Subscriptions and recurring payments after death
When someone dies, the bank usually freezes the personal accounts within days of being notified — and that stops most automatische incasso (direct debit). But "most" is not "all", and a frozen account does not cancel the underlying contract. Subscriptions keep running, late-payment notices arrive, and credit cards (which often live outside the bank freeze) keep being charged. The cards below cover twelve categories nabestaanden (next of kin) most often have to deal with in the first weeks. Each card: how to find it, how to cancel, who to notify.
Card 1 — Streaming (Netflix, Spotify, Disney+, HBO Max, Videoland)
How to find it. Bank statement of the last 3 months — search the descriptions for the brand name. Email inbox — search "factuur", "invoice", "receipt".
How to cancel. All major streaming services let you cancel from the account settings (web). For most, no death certificate is needed — a normal cancellation is enough, since the contract ends at the end of the paid period. Spotify Family / Netflix shared accounts: also remove the deceased's profile so other members keep working.
Who to notify. Just the platform. If a family member wants to keep the service under their own name, they should open a new account rather than transferring — most providers do not offer transfer.
Card 2 — Telecom (mobile, internet, TV)
How to find it. Monthly debit from KPN, Vodafone, Odido (T-Mobile), Ziggo, Tele2, Simyo, Lebara. Paper or PDF contract usually shows a 1- or 2-year minimum term.
How to cancel. Telecom contracts in the Netherlands can be ended on death of the holder, usually with shorter notice than normal. Send the akte van overlijden (death certificate) to the provider's customer service; most have a nabestaanden email address. Important: do not cancel the mobile number on day one — it is needed for SMS verification when closing bank, energy, and other accounts. Plan for roughly 3 months of overlap.
Who to notify. The telecom provider. Also: anyone who used the deceased's number for two-factor authentication.
Card 3 — Energy and water
How to find it. Monthly debit from energieleverancier (Vattenfall, Eneco, Essent, Greenchoice, Budget Energie) and the local water company (Vitens, Evides, PWN, Brabant Water, etc.).
How to cancel. Do not cancel immediately — the home still needs power, heating, and water during the estate process. Instead, transfer the contract to the surviving partner, the heir continuing to live in the home, or to the buyer if the home is sold. Most providers accept a death certificate plus a request to change the contract holder.
Who to notify. The energy company, the water company, and (separately) the netbeheerder (grid operator) for the meter readings on the date of transfer.
Card 4 — Gym and sports clubs
How to find it. Monthly debit from Basic-Fit, SportCity, Fit For Free, Anytime Fitness, or a local sportschool. Sometimes annual.
How to cancel. Most gym contracts allow termination on death of the member. Send a copy of the akte van overlijden by email or post. Some clubs ask for a written request from the heir or executor. Quarterly or annual prepayments are usually not refunded automatically — ask explicitly.
Who to notify. The gym. If the deceased had a personal trainer or class booking, also that contact.
Card 5 — Cloud storage (iCloud+, Google One, Dropbox, OneDrive)
How to find it. Bank or credit-card statement, usually a small monthly amount. Email receipts from "Apple", "Google", "Dropbox", "Microsoft".
How to cancel. Cancellation is easy from the account settings — but think first. Cloud storage often holds the photos, documents, and email the family wants to preserve. Download what matters before closing the subscription. For Apple iCloud and Google Drive, see the Legacy Contact / Inactive Account Manager flows in the kill-switch guide.
Who to notify. The provider. And: anyone in a shared family plan, who may lose storage when the plan owner's account closes.
Card 6 — Software subscriptions (Microsoft 365, Adobe, Notion, etc.)
How to find it. Monthly or annual debit. Names to search: Microsoft, Adobe, Notion, Figma, Canva, antivirus (Norton, McAfee), VPN providers.
How to cancel. From the account settings on the provider's website. Adobe and Microsoft often refund the unused portion of an annual licence on request. Family-plan licences (Microsoft 365 Family, Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps with shared seats) need re-assignment so other family members keep access.
Who to notify. The provider. Also: any work or club where the deceased's licence was being used.
Card 7 — Domain names and hosting
How to find it. Annual debit (often small, easy to miss). Email from registrars: TransIP, Versio, Hostnet, Mijndomein, Argeweb, GoDaddy, Cloudflare. Look for renewal notices.
