What happens to Udemy revenue when someone dies
Udemy publishes no process specific to a deceased person's account; a written request goes in through Udemy's support ticket system.
Under Udemy's terms, Udemy revenue is forfeited when the account holder dies.
Udemy publishes no process specific to a deceased person's account; a written request goes in through Udemy's support ticket system. The request takes 4 documents.
What to do
Instructor accounts
- •Report the death and attach the documents.
- •Ask that the account and its records be kept until payouts are settled.
- •Reply to the case in your inbox to add documents rather than opening a second case.
Student accounts
- •Cancel any subscription bought on Udemy.com so renewal charges stop.
- •Send the account's purchase history.
- •Explain how it will treat any Udemy credits balance.
Required Documents
- Email address on the Udemy account
- Payout account on file: for an instructor account. A PayPal, Payoneer or bank account.
- Death certificate
- Documentation showing authority to act for the estate: For example, letters testamentary or letters of administration.
What Udemy, Inc.'s terms say at death
- 12.8 No Assignment
“You agree that your account is non-transferable and that all rights to your account and other rights under these Terms terminate upon your death.”1
What Udemy, Inc. says happens9
- Closing the account
The Terms of Use say that when a user dies, the user's account is closed.1
- Purchased content and licenses
A student's purchased courses are a "limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license", and the Terms of Use say not to transfer or resell content in any way, so the course library ends with the account.1
- Deletion and data retention
When Udemy terminates an account it may delete the account and its content, and the content may still be available on the platform afterwards.1
- Balances, payouts and refunds
The Instructor Terms say that when an account is deleted, Udemy will "use commercially reasonable efforts to make any remaining scheduled payments that are owed to you before deleting your account."2
Instructor payment is made within 45 days of the end of the month in which the fee was received or the course consumption occurred, if at least $25 USD is payable; smaller amounts are held until they reach $25 USD or the calendar year ends.2
The $25 payout threshold applies starting September 1, 2025, and Udemy attempts a payout of balances that never reach it in the December payout each year.3
Refund credits are non-refundable and have no cash value, and gift and promotional codes offered by Udemy may not be refunded for cash, unless applicable law requires otherwise.1
- Continuing a shop, channel or listing
When an instructor account is deleted, the instructor's name and course content may remain accessible to students who already enrolled.2
- Subscriptions and billing
A subscription renews automatically until it is cancelled; a subscription bought in the iOS or Android app is cancelled through Apple or Google Play, which Udemy cannot do on the holder's behalf.1, 4
- Inactive accounts and expiry
If Udemy cannot settle funds into an instructor's payment account after the period set by unclaimed property laws, it may submit those funds to the appropriate government authority.2
The Terms of Use let Udemy terminate accounts for extended periods of inactivity, with no period stated.1
- Passwords and login
Udemy's Terms of Use prohibit sharing account login credentials.1
- Support response times
Udemy Support sends a confirmation email after a case is submitted and says response times vary with the nature and complexity of the issue.5
Not in Udemy's published guidance10
- A process for a deceased account holder
- A form for estate requests
- How long a request takes
- A mailing address for a written request
- A phone number for this
- A path to refund a balance to the estate
- A complete list of the documents to send
- Whether a certified death certificate is required
- An estates email address
- A fixed inactivity period
Sources5
- 1.Udemy Terms of Use, last updated July 31, 2026
- 2.Instructor Terms, last updated July 29, 2026
- 3.Payment Threshold for Instructor Monthly Payouts: FAQ
- 4.How to manage your Udemy subscriptions
- 5.How to contact Udemy Support
A written request to Udemy can ask it to preserve the account while the estate is opened, provide purchase and transaction records for the estate inventory, refund an unspent balance and transfer the revenue to a named family member.
Nothing in the account survives the holder, and Udemy allows no lifetime transfer of it either.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter for Udemy drafts that request from the estate's details.
Sources
Data sourced from Udemy, Inc. primary sources (7 pages reviewed). How we research.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: the probate petition, small estate affidavit, notice to creditors, inventory, and closing forms.
Affidavit of Death
Put a joint owner's or a transfer on death deed owner's death on the land records with the affidavit your state's statute names, laid out for recording.
IRS Form 56
Notify the IRS that you are the fiduciary of an estate, a trust or a person, or end a notice filed before, on the official form.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor named in a will — the writing filed with the court before anyone is appointed.
Tools for Settling an Estate
Free tools for settling an estate: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines, and inheritance taxes.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need and see ordering info for your state.
Do I Need Probate?
Find out if an estate needs probate or qualifies for simplified procedures.
What Happens to Jointly Owned Property When an Owner Dies?
See what your state records when a joint tenant with right of survivorship dies: an affidavit, the death certificate or a new deed.
Do I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died?
Find out which tax returns need to be filed after someone dies and whether tax clearance is required.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Personalized plan for settling an estate after someone passes away.
What Do I Do When Someone Dies?
A step-by-step checklist for the days, weeks, and months after a death, with state rules noted where they apply.
