Tesco Bank offers credit cards, savings accounts, personal loans, ISAs, and Clubcard Pay+ to millions of UK customers. Since November 2024, Tesco Bank’s banking operations have been owned by Barclays Bank UK PLC – but the branding, phone lines, and bereavement process remain under the Tesco Bank name. If you are managing a loved one’s finances after their death and they held a Tesco Bank product, this guide explains exactly what to do.
Quick reference:
- Phone: 0345 071 6153 (Monday–Friday, 8am–6pm)
- Post: Freepost Tesco Bank Estates Team, PO Box 27009, Glasgow G2 9EZ
- Online: tescobank.com/help/bereavement-support
- Probate required if: sole accounts total more than £50,000
- Important: If the deceased also held a Barclays account, contact Barclays separately – Tesco Bank cannot notify them on your behalf
How to notify Tesco Bank
Call the Tesco Bank Estates Team on 0345 071 6153, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. This is a standard-rate number (the same rate as calling an 01 or 02 number).
You do not need to have all your documents ready before you call. The Estates Team can take the basic details – the deceased’s name, address, date of birth, and date of death – and tell you what they need from your specific situation. You can send supporting documents by post or bring them to a branch at a later stage.
There are two other ways to reach the Estates Team:
| Method | Details |
|---|---|
| Post | Freepost Tesco Bank Estates Team, PO Box 27009, Glasgow G2 9EZ (no stamp needed – it is a Freepost address) |
| Online | Full information at tescobank.com/help/bereavement-support |
If you are deaf or have a speech impairment, Tesco Bank supports Relay UK (previously known as Next Generation Text). BSL users can access an interpreter through Connect2 Interpreters Live – contact the Estates Team to arrange this before your call.
Only the next of kin, an executor named in the will, or a solicitor acting on their behalf can formally instruct Tesco Bank to close accounts. If you are a close friend or more distant relative, you may need to establish your legal authority first. The Estates Team can advise you on this when you call.
Source: Tesco Bank bereavement support page, last verified May 2026.
What documents you’ll need
Tesco Bank asks for two categories of document: proof of the death, and authority to act. Exactly what they need depends on the account types held and the total balance in sole accounts.
Proof of death
One of the following:
- Original death certificate from the register office
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Coroner’s interim certificate (issued before the full certificate, where an inquest is required)
Certified copies of the death certificate cost £11 each in England and Wales (source: gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate). If you are notifying multiple organisations at the same time, it is worth ordering several certified copies upfront – it saves a great deal of back-and-forth.
Proof of your identity and authority
- Your own photo ID (passport or driving licence)
- Authority to close instruction, signed by all executors or next of kin – Tesco Bank provides this form once you make contact
- Copy of the will, if one exists
If probate is required
- Grant of probate (if there is a will) – or
- Letters of administration (if there is no will) – or
- Certificate of confirmation (in Scotland)
This is only needed if the total balance across sole Tesco Bank accounts exceeds £50,000. See the section on probate below for more detail.
What happens to the accounts
What happens to a Tesco Bank account after a death depends on the type of product and whether it was held in the deceased’s sole name or jointly with someone else.
Credit cards
The credit card account is frozen and the card is blocked on notification. Any interest or fees charged after the date of death are refunded. If there was an additional cardholder on the account – someone who used a supplementary card – their card is also cancelled. They do not inherit the debt and are not personally liable for the outstanding balance; the debt becomes a liability of the estate.
For a full explanation of how credit card debt is handled after a death in the UK, see our guide to what happens to credit card debt when someone dies.
Savings accounts
The savings account is frozen on notification. No further transactions can be made, but the account continues to earn interest until it is formally closed. Once the estate is settled and all required documents are received, the balance (including any accrued interest) is released to the executor or administrator.
For joint savings accounts, the surviving account holder retains full access. The account is not frozen – it simply continues in the surviving holder’s name.
Personal loans
The loan account is frozen and a settlement figure is calculated based on the outstanding balance as at the date of death. Interest stops accruing from the date of death (any interest applied after that date is refunded). The outstanding balance becomes a debt of the estate.
For joint loans, the loan account remains open and regular repayments continue to be the responsibility of the surviving account holder. If you are the surviving party on a joint loan and you are struggling to keep up repayments, contact the Tesco Bank team as soon as possible – they have a duty under FCA Consumer Duty guidance to treat customers fairly, including those in difficult personal circumstances.
ISAs
The ISA is frozen and no further transactions are permitted. Interest continues to accrue until the account is formally closed.
If the deceased was married or in a civil partnership, the surviving spouse or civil partner may be eligible for an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) – a one-off allowance equal to the value of the deceased’s ISA, allowing the survivor to shelter an extra amount from tax. Tesco Bank can explain how to apply for this when you call.
Junior ISAs
Where a Junior ISA was held in the name of a child who has died, the account is frozen and funds are paid out to the executor or beneficiaries after the required documentation is received.
Summary by product
| Product | Sole account | Joint account |
|---|---|---|
| Credit card | Frozen; interest stopped; debt to estate | Surviving holder liable for full balance |
| Savings account | Frozen; interest continues until closure | Surviving holder retains access |
| Personal loan | Frozen; interest stopped; debt to estate | Account continues; surviving holder responsible |
| ISA | Frozen; interest continues; APS may be available | N/A (ISAs are sole accounts) |
Probate and the £50,000 threshold
Probate is the legal process that gives an executor formal authority to deal with an estate. Tesco Bank requires evidence of probate in certain circumstances.
