Closing accounts
Store cards and buy-now-pay-later accounts
The small accounts that are easy to forget.
Current as of October 2026. Laws and figures can change — see full disclaimer.
Store credit cards and buy-now-pay-later plans, like Affirm, Klarna and Afterpay, are often missed after a death. They may not show up in the same places as a regular credit card, and some only send emails.
Where they usually show up
- The credit report. Store cards almost always appear. Buy-now-pay-later plans increasingly do, but not always.
- Email receipts and payment reminders
- Bank and credit card statements, as automatic payments
- Apps on the person's phone
How closing them usually works
Store cards work like other credit cards: the company is told about the death, the account is closed, and the balance becomes a debt of the estate. Buy-now-pay-later companies usually have a support form or email for reporting a death, and follow a similar process.
Who owes the balance
As with other debts, the estate usually pays. Family members generally don't owe it unless they co-signed or shared the account.
Automatic payments for these plans often come from a debit card. If the bank account is frozen, payments may fail, so telling the company early can prevent late fees from piling up on the estate.