Sorting out a loved one’s Three mobile account is one of many practical tasks after a death. Three accounts continue to bill until you make contact, so it is worth notifying them as soon as you feel able. This guide covers how to reach Three’s bereavement team, what to have ready, what happens to the contract, and the things worth watching for – including what happens if there is a handset on finance.
Quick reference:
- Phone: 0333 338 1001 (ask for the bereavement team)
- Hours: Monday–Friday 8am–8pm, Saturday–Sunday 9am–6pm
- Online form: three.co.uk/vulnerability/major-life-event/bereavement-support
- Documents: death certificate registration number; deceased’s account details; your own details
- Processing time: within 5 working days for closures; 48 hours for account transfers
- Early termination fees: should not apply – Ofcom guidance requires providers to waive penalty fees on bereavement
How to contact Three’s bereavement team
Three has a specialist bereavement team. You can reach them by phone or by completing an online form – choose whichever feels more manageable. The bereavement team handles cases sensitively and will walk you through your options.
By phone
Call 0333 338 1001 and ask for the bereavement team. Lines are open:
- Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
- Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 6pm
This is an 03 number, charged at the same rate as 01 and 02 numbers. If you are calling from a Three mobile, it will come out of your inclusive minutes. If your budget is tight or you prefer to avoid call costs, use the online form instead.
When you call, let the adviser know you are calling about the death of an account holder and that you would like to discuss closing or transferring the account. They will ask for details about the deceased and the account – see the documents section below for what to have ready.
You can also reach Three via live chat on their website if you prefer to communicate in writing rather than by phone.
By online form
Three provides a dedicated online bereavement form at three.co.uk/vulnerability/major-life-event/bereavement-support. The form collects the deceased’s account details, your own details, and a copy of the death certificate, and lets you choose what you want to happen to the account.
The form asks for:
- The deceased’s full name, mobile number, and Three account number
- Their date of birth, address, and postcode
- The device type (mobile, broadband device, or smartwatch)
- The death certificate registration number (shown in the top-right corner of the certificate) and the date of death
- Your own full name, contact number, email address, and preferred contact method
- An image or photograph of the death certificate
Three will email you within 5 working days to confirm the changes made to the account. If you are requesting a transfer of ownership or a number port to another network, Three will contact you within 48 hours of the form being submitted.
Three also accepts notifications via Life Ledger, a free service that lets you notify multiple companies about a death in one place. If you are managing several notifications at once, this can reduce the number of separate contacts you need to make. Visit lifeledger.com for more detail.
Source: Three bereavement support page, last verified March 2026.
What documents you will need
Three’s documentation requirements are straightforward compared to banks or pension providers. You do not need to send original documents by post.
| What you need | Notes |
|---|---|
| Death certificate registration number | In the top-right corner of the UK death certificate |
| Date of death | Required for all notifications |
| Deceased’s full name and address | As registered on the Three account |
| Deceased’s mobile number or account number | On any Three bill; account number also in the Three app |
| Deceased’s date of birth | For identity verification |
| Your full name and contact details | Phone number, email address |
| Your relationship to the deceased | Family member, executor, or solicitor |
| Image or photograph of the death certificate | Required for the online form; not always needed for a phone call |
For the online form, Three asks for a photograph or scan of the death certificate rather than the full registration number alone. If you only have the original, photograph it with a phone – a clear image is sufficient.
You do not need probate documents or a grant of representation to close a mobile phone account. If there is an outstanding balance on the account, the bereavement team will discuss what needs to happen with the estate, but that conversation does not require probate paperwork upfront.
If you need additional certified copies of the death certificate for other notifications – banks, pension providers, insurers – these can be ordered from the register office for £11 each in England and Wales (source: gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate).
What happens to the contract
Account closure
Once Three has processed your notification, the account will be closed and billing will stop. Three sets the cancellation date to the next bill date, which means you should not receive a larger-than-usual final bill caused by mid-cycle closure.
If a direct debit was taken after the date of death, Three will arrange for any overpaid amount to be returned to the estate. Any outstanding balance owed at the time of death is a debt of the estate – not a personal liability of whoever is reporting the death. You will not be asked to pay the deceased’s bill from your own money.
Early termination fees
If the deceased was partway through a fixed-term contract – typically 24 months – you should not be charged an early termination fee. Ofcom’s guidance is clear: “A provider should close the deceased person’s account on request. You shouldn’t have to pay a penalty fee (also known as an Early Termination Charge or ETC).” (Source: Ofcom – notifying a provider of a customer’s death.)
Three’s bereavement team will process the closure in line with this guidance. If a final bill arrives and includes an early termination charge in error, contact the bereavement team directly and ask them to review it.
