any grocery delivery subscription (Sainsbury’s Delivery Pass)
- Standing grocery orders or click-and-collect orders
- SmartShop account (the app-based in-store scanning service)
There is no separate online closure form for the grocery account – the phone line handles this.
Subscriptions to third-party services accessed through Sainsbury’s – such as Apple TV or entertainment bundles sometimes offered as part of delivery promotions – will not be cancelled by Sainsbury’s. Check bank statements for any recurring charges from these providers and cancel them separately.
Tips and things to watch out for
Sainsbury’s is several separate organisations. The retail business, Nectar, the bank, and the energy supplier each require their own notification. A single call to one team does not cascade to the others. Work through each one in turn.
Start with Sainsbury’s Bank if probate may be needed. The bank has the most documentation requirements and the longest processing time. Getting that notification in first – even before you have all the documents – allows the clock to start. You can provide further documents later; you cannot speed up the queue.
The bank is now legally NatWest. Since 1 May 2025, accounts are held by National Westminster Bank Plc. The Sainsbury’s Bank brand and phone numbers remain unchanged, but if you encounter any reference to the bank that attributes it solely to Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Limited, be aware that the banking relationship now sits with NatWest. This is relevant if the deceased had accounts at both – ask whether a joint notification is possible.
Direct debits do not stop automatically. By law, a bank must cancel direct debits once it receives the death certificate. Until that certificate is received, payments may continue. If the deceased had bills paid from a Sainsbury’s Bank account, flag this at the start of the call.
Nectar points expire. Points lapse after 24 months of inactivity. If the account has been dormant for a period – perhaps the deceased was ill and not shopping – confirm the balance before proceeding. There is no reinstatement once points expire.
The Death Notification Service. If the deceased held accounts at multiple banks, the Death Notification Service lets you notify several banks simultaneously. It does not cover Sainsbury’s retail, Nectar, or Sainsbury’s Energy – but if Sainsbury’s Bank is one of several financial institutions you are dealing with, it is worth checking whether NatWest’s inclusion via the service also covers the Sainsbury’s Bank accounts. Ask the Sainsbury’s Bank bereavement team when you call.
Summary
| Service | Contact | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Sainsbury’s retail and grocery | 0800 636 262 (Mon–Fri 8am–8pm, Sat 8am–8pm, Sun 10am–6pm) | Close account, cancel orders and delivery subscriptions |
| Nectar loyalty | 0344 811 0 811 | Transfer or close points; provide Nectar card number |
| Sainsbury’s Bank (savings, credit cards, loans) | 0345 013 0199 (Mon–Fri 8am–8pm, Sat–Sun 8am–6pm) | Notify bereavement team; provide death certificate and probate documents if required |
| Sainsbury’s Energy | 0808 501 5277 (Mon–Thu 9am–5pm, Fri 9am–5pm) | Notify of death; take final meter reading; close account |
Allow one to two weeks for the retail and bank notifications to be processed once documents are received. Nectar and energy closures can often be handled more quickly.
If you were married to or in a civil partnership with the person who died, you may be entitled to Bereavement Support Payment – a tax-free government payment worth up to £9,800, which must be claimed within three months to receive the full amount.
For other major retailer bereavement notifications, see our guides on how to notify Tesco when someone dies (Clubcard and Tesco Bank), how to notify Boots when someone dies (Advantage Card, Opticians, and Hearingcare), and how to notify Asda when someone dies (Asda Rewards, grocery account, Asda Mobile, and Asda Money credit card). For the Sainsbury’s Bank/NatWest transfer, our NatWest bereavement guide covers the full NatWest process.