How to cancel — or transfer. A domain name is property; it can be transferred to an heir using the provider's domain-transfer process plus proof of inheritance (often a verklaring van erfrecht). If the domain is just left, it expires after the registration period — and once expired, anyone can register it. Personal domains (a name, a memorial site) are worth saving deliberately.
Who to notify. The registrar and the hosting company. Also: anyone using email addresses on that domain.
Card 8 — Charity direct debits
How to find it. Monthly debit from charities — often small, often more than one. Names: Greenpeace, Artsen zonder Grenzen, KWF, Rode Kruis, UNICEF, Amnesty, WWF, religious organisations.
How to cancel. Most charities have a nabestaanden contact. Send the akte van overlijden and ask for cancellation; refunds of partial periods are rare but the charges stop. Note: some charities are named in the will (a legaat) — check the testament before cancelling out of habit.
Who to notify. The charity. The notaris also, if the will includes a bequest.
Card 9 — Magazine and newspaper subscriptions
How to find it. Monthly or quarterly debit. Names: NRC, Volkskrant, Trouw, FD, Telegraaf, AD, regional papers, magazines (Quest, Margriet, Linda).
How to cancel. Most subscriptions can be ended early in case of death; Dutch consumer law allows monthly cancellation of indefinite subscriptions after the initial term. Send a copy of the death certificate and a written request. Refund of the unused portion is common but not automatic.
Who to notify. The publisher's customer-service / abonnement department.
Card 10 — Food boxes and meal services
How to find it. Weekly or monthly debit. Names: HelloFresh, Marley Spoon, Picnic standing orders, Crisp, Kookpunt, Allerhande Box.
How to cancel. Pause first (almost every service allows it from the account), then cancel. Boxes already shipped cannot be reversed. If the home is unoccupied, redirect or stop deliveries quickly to avoid spoiled food on the doorstep.
Who to notify. The provider. If a delivery is in transit, also the courier.
Card 11 — Parking and mobility apps
How to find it. Small, frequent charges. Names: Yellowbrick, Parkmobile, EasyPark, Q-Park, MyWheels, Greenwheels, OV-fiets / NS-Flex (the train season-ticket subscription), Felyx, Check, Bolt, Uber.
How to cancel. From the app or account settings. NS-Flex (NS subscription tied to the OV-chipkaart) needs the OV-chipkaart number; refund of the unused portion of a season ticket is possible on death. Car-sharing accounts often have a deposit that can be refunded to the estate.
Who to notify. Each app provider. Also NS Klantenservice for any active season ticket and the OV-chipkaart balance.
Card 12 — Dating apps and other "quiet" subscriptions
How to find it. Often charged through Apple App Store or Google Play, not directly to the bank — so they can hide on a bank statement under "Apple.com/bill" or "Google Play". Names: Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, Happn, Inner Circle. Also: adult sites, gambling accounts.
How to cancel. Open the App Store or Google Play account: Settings -> Subscriptions. Cancel from there. The subscription stops at the end of the paid period. App profiles themselves usually need a separate request to delete — privacy matters here, both for the deceased and for matches who may still see an active profile.
Who to notify. The platform (to delete the profile). The Apple Account / Google Account holder of record — usually managed via the Apple Legacy Contact / Google Inactive Account Manager flows.
A short checklist for the first month
- Pull the deceased's last 3 months of bank and credit-card statements. Highlight every recurring debit.
- Check the email inbox for "factuur", "invoice", "receipt", "abonnement", "subscription".
- Open the App Store and Google Play subscription pages — they often hide a quarter of the list.
- Notify the bank of the death so automatische incasso stops on the personal accounts. (Joint en/of-rekening keeps running for the surviving holder.)
- For each subscription: cancel, transfer, or pause — and keep a written record of what you did, with the date.
The Dutch Banking Association (NVB) and Consumentenbond both publish overlijden checklists with the same logic: notification first, then a methodical list. The list above is the part most often forgotten.
In the app
In the Personal Portal you build your own subscription list — name, provider, amount, payment method, what should happen with it. The app exports a printable copy your nabestaanden can use to work through cancellations one by one, in the first weeks.
Closed beta — access by invitation.
Sources
- Consumentenbond — guides on cancelling subscriptions and recurring payments, consumer rights on indefinite contracts. https://www.consumentenbond.nl
- NVB (Nederlandse Vereniging van Banken) — what happens to bank accounts after death, the role of automatische incasso. https://www.nvb.nl
- Rijksoverheid — overlijden: aangifte and the BRP signal that updates connected services. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/overlijden-aangeven