What happens to Redbubble accounts when the owner dies
Articore Group Limited (Redbubble) has a formal process for transferring accounts after an account holder dies
Redbubble Support
Redbubble Support
Redbubble commits to responding to a bereavement request within 48 hours of receiving the required documentation. Accrued earnings above the payout threshold ($10/GBP10/EUR10, lowered from $20/GBP20/EUR20 effective July 1, 2026) are paid out (minus applicable account fees) during the following monthly payment period - payments are processed at the beginning of each month and arrive by the 15th. Account closure itself follows the document review.
(General customer service)
Redbubble's published bereavement process results in account closure, not transfer or continuation. The account closure help article states that when Redbubble loses an independent artist on the marketplace, the account needs to be closed as a requirement of law. Redbubble will require documentation to finalize closure (typically a death certificate and proof of relationship or executor authority), which can be submitted through the help-center request form as scanned attachments or by post. Once closed: the profile and all works will be removed, but any existing comments will remain; accrued earnings are paid out - less any applicable account fee - during the following monthly payment period. Redbubble commits to responding to bereavement requests within 48 hours. There is no documented pathway to transfer account ownership to an heir. Because the artist retains copyright per the User Agreement, the estate inherits the underlying designs and may re-upload them to a new Redbubble account or another platform.
How to request a transfer
To request a transfer of Redbubble accounts after an account holder's death, follow these steps:
- •A clear statement that you are contacting them about a deceased artist account.
- •The artist's username and account email.
- •A copy of the death certificate.
- •Documentation of your authority to act (proof of next-of-kin relationship, executor appointment, or letters testamentary).
Required Documents
- Death certificate
- Proof of authority to close the account (next-of-kin documentation, letters testamentary, or executor appointment)
- Artist username and account email
Timeline
Redbubble commits to responding to a bereavement request within 48 hours of receiving the required documentation. Accrued earnings above the payout threshold ($10/GBP10/EUR10, lowered from $20/GBP20/EUR20 effective July 1, 2026) are paid out (minus applicable account fees) during the following monthly payment period - payments are processed at the beginning of each month and arrive by the 15th. Account closure itself follows the document review.
Frequently asked questions
Redbubble's bereavement process closes the account. The profile and all uploaded works are removed from the marketplace, but existing comments remain. Accrued earnings above the $20 threshold are paid out - less applicable account fees - in the following monthly payment period. Redbubble commits to responding to bereavement requests within 48 hours of receiving the required documentation.
No. Redbubble does not publish an account-transfer pathway for deceased artists, and each email can be tied to only one account. However, the User Agreement provides that the artist retains intellectual property rights in the uploaded designs and grants Redbubble only a non-exclusive royalty-free license. Copyright in the designs passes to the estate through normal IP inheritance, and heirs can create a new Redbubble account (or use another platform) and re-upload the work - though the new shop will start from zero in reviews, followers, and sales history.
The artist's estate. Per the Redbubble User Agreement, artists retain any intellectual property rights they possess in their content and grant Redbubble only a non-exclusive royalty-free license to use and archive the content. Those underlying copyrights are a separate asset from the Redbubble account itself, and they pass to heirs through normal intellectual property succession independent of Redbubble's closure of the account.
Only until the account is closed. Redbubble states that an account of a deceased artist needs to be closed as a requirement of law, and closure removes all listings from the marketplace. Until the estate contacts Redbubble to close the account, sales may continue, but once Redbubble is notified and the account is closed the royalty stream from those listings ends permanently.
Redbubble's help article states that the specific documents can be submitted through their help-center request form as scanned attachments or by post, but does not publish an exhaustive list. In practice Redbubble typically requires a death certificate and proof of relationship (next-of-kin documentation or executor appointment). Submit through redbubble.com/contact.
Yes. Redbubble requires artist earnings (after applicable account fees) to reach the published payout threshold before a payment is issued. The threshold is $10 / GBP10 / EUR10, lowered from $20 / GBP20 / EUR20 effective July 1, 2026. This threshold applies to the final estate payout as well - if the remaining balance after fees is below the threshold, it may not be paid out. Payments are processed at the beginning of each month and arrive by the 15th.
Use the Redbubble help-center request form at redbubble.com/contact (or help.redbubble.com/hc/en-us/requests/new) and start by identifying the deceased artist's username and account email. Redbubble commits to responding within 48 hours of receiving the required documentation.
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 Articore Group Limited (Redbubble) primary sources (11 pages reviewed). How we research.
Redbubble Support
Redbubble Support
Redbubble commits to responding to a bereavement request within 48 hours of receiving the required documentation. Accrued earnings above the payout threshold ($10/GBP10/EUR10, lowered from $20/GBP20/EUR20 effective July 1, 2026) are paid out (minus applicable account fees) during the following monthly payment period - payments are processed at the beginning of each month and arrive by the 15th. Account closure itself follows the document review.
(General customer service)
