What to do when a Customers Bank account holder dies
Contact Customers Bank — 6-step process, 6 required documents, and varies based on documentation completeness, the account's ownership type, and whether probate or pa inheritance-tax confirmation is required.
Customers Bank, 40 General Warren Blvd, Suite 200, Malvern, PA 19355
Customers Bank, 40 General Warren Blvd, Suite 200, Malvern, PA 19355
Deposit Operations (deposit-account estate claims; no dedicated death-claims unit)
Customers Bank, Attn: Deposit Operations, 40 General Warren Blvd, Suite 200, Malvern, PA 19355
What happens to Customers Bank accounts after the account holder dies depends on how each account was titled. Beneficiary-designated and trust-owned accounts transfer directly. Accounts in the deceased's name alone go through the estate, and the executor or administrator works with Customers Bank's Deposit Operations (deposit-account estate claims; no dedicated death-claims unit) (1-610-933-7195) to claim the funds.
The first step is contacting Customers Bank at 1-610-933-7195 with the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate in hand.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Customers Bank:
Filing a claim
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the claimant
- Individual (single) account: "we will pay the funds in the account in accordance with the appropriate documents presented to us" -- typically Letters Testamentary/Letters of Administration or, for a qualifying small estate, a state small-estate affidavit
- Revocable trust / payable-on-death account: "The beneficiaries cannot withdraw funds from the account unless all of you die and the beneficiary is then living. If two or more beneficiaries survive, the Bank will pay the funds in account in equal shares to the beneficiaries" -- the surviving beneficiary presents the death certificate and ID
- Joint account with survivorship: "when one of you dies, the account will be owned by the surviving owner(s)" -- no probate needed to continue the account
- Joint account without survivorship (tenants in common): "the deceased owner's equal share of the account will pass to his or her estate and not the surviving owner"
- Fiduciary account (trust/executor): "we will pay the account balance in accordance with the terms of any appropriate legal documentation presented to us or upon the instructions of any successor fiduciary"
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the claimant
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (individual account with no POD/survivorship, when probate is required)
- Trust agreement or Certification of Trust (account held in trust)
- State small-estate affidavit (if the estate qualifies under state law in lieu of probate)
- Any distribution or account-closure forms provided by Customers Bank Deposit Operations
What to know at this institution
Customers Bank does not publish a dedicated estate-services page, named death-claim form, or separate claims department. Deposit-account claims are handled by Deposit Operations (Customers Bank, Attn: Deposit Operations, 40 General Warren Blvd, Suite 200, Malvern, PA 19355); begin by calling 866-476-2265. The disposition rules above are quoted from the bank's deposit-account consumer disclosure, which pays funds "in accordance with the appropriate documents presented." Because Customers Bank is a Pennsylvania bank, PA inheritance tax applies to a decedent's accounts and there is no automatic partial-release waiver comparable to New Jersey's L-8 form.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Customers Bank
Customers Bank accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Customers Bank's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionOpening an account for the estate itself
Checks made out to the estate deposit into an account titled to the estate, opened by the appointed executor or administrator under the estate's EIN.
How to open an estate account at Customers Bank →How long the process takes at Customers Bank: Varies based on documentation completeness, the account's ownership type, and whether probate or PA inheritance-tax confirmation is required. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Documentation required by Customers Bank includes Certified copy of the death certificate, Government-issued photo ID for the claimant, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (individual account with no POD/survivorship, when probate is required), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Contact Customers Bank at 866-476-2265 or a branch to report the death; the deposit-account file is handled by Deposit Operations (40 General Warren Blvd, Suite 200, Malvern, PA 19355). Disposition follows the account's ownership type per the bank's deposit disclosure: for a payable-on-death (revocable trust) account, the surviving beneficiary presents a certified death certificate and photo ID; for a joint account with survivorship, the surviving owner keeps the account; for an individual account with no POD or survivorship, the bank pays "in accordance with the appropriate documents presented" -- typically Letters Testamentary/Letters of Administration or a qualifying state small-estate affidavit; for a fiduciary account, the bank pays on the instructions of the successor fiduciary.
Yes. Customers Bank is a Pennsylvania bank, and Pennsylvania levies inheritance tax on a decedent's bank accounts (rates depend on the heir's relationship to the decedent). Unlike New Jersey, Pennsylvania has no automatic partial-release waiver such as NJ Form L-8, so the bank may require confirmation the account is reported for inheritance tax before releasing non-survivorship funds. Confirm current requirements with Customers Bank and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. Naming a POD beneficiary or holding the account in a revocable trust does not exempt the funds from PA inheritance tax.
Yes. Customers Bank offers Payable on Death (POD) beneficiary designations on deposit accounts including checking, savings, money market, and CDs. Visit a branch or call 866-476-2265 to add or update POD beneficiaries. Beneficiaries cannot withdraw funds unless all account owners have died and the beneficiary is then living. Named beneficiaries override your will for these accounts.
Customers Bank's Deposit Operations (deposit-account estate claims; no dedicated death-claims unit) can be reached by phone at 1-866-476-2265 for questions throughout the claims process.
When the deceased had multiple Customers Bank accounts, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The Deposit Operations (deposit-account estate claims; no dedicated death-claims unit) can clarify what's needed for each account type.
Sources
Data sourced from Customers Bank primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customers Bank, 40 General Warren Blvd, Suite 200, Malvern, PA 19355
Customers Bank, 40 General Warren Blvd, Suite 200, Malvern, PA 19355
Deposit Operations (deposit-account estate claims; no dedicated death-claims unit)
Customers Bank, Attn: Deposit Operations, 40 General Warren Blvd, Suite 200, Malvern, PA 19355
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