How to close a deceased person's Discover account
Discover handles closing a deceased person's account through by phone, an online form, or by mail. The steps below are Discover's own published process, taken from its official support pages — this page organizes them so you can see what the provider asks for; it doesn't add to them or recommend any particular action.
What you'll need
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- A letter of instruction stating how remaining funds should be handled
- Letters testamentary or letters of administration (or a small-estate affidavit where eligible)
Steps
- Gather a certified copy of the death certificate (send copies — originals are not returned) and a Letter of Instruction (Discover's form or handwritten) stating how funds should be disbursed, with the requestor's full legal name, SSN/TIN, date of birth, mother's maiden name, address and phone.
- Include a completed, signed and dated IRS Form W-9 for each individual or entity claiming funds.
- For estates, add a copy of certified Letters of Office (certified within the last 12 months) or a small estate affidavit (dated within 12 months); trusts add a Trustee Certification Form.
- Send the documents: upload at Discover.com/upload (select "Deceased Handling Documents"), fax to 1-224-813-5244 (Attn: Beneficiary Care Team), mail to Discover, PO Box 30394, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0394, or overnight to Discover, 5420 West 1730 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104.
- Discover begins processing within 10 business days of receipt and contacts you about next steps. Questions: Beneficiary Care Team 1-800-975-0162, Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET.
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How to contact Discover
- Discover's official page for deceased accounts
- Phone: 1-800-975-0162
Typical timeline
Processing begins within 10 business days of receiving documents.
Notes
Discover, a division of Capital One, N.A., publishes its deceased-customer process as a PDF (Deceased Customer Account Handling Steps) linked from the online-banking forms page; there is no HTML deceased-customer page. Credit-card questions: call the number on the back of the card.
Sources
- https://www.discover.com/content/dam/dfs/online-banking/documents/Deceased_Cust_Acc_Handling_Steps.pdf
- https://www.discover.com/online-banking/forms-docs/
- https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/card-smarts/what-happens-credit-card-debt-die/
Last reviewed September 14, 2026 · Links verified September 14, 2026
Related guides
- Close a deceased person's account, provider by provider
- Accessing a deceased person's financial accounts
The simplest way to spare your own family this process is to keep an up-to-date list of your accounts somewhere they can find it. HeirLoft finds the recurring charges you've forgotten and keeps them in one place your heirs can actually use.