Handsets on a payment plan
Some Three customers pay for their handset on a separate payment plan alongside their monthly airtime contract. These are two distinct agreements – one for the service, one for the device. When you contact Three, ask the bereavement team specifically:
- Whether the deceased had a separate handset payment plan
- What the outstanding balance is
- How Three intends to resolve it
Three’s published guidance states they will “make sure any balance is cleared at the time of cancelling,” but the precise treatment of device finance depends on the individual account (source: Three bereavement support page). Do not assume an outstanding device balance is automatically written off without confirming this with the team.
Account options
You do not have to close the account. When you contact Three, you can choose to:
- Close the account – the number is cancelled and billing stops
- Transfer ownership to another person – the contract moves to someone else’s name; Three will require a credit check on the new account holder
- Port the number to another network – Three will arrange a PAC (porting authorisation code) so the number can be moved to a different provider; the account closes when the PAC is used, or 30 days after it is issued if unused
If the mobile number has practical value – for example, it is listed as a contact for an ongoing estate matter – consider transferring it before the account is closed. Once a number is cancelled, it is returned to the pool and cannot be recovered.
Three also notes it cannot convert a Pay Monthly account to Pay As You Go due to system limitations, so if the plan was Pay Monthly, your options are closure or transfer to another person.
Source: Three – closing the account of someone who has passed away, last verified March 2026.
Probate and the estate
Mobile phone contracts are personal service agreements, not financial assets. They do not form part of the estate in the same way a bank account or property does, and you do not need a grant of probate to notify Three or close the account.
However, if there is an outstanding balance – including an unpaid monthly bill or an outstanding device payment plan – that balance is a liability of the estate. It should be dealt with by the executor before the estate is distributed to beneficiaries. The person reporting the death is not personally liable.
If Three has overpaid amounts to refund back to the estate, those funds go to the executor. You may need to provide brief proof of your role (for example, confirmation you are the executor) if the estate is complex, but for a straightforward closure with no outstanding balance, this is rarely needed.
If you are managing other financial accounts at the same time – banks, ISAs, pensions – those each involve separate organisations and processes. See our guides to EE, O2, and Vodafone if you are also working through other mobile accounts.
How long it takes
| Action | Timescale |
|---|---|
| Account closure confirmation | Within 5 working days of notification |
| Account transfer or ownership change | Within 48 hours of form submission |
| PAC code for number porting | Account closes when PAC is used, or 30 days after issue if unused |
| Refund of overpaid amounts | After account closure – allow a few weeks |
| Email confirmation from Three | Within 5 working days (online form); confirmed by phone on the call |
These timescales are based on Three’s published guidance (last verified March 2026, three.co.uk). Straightforward closures are often processed faster. If you have not received confirmation within 5 working days of submitting the form, call 0333 338 1001 to follow up.
Tips and things to watch out for
Ask about the handset payment plan. Many Three customers have a separate device payment plan on top of their monthly airtime contract. These are two different agreements. When you contact Three, ask the bereavement team directly whether the deceased had a handset payment plan, what the balance is, and what will happen to it. Do not leave this conversation without a clear answer.
Confirm the ETF outcome. Under Ofcom’s guidance, Three should waive any early termination fee on bereavement. If you want peace of mind, ask the adviser to confirm this during the call – and if you use the online form, request written confirmation of the account closure terms in the email response. Keep that email.
Get the PAC code before you close the account. If you want to transfer the mobile number to another network – or to a different SIM in another person’s name – request the PAC code before asking Three to close the account. You have 30 days to use a PAC code once issued. Once the number is cancelled, it cannot be recovered.
Direct debits and bank account timing. If you are also in the process of closing the deceased’s bank account, make sure it stays open long enough for Three’s final bill to process and for any refund to arrive. Closing the bank account before the final Three credit appears can create complications.
Three is mobile-only – no broadband to notify separately. Unlike some providers, Three does not offer home broadband. Three’s mobile broadband devices (MiFi dongles and similar) are handled through the same bereavement team, so one contact covers all Three services on the account. You do not need to make a separate broadband notification.
Tell Us Once does not cover Three. The government’s Tell Us Once service notifies government departments in a single step. It does not cover private telecoms companies – you need to notify Three separately.
Check for other mobile accounts. Before you finish, check the deceased’s bank statements for other direct debits to mobile or broadband providers. Common ones to look for: EE, O2, Vodafone, or Virgin Media. Our guides to EE, O2, and Vodafone cover those processes separately.
Summary
To notify Three of a death, call 0333 338 1001 (Monday–Friday 8am–8pm, Saturday–Sunday 9am–6pm) and ask for the bereavement team, or complete the online form at three.co.uk/vulnerability/major-life-event/bereavement-support. Have the death certificate registration number, the deceased’s Three account details, and your own contact information ready.
Three will confirm account closure within 5 working days. Early termination fees should not apply under Ofcom’s guidance. If the deceased had a handset on a payment plan, ask the bereavement team directly about the outstanding balance. Three covers mobile and mobile broadband in a single notification – no separate contact needed.