Losing someone is hard enough without having to work out how a digital bank handles their accounts. Zopa is one of the UK’s larger digital banks and lenders, offering savings accounts, personal loans, and a credit card, and its bereavement process is handled entirely by phone, live chat, and email – there are no branches to visit. This guide walks through exactly how to notify Zopa, what proof they need, and what happens next for savings, loans, and credit cards.
Quick reference:
- Phone: 020 7580 6060 (Mon–Fri 9am–6pm, Sat 9am–5.30pm for savings; loans team available Mon–Fri 8am–8pm)
- Email: accountcare@zopa.com
- Probate required: yes, for savings account changes – Zopa does not publish a specific balance exemption threshold
- Loans: not written off – settled from the estate once the death certificate is provided
Source: Zopa – What is the bereavement process at Zopa?, Zopa – What happens if the account holder passes away?, Zopa – What happens in the event of a borrower’s death?, all last verified July 2026.
How to notify Zopa of a death
Zopa operates without branches, so every step of the bereavement process happens remotely. Anyone acting on behalf of the family can make the initial notification – you do not need to be the next of kin or executor at this stage.
Option 1: Phone Call 020 7580 6060. Zopa’s customer services team, which handles savings account bereavement notifications, is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, and Saturday, 9am to 5.30pm. If the death relates to a Zopa loan or credit card, the loans team on the same number is reachable Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm – mention which product the deceased held so you are directed to the right team.
Option 2: Email Send a certified copy or a clear photograph of the death certificate to accountcare@zopa.com. This is Zopa’s own stated method for beginning the bereavement process on a savings account, and it works well if you would rather not call or need to notify several organisations in writing.
Option 3: Live chat Zopa also offers live chat through its website during the same business hours as the phone lines, which can be a faster option than email if you have quick questions before you are ready to submit documents.
| Contact method | Details |
|---|---|
| Phone (savings) | 020 7580 6060, Mon–Fri 9am–6pm, Sat 9am–5.30pm |
| Phone (loans/credit card) | 020 7580 6060, Mon–Fri 8am–8pm |
| accountcare@zopa.com | |
| Live chat | Available via zopa.com during business hours |
Source: Zopa bereavement process, last verified July 2026.
Tell Us Once: what it covers and what it doesn’t
Tell Us Once is the government’s free service for notifying several public bodies at once when someone dies – HMRC, the DWP, the Passport Office, DVLA, and your local council. It is a genuinely useful first step, but it stops at the border of government.
Tell Us Once does not notify Zopa, or any other bank. Gov.uk states plainly that “to close or change the details of the person’s financial accounts, you’ll need to contact organisations like banks, mortgage providers, insurance providers” directly. Source: gov.uk – organisations you need to contact and Tell Us Once, last verified July 2026.
You will need to contact Zopa separately, using the phone number or email address above, regardless of whether you have already used Tell Us Once.
What documents you’ll need
The documents Zopa asks for depend on which product the deceased held and how far the process has progressed. You do not need everything ready before you make first contact – notify Zopa first, and their team will confirm exactly what to send.
For the initial notification (savings accounts): Zopa’s own guidance asks for “a certified copy or clear photograph of the deceased’s original death certificate,” sent to accountcare@zopa.com. A photograph or scanned copy is accepted at this stage.
For settling a Zopa loan: The requirement is stricter. Zopa’s guidance states it needs “the original death certificate or a solicitor-certified copy” before the loan can be formally cancelled – an emailed photograph is not sufficient for this step. Collections activity is paused as soon as Zopa is told of the death, so there is no pressure to rush this document through before the pause takes effect.
For changes to a savings account or withdrawing funds: Zopa’s published guidance states that a certified copy of the death certificate and a Grant of Probate (England and Wales) or Grant of Confirmation (Scotland) are required before the account can be changed or funds released.
| Situation | What Zopa asks for |
|---|---|
| First notification (any product) | Certified copy or clear photograph of the death certificate |
| Settling a loan | Original death certificate, or a solicitor-certified copy |
| Changing or withdrawing from a savings account | Certified death certificate copy, plus Grant of Probate or Grant of Confirmation |
If you need several certified copies of the death certificate – common if you are notifying multiple organisations – order them from the register office at the time you register the death. They cost £11 each in England and Wales. See gov.uk – order a copy of a death certificate.
Source: Zopa – What happens if the account holder passes away?, Zopa – What happens in the event of a borrower’s death?, last verified July 2026.
What happens to a Zopa savings account
Zopa’s published guidance on savings accounts is limited in detail compared with some competitors – it does not separately address fixed-term versus easy-access products, ISAs (Zopa does not currently offer a cash ISA), or joint accounts. What it does state clearly is that any change to the account, or any withdrawal of funds, requires the certified death certificate and a Grant of Probate or Grant of Confirmation.