If the total balance across sole Tesco Bank accounts exceeds £50,000, Tesco Bank will ask for one of the following before releasing funds:
- Grant of probate (where there is a will)
- Letters of administration (where there is no will)
- Certificate of confirmation (in Scotland)
If the total balance is £50,000 or less, Tesco Bank may release funds using a small estate process. The Estates Team will guide you through this when you call.
Joint account balances are not counted in this threshold. Only accounts held in the deceased’s sole name are included.
Source: Tesco Bank bereavement support page, last verified May 2026.
If you do need to apply for probate, the government’s own service at gov.uk/applying-for-probate provides a step-by-step process. For more detail on how long probate takes, see our guide to how long probate takes. The average in England and Wales is around 16 weeks from application to grant – meaning the whole process from first notification to funds released can take four to six months in a probate case.
How long does it take?
For most estates, Tesco Bank cases without probate resolve within two to four weeks from the point where all required documents have been received and verified.
Joint accounts are updated more quickly – often within a few working days of notification, once the death certificate is received.
Cases requiring probate take significantly longer. The grant of probate itself takes an average of 16 weeks in England and Wales (source: gov.uk/applying-for-probate). Once Tesco Bank receives the grant, the account closure and fund release typically follows within two to four weeks.
The most common cause of delay is incomplete documentation. If Tesco Bank is waiting for documents, they will place the case on hold and contact you. Providing complete paperwork at the outset – death certificate, your ID, and the authority to close form – removes the most common sources of delay.
Tesco Bank and Barclays: what the acquisition means for you
In November 2024, Barclays Bank UK PLC completed its acquisition of Tesco Bank’s retail banking business for approximately £700 million. From that date, Tesco Bank credit cards, savings accounts, personal loans, Clubcard Pay+, and other banking products became the legal responsibility of Barclays – though they continue to operate under the Tesco Bank brand.
What this means in practice:
The day-to-day bereavement process is unchanged. You still call 0345 071 6153 and deal with the Tesco Bank Estates Team. The brand, phone lines, and postal address remain the same. Tesco Bank’s own bereavement page continues to function and is the correct starting point.
The key practical issue is that Tesco Bank and Barclays operate separate bereavement teams. If the deceased held both a Tesco Bank product (credit card, savings, loan) and a Barclays account, you must contact both organisations separately. Tesco Bank cannot notify Barclays on your behalf, and Barclays cannot notify Tesco Bank. Each bereavement notification must be made independently.
If you are dealing with both at once, it is worth asking the Tesco Bank Estates Team at the start of your call whether there is anything they can do to flag any shared information. For the Barclays process – including their probate threshold, documentation requirements, and BRV reference system – see our Barclays bereavement guide.
One further consideration: if the deceased held savings with both Tesco Bank and Barclays, the two pots now share a single Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protection limit of £85,000. If the combined savings across both institutions exceed that figure, the amount above £85,000 is not protected.
Source: Barclays – completion of Tesco Bank acquisition, November 2024.
Tips and things to watch out for
The Tesco Bank bereavement page covers all their products. The page at tescobank.com/help/bereavement-support covers credit cards, savings, loans, and ISAs in one place. It is worth reading before you call so you know what to expect.
Credit card additional cardholders should stop using their card immediately. On notification of the death, all cards on the account are blocked – including supplementary cards held by other family members. If a family member was relying on an additional card for day-to-day spending, they will need to apply for a new card in their own name.
Direct debits on sole accounts will stop. When Tesco Bank freezes a sole account, any direct debits attached to it are cancelled. If any of those direct debits were covering shared household bills, those payments will stop. Check before you call and have a plan for keeping essential services running.
Joint account debt transfers to the survivor. If the deceased held a joint personal loan, the surviving account holder is responsible for the full outstanding balance – not half of it. This can come as a shock if the loan balance is significant. Contact the Tesco Bank team as early as possible if you are in this situation.
ISA Additional Permitted Subscription has a time limit. The APS allowance for surviving spouses and civil partners is not open-ended. The rules set a deadline after which the allowance cannot be claimed. Ask Tesco Bank specifically about this on your first call so you do not inadvertently miss it.
If you are also closing a Tesco Clubcard, that is a separate process handled by a different team (Tesco Clubcard, not Tesco Bank). For details on closing a Clubcard, transferring points, and the Tesco Mobile process, see our combined guide to notifying Tesco when someone dies.
Summary
To notify Tesco Bank after a bereavement, call 0345 071 6153 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm) or write to Freepost Tesco Bank Estates Team, PO Box 27009, Glasgow G2 9EZ. Have the death certificate, your own ID, and the deceased’s account details ready – but you can start the process before all documents are assembled.
Probate is required if sole accounts total more than £50,000. For accounts below that threshold, Tesco Bank may release funds via a small estate process. Joint accounts pass to the surviving holder automatically.
If the deceased also held a Barclays account, contact Barclays separately – the two teams do not communicate automatically.
For a full checklist of organisations to notify after a death, see our what to do when someone dies section. Related guides you may find useful:
- How to notify Barclays when someone dies – Tesco Bank is now part of Barclays; this guide covers the Barclays bereavement process, documents, and probate threshold
- What happens to credit card debt when someone dies – credit card debt does not pass to family members; the estate is responsible
- How long does probate take? – realistic timelines and what causes delays
- What happens to a bank account when someone dies – joint accounts, probate thresholds, and the Death Notification Service
- Bereavement Support Payment – if you were married to or in a civil partnership with the person who died, you may be entitled to a tax-free government payment worth up to £9,800
Sources: Tesco Bank bereavement support page | Barclays – completion of Tesco Bank acquisition | MoneySavingExpert – Barclays takes over Tesco Bank | gov.uk – order a death certificate | gov.uk – applying for probate. Last verified: May 2026.