Life Events

Third Party Authorisation

If you would like to authorise a trusted family member, friend or third party to talk to us about your Account on your behalf, let us know by contacting us. If you are able, you can complete the Third party disclosure form in advance.

Power of Attorney

We understand that there may come a time where someone may need to make decisions on someone else’s behalf and this process can be difficult. If you are looking to register a power of attorney with us to help manage someone’s Account, we are here to offer you help and support

Please connect with our Specialist Team to see what support we can offer if your regular income has been affected and you’re struggling to make payments.

We recognise losing someone close to you can be difficult. American Express is here to help you with our bereavement support services.

If you need to notify us about a Cardmember passing away or if you need to talk to us about how a bereavement impacted you and your financial situation, we are here to help

To allow us to assist you to close an Account in the event of a main Cardmember passing away, you must first submit the following information:

• A copy of the Death Certificate.
• A completed Bereavement Notification form (See below).

If a Supplementary Cardmember has passed away, then it is sufficient for the main Cardmember to call and notify American Express; we will do the rest.

You can connect by Chat (Mon-Fri 7am-9pm, Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 10am-6pm) or telephone (Mon-Fri 8am-9pm, Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 10am-6pm) with our Specialist Team who are available to support with these queries between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Financial Worries

We understand that losing someone can be difficult both emotionally and financially. We want to reassure you that we are here to support you through this difficult time.

If you are worried about the impact a bereavement may have on your financial situation, you can connect by Chat or telephone with our Specialist Team who are available to support with these queries.

We can work together to help you through this time, by discussing:

• Your income and expenditure, outlining the next steps and the options available to you.
• Signposting external services and support you can access.

Reporting a Cardmember has Passed Away

If you need to notify us about a Cardmember, please follow below steps:

We will require you to provide the following documentation in order to close the Account:

• A copy of the Death Certificate
• A completed Bereavement Notification form.

You can complete our online form here. Please ensure you have a copy of the Death Certificate to attach. Formats accepted: PDF, JPEG, PNG.

Once the form is completed, a member of the relevant team will contact you by email or letter within two weeks.

You can also download the form to complete and return a scanned copy with the relevant documentation. How to return is detailed on the form.

These forms are required so that we can manage the Account and pass any details onto our probate solicitors if appropriate.

Please contact us if you need help completing the Bereavement Notification form, or if you require a paper copy of the form.

The documents should be emailed to ukbereavementsupport@aexp.com. As the internet can be unsecure, if you choose to send American Express personal data and/or documentation by email, please be aware that some email channels are not secure and that American Express is not responsible in the event of unauthorised access of your email Account. Please be sure to use a secure encryption method when sending this information. Alternatively, send to us at the below address:

American Express Services Europe Limited

Bereavement Support Team

1 John Street

Upper Ground Floor

Brighton

East Sussex, BN88 1NH

Or you can connect by Chat or telephone with our Specialist Team who are available to support with these queries.

It is possible that letters or statements for the deceased customer may continue to be received while the closure of the Account is being arranged. We apologise in advance for any mail that is received.

Use of Supplementary Cards

Once we have received notification of bereavement, the main Cards and any associated Cards will be closed; this includes any Supplementary Cards.

If you are a Supplementary Cardmember and would like to have your own American Express Card then you can apply for a Card online. Click here to apply for a Card.

Useful links for extra support:

Cruse Bereavement Care is a leading national charity for bereaved people.

Sands is the leading stillbirth and neonatal death charity in the UK.

StepChange can provide people with free debt advice following a bereavement.

We understand that your finances can be impacted by a divorce or relationship breakdown and you may be worried about the future. Contact us to discuss your situation so we can guide you through the next steps.

Useful links for extra support:

Relate provides support and guidance to help make the transition easier for you.

Money Helper offers free, unbiased and easy-to-access money tools and information.

National Debtline provide debt advice run by the Money Advice Trust.

Citizens Advice provide confidential advice and information.

If your regular income has been affected and you’re struggling to make payments, we are here to help. Please connect with our Specialist Team to see what support we can offer.

If you need help urgently, you can call the National Domestic Violence Helpline for free on 0808 200 0247 (24 hours), which is run in partnership between Refuge and Women’s Aid. Or call the police on 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger.

Bright Sky is managed by the charity Hestia. They provide a free to download mobile app providing support and information for anyone who may be in an abusive relationship or those concerned about someone they know. Please see details and advice about using the app in your app store.

ManKind and Men's Advice Line provides advice for men experiencing domestic abuse.

Please connect with our Specialist Team to see what support we can offer.

We want to support you if you have ever experienced financial abuse or control and will try to help you to regain the control of your finances.

