What happens to Pinterest Ads accounts when the owner dies
Pinterest, Inc. has a formal process for transferring accounts after an account holder dies
Pinterest Business Help
Pinterest Help Center (deceased family member account deletion)
Pinterest does not publish a deceased-user processing timeline for account deletion or for any ad-account balance; both are handled case by case after verification. On the billing side, Pinterest charges accrued ad spend when it reaches a billing threshold or at the start of the following month, so charges can continue to post against the payment method until the campaigns are paused or the payment method is removed. Pausing a campaign stops pins from serving and stops new costs from accruing, but a final charge can still arrive for spend that accrued before pausing.
Because a Pinterest ad account lives inside the owner's Pinterest account and Business Manager, there is no separate Pinterest Ads bereavement process. Pinterest's account-management help article handles a deceased user through deletion: "We can delete a deceased family member's account if you get in touch with us and provide verification, like an obituary or death certificate." That article also notes that for a business account, any outstanding bill must be cleared before deletion or the balance is charged to the card on file. Pinterest reviews each request individually and does not transfer account access, passwords, or ad-account ownership to anyone. On the advertising side, the money picture is set by Pinterest's billing policy: standard ad charges are billed after the ads run and "are usually not eligible for a refund or credit"; promotional ad credits and coupons are "not transferable between accounts," carry an expiration date "after which the offer will no longer apply," and are applied to spend rather than paid out, so they have no cash value and are effectively forfeited at death. Critically, nothing about a death stops the advertising: live campaigns keep showing ads and accruing charges against the payment method on file until the campaigns are paused or the payment method is removed, so the estate's first practical step is to stop the spend.
How to request a transfer
To request a transfer of Pinterest Ads accounts after an account holder's death, follow these steps:
- •Use Pinterest's Contact us channel from the Help Center to report the death and ask Pinterest to stop the campaigns and address the account
- •Note that Pinterest closes a deceased user's account only after verification (such as an obituary or death certificate) and does not release passwords or login credentials
- •Be aware that for a business account, Pinterest states any outstanding bill must be cleared before deletion, or the balance is charged to the card on file
- •Verification of the death, such as an obituary or a death certificate
- •The deceased's Pinterest username or the email address on the account, so Pinterest can locate it
- •Your relationship to the deceased and, where Pinterest requests it, proof of your authority over the estate
Required Documents
- Verification of the death (obituary or certified death certificate)
- The deceased's Pinterest username or account email address
- Proof of your relationship to the deceased and, where requested, of your authority over the estate (for example, letters testamentary or letters of administration)
Timeline
Pinterest does not publish a deceased-user processing timeline for account deletion or for any ad-account balance; both are handled case by case after verification. On the billing side, Pinterest charges accrued ad spend when it reaches a billing threshold or at the start of the following month, so charges can continue to post against the payment method until the campaigns are paused or the payment method is removed. Pausing a campaign stops pins from serving and stops new costs from accruing, but a final charge can still arrive for spend that accrued before pausing.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Live campaigns keep showing pins and accruing charges against the payment method on file until someone pauses them or the payment method is removed. The system has no way to know the owner has died. The first practical step for an estate is to pause the campaigns, ad groups, or ads in Ads Manager, which stops the pins from serving and stops new costs from accruing. A final charge can still arrive for spend that accrued before pausing.
No. Pinterest does not document an ownership-transfer mechanism for a personal or business account, and it does not provide passwords or login credentials after death. A Pinterest ad account lives inside the owner's Pinterest account, so post-death it is handled through Pinterest's account-deletion process for a deceased family member, which requires verification such as an obituary or death certificate. To let someone manage or pause campaigns, the owner must add them as a co-manager in Business Manager during life.
Promotional ad credits and coupons are lost. Pinterest states they are "not transferable between accounts" and carry an expiration date "after which the offer will no longer apply." Credits are applied to ad spend rather than paid out, so they have no cash value and cannot be recovered or moved to another account. They are effectively forfeited when the account is closed.
Standard ad charges are billed after the ads run, and Pinterest states they "are usually not eligible for a refund or credit." Promotional credits have no cash value and are not refundable. For a prepaid ad-account balance, Pinterest does not publish a deceased-user payout path, so any recovery of a remaining prepaid balance is handled case by case through Pinterest support. Pinterest also notes that for a business account, an outstanding bill must be cleared before deletion or it is charged to the card on file.
If you have access, open Campaign manager in Ads Manager and toggle the campaign, ad group, or ad to Off to stop accruing costs. If you cannot access the account, use Pinterest's Contact us channel from the Help Center to report the death, ask Pinterest to stop the campaigns, and request deletion of the deceased family member's account with verification such as an obituary or death certificate. Pinterest will not release the login. If the deceased managed several ad accounts through Business Manager, check each one so no campaign keeps running.
Once transferred, accounts are subject to the program's standard terms. Having the deceased account holder's details documented in advance makes the transfer process significantly easier for the family.
Sources
Data sourced from Pinterest, Inc. primary sources (7 pages reviewed). How we research.
Pinterest Business Help
Pinterest Help Center (deceased family member account deletion)
Pinterest does not publish a deceased-user processing timeline for account deletion or for any ad-account balance; both are handled case by case after verification. On the billing side, Pinterest charges accrued ad spend when it reaches a billing threshold or at the start of the following month, so charges can continue to post against the payment method until the campaigns are paused or the payment method is removed. Pausing a campaign stops pins from serving and stops new costs from accruing, but a final charge can still arrive for spend that accrued before pausing.