In practice, this means the account is likely to be held in place – neither fully accessible nor closed outright – until the executor or administrator can produce the grant. Zopa’s customer services team can talk you through what applies to the specific account once you have notified them, including whether any interim steps are available while probate is pending. If you need clarity on a point that isn’t covered in Zopa’s public guidance, ask directly when you call – don’t assume a rule that applies at another bank also applies here.
What happens to a Zopa loan
If the deceased held a Zopa personal loan, the debt does not disappear on death. Zopa’s guidance is explicit that the outstanding balance is settled from the estate, not written off:
- As soon as Zopa is notified of the death, all collections activity on the loan is paused.
- Zopa waits to receive the original death certificate, or a solicitor-certified copy – this is a firmer requirement than the initial notification stage.
- Once the death certificate is received, Zopa formally cancels the loan on its system and notifies the credit reference agencies of the death, so the account does not continue to show as active or in arrears against the deceased’s credit file.
- Zopa then discusses repayment of the remaining balance from the estate with the executor, next of kin, or another authorised third party.
This mirrors the general rule for unsecured personal debt in the UK: a loan does not simply vanish when the borrower dies. It becomes a liability of the estate, to be settled from the estate’s assets before any remaining money is distributed to beneficiaries. See our guide to what happens to debt when someone dies for how this fits into the wider picture of estate administration, and do I need probate if you are unsure whether the estate is large enough to require a formal grant.
Source: Zopa – What happens in the event of a borrower’s death?, last verified July 2026.
Probate: what Zopa requires
Zopa’s published guidance requires a Grant of Probate (England and Wales) or Grant of Confirmation (Scotland) before it will make changes to a savings account or release funds. Unlike some banks – Starling, for example, publishes a specific £10,000 threshold below which probate isn’t needed – Zopa does not publish a balance figure at which the probate requirement is waived. If you are dealing with a modest balance and are unsure whether Zopa will insist on a full grant, raise it directly with their customer services team when you notify them; do not assume it will be waived without confirming this yourself.
If probate is required, you can apply directly through the government service at gov.uk/applying-for-probate. For a straightforward estate, the process typically takes several weeks from application to grant – see our guide to how long probate takes for a fuller breakdown of what affects the timeline.
How long does it take?
Zopa has not published a specific turnaround time for either the savings account or loan process, unlike some banks that commit to a stated number of working days once documents are received. What is clear from Zopa’s own guidance:
- Loans: collections activity pauses immediately on notification – there is no waiting period for that protection to apply, even before the death certificate arrives.
- Savings: the account is likely to remain in a holding position until the certified death certificate and Grant of Probate or Confirmation are provided, at which point Zopa’s team can process the requested change.
The main driver of how long the overall process takes is not Zopa’s internal processing speed, but how quickly the executor or administrator can obtain the Grant of Probate – which, for a straightforward estate, commonly takes several weeks from application. Notify Zopa as early as possible so the account is flagged and collections are paused, even before probate documents are ready.
Things to watch out for
No published probate threshold. Most high-street banks state a specific balance below which they’ll release funds without a full grant of probate. Zopa’s public guidance does not give this figure for savings accounts – ask directly rather than assuming a low balance will be exempt.
Loans aren’t written off. A Zopa loan continues as a debt of the estate. Don’t assume the balance disappears – the executor will need to deal with it as part of the estate’s liabilities, and Zopa will contact the executor or next of kin to discuss settlement.
Two different document standards. Zopa accepts a photograph or scanned copy of the death certificate for the first notification, but requires the original or a solicitor-certified copy before a loan is formally settled. Keep the original safe and be ready to send it (or arrange certification) once you reach that stage.
No branches for in-person help. Everything is handled by phone, chat, or email. If the deceased’s phone or online banking login was the only way to access their Zopa account details, mention this when you first make contact so the team can advise on identifying the account without needing that access.
Zopa’s DNS membership is unconfirmed. If you are notifying several banks through the Death Notification Service, don’t assume Zopa is automatically covered – contact Zopa directly by phone or email regardless.
Summary
To notify Zopa after a death, call 020 7580 6060 (Mon–Fri 9am–6pm, Sat 9am–5.30pm for savings; Mon–Fri 8am–8pm for loans) or email accountcare@zopa.com with a certified copy or clear photograph of the death certificate. Collections on any loan pause immediately. Savings account changes and loan settlement both require further documentation – a Grant of Probate or Confirmation for savings, and the original or solicitor-certified death certificate for loans.
What to have ready:
- Death certificate (a photograph or certified copy is enough to start; the original or a solicitor-certified copy is needed to settle a loan)
- Grant of probate or Grant of Confirmation, once available, if changes are needed to a savings account
- Your own contact details and relationship to the deceased
For the broader picture of how bank accounts and debts are handled after a death – including sole versus joint accounts and how notification works across multiple banks – see what happens to bank accounts when someone dies. If you are new to the process generally, our what to do when someone dies hub covers every step in order.