Financial abuse can take on many forms. If you recognise any of the below behaviours but not limited to these, please contact us to discuss your situation if it is safe to do so:

• Borrowing money and not giving it back
• Controlling your purchases or access to money and bank and/or Card statements
• Taking out a Credit Card in your name and spending without your knowledge
• Taking pension payments or other benefits away from someone
• Forcing someone to make changes in wills, property or inheritance
• Stealing money or belongings
• Forcing someone to sell their home or assets without consent

Stay safe so please consider changing your Card PIN and passwords if you believe anyone else may know them. Let us know if you want your letters sent elsewhere, and access your statements online if you use internet banking.

If you need help urgently, you can call the National Domestic Violence Helpline for free on 0808 200 0247 (24 hours), which is run in partnership between Refuge and Women’s Aid. Or call the police on 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger.

If you are worried about debts, or struggling to make payments, we are here to help. Please connect with our Financial Hardship specialists to see what support we can offer.

Useful links for extra support:

UK Finance Its Your Money.

National Debtline provides support for people experiencing abuse.

Bright Sky is managed by the charity Hestia. They provide a free to download mobile app providing support and information for anyone who may be in an abusive relationship or those concerned about someone they know. Please see details and advice about using the app in your app store.

ManKind and Men's Advice Line provides advice for men experiencing domestic abuse.

Please connect with our Specialist Team to see what support we can offer.

If you or someone in your household has recently lost a job and are struggling to make payments, we are here to provide support and help with your situation.

Please connect with our Specialist Team to see what support we can offer.

We are here to support you through big life changes, such as retirement planning. For guidance on how to manage your Card Account when retiring, please contact us.

Our online services tutorials provide step-by-step video guides of how to manage some of your regular Account maintenance activities, which might help you.

If you, or someone in your household has retired or is due to retire, and you are worried about managing debts, or you are struggling to make payments, we’re here to help.

Please connect with our Specialist Team to see what support we can offer.

Useful links for extra support:

Age UK is the largest charity for older people.

Just help people achieve a better later life by providing financial advice, guidance, competitive products and services to those approaching, at, or in retirement.

Money Helper provides guidance for retirement, current or future planning.

If you are struggling financially and are worried about being able to pay your American Express bill, please get in touch with us as soon as possible.

We are committed to supporting our customers through any life event or on-going situation that is affecting day-to-day life or finances and are here to help, either via phone or online chat. Together, we can find a payment solution that works for you.

If you would like to discuss your personal situation with us, including any change in circumstances, you can contact us via phone or online chat.

Please visit our Financial Hardship web pages if you are struggling financially or have missed credit Card payments, we can assess your situation and offer support.

If you’ve received a letter from us about Persistent Debt and would like to know more about what this means for you, see our dedicated Persistent Debt page.

Some simple tips to manage your money

If your finances are starting to feel tighter than usual, there are some simple steps you can take to review your situation and identify ways to budget.

1. Check your monthly budget in detail

You may not have reviewed your day-to-day spending in a while; breaking down your income and outgoings in detail is a critical step to understand how much you need to cover your bills and essentials, what makes up your basic living costs and how much you have left for the other important things in your life.

Complete an income and expenditure form via Financial Hardship-Where Can I Start? to calculate your current situation.

We understand it can be difficult to fill forms out online, so if you require any assistance, we can take you through the Income & Expenditure process on our Live Chat or over the phone.

Please see the Get in Touch section in the link above for contact information.

If you’re worried about missing a payment – whether that’s a monthly statement, an energy bill, or your rent – speak to the provider as soon as you can. This includes any Credit Card provider like American Express, we want to support you through challenging times.

2. Check your regular payments and direct debits

A lot of recurring payments and direct debits include subscriptions that aren’t regularly used.

You may also want to consider shopping around to ensure you are getting the best possible price, even for the short term. Make use of price comparison websites where appropriate.

3. Check your tax code is correct

It is worth double-checking your tax code, especially if you have had a significant change in income. If it’s wrong, you could be paying either too much tax or too little, meaning you’ll have to pay a separate bill. See the HMRC site https://www.gov.uk/income-tax/check-youre-paying-the-right-amount to find out how to check this.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice

There are many organisations and charities that offer free, independent advice.

Step Change Debt Charity provides free debit advice and support

The American Express Foundation supports Money Advice Trust for their debt advice services, National Debtline and Business Debtline. These debt lines will provide resources and guidance to help you to take actions to improve your financial situation and manage your money.

5. Look after your mental health

If you think financial concerns are affecting your mental health, please see our Challenging Times pages for more information, a series of helpful links and avenues of support.