Managing an account following a bereavement

We’re very sorry for your loss. We recognise how difficult this time can be and we’re here to support you by making managing your account as simple as possible.

This support article explains how to close an account or transfer ownership of a mobile number when the account holder has passed away.

To transfer or close an account, please:

(1) Confirm identity

(a) have the account holder’s mobile or account number ready, as well as their:

• Full name;
• Date of birth; and
• Home address

(b) you will also need their:

• Death certificate;
• A notification from the Australian Death Notification Service (see below); or
• Letters of administration or documentation from the funeral home.

(2) Confirm your authority

To ensure that you have authority to transfer or close the account as:

• The deceased's next of kin
• The executor, administrator or trustee of the estate
• A lawyer or solicitor managing the will
• An individual with power of attorney
• An authorised representative listed on the account

(3) Gather the right documents

• As the next of kin, you’ll need either birth certificate, Will or Grant of Representation (e.g. probate or letters of administration)
• As the executor or trustee, you’ll need to show us the Will or Grant of Representation
• As the administrator, you’ll need to show us Letters of Administration
• As an individual with power of attorney, you’ll need to show us the Power of Attorney

Notify us

You can notify us of a loved one’s passing in one of two ways.

Option 1: Australian Death Notification Service

You can visit the Australian Death Notification Service (ADNS) website to digitally notify multiple organisations of someone’s passing.

Once you submit the online form, your information is shared with the organisations you select, who will then guide you through the next steps.

Important information:

• ADNS will validate the details of the deceased through the Australian Death Check (ADC).
• Once validated, the information will be passed to the appropriate Vodafone team.

Vodafone will contact you within 10 business days of your submission to discuss the next steps.

Option two: Contact Vodafone directly

You can contact us directly on 1555 or 1300 650 410 or 135 888 (Business Customers) to notify us of the account holder’s passing. Once you reach out, our team will guide you through the next steps to close the account or transfer ownership of the mobile number. Please note that if you choose to transfer ownership of the mobile number, you’ll also need to meet our credit requirements.

Frequently asked questions