What to do when a Santander account holder dies
Contact Santander — 9-step process, 5 required documents, and pod/itf beneficiaries may receive funds upon presenting death certificate and id at a branch. non-pod accounts require probate documentation, which may take several weeks to process.
Customer Service Center (Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm ET)
Phone1-877-768-2265
Mailing Address
Santander Bank, 75 State Street, Boston, MA 02109
Santander Select Services
Santander Private Client
Private Client Investment Services
Santander Investment Services
Mortgage Servicing
Relay Service (hearing/speech-impaired)
WebsiteLearn more →
Customer Service Center (Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm ET)
Phone1-877-768-2265
Mailing Address
Santander Bank, 75 State Street, Boston, MA 02109
Santander Select Services
Santander Private Client
Private Client Investment Services
Santander Investment Services
Mortgage Servicing
Relay Service (hearing/speech-impaired)
WebsiteLearn more →
Death Claims / Estate Processing (Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm ET)
Phone1-877-768-2265
Toll-Free1-877-768-2265
Mailing Address
Santander Bank, N.A., P.O. Box 12646, Reading, PA 19612
Verified Feb 2026
When a Santander account holder passes away, the next step depends on how the accounts were set up. Accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate. Accounts titled solely in the deceased's name require the estate's legal representative to work with Santander's Death Claims / Estate Processing (Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm ET) (1-877-768-2265) to access and distribute the funds.
Gather the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any known account or policy numbers before contacting Santander. A certified death certificate is the primary document required to start any claim.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at Santander:
Filing a claim
1Contact Santander customer service at 1-877-768-2265 or visit a local branch to notify the bank of the account holder's death
2Provide a certified death certificate (original required; bank will mail it back after processing)
3Provide valid government-issued ID for the claimant
4For POD/ITF accounts: beneficiaries present death certificate and ID at a branch to request distribution
5For non-POD accounts: executor or administrator provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
6For trust-owned accounts: successor trustee provides death certificate, trust documents, and trustee ID
7For joint accounts with right of survivorship: surviving owner provides death certificate and notarized letter to remove the deceased owner's name
8Santander will mail a new signature card and account maintenance form that must be signed and returned
9Santander reviews documentation and processes distribution or account update
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate (original required; bank will mail back after processing)
- Valid government-issued ID for claimant
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if no POD/ITF designation)
- Trust documents and successor trustee identification (if trust-owned account)
- Notarized letter requesting removal of deceased owner (for joint account name removal)
If no beneficiary claims the funds, the account will be deemed abandoned and escheated to the state under applicable state law. Santander is not obligated to notify beneficiaries of a trustee's death or the existence of the account. For Santander Investment Services accounts (IRA, brokerage), contact 1-866-736-6475 separately. For existing Santander mortgage loans, contact the Mortgage Servicing Department at 1-855-241-5700.
Mortgage and home lending
Mortgages and home equity loans are liabilities, not assets. They do not have beneficiaries and cannot be retitled to a trust. When a borrower dies, the loan obligation transfers with the property to whoever inherits it. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act, the lender cannot accelerate the loan or call it due when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, or the borrower's revocable trust.
1Notify Santander Bank of the borrower's death by calling the Mortgage Servicing Department at 1-855-241-5700
2Provide the deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and mortgage loan number
3Submit a certified copy of the death certificate
4Request the Successor in Interest documentation package from the mortgage servicing representative
5Complete and return the Successor in Interest documentation with proof of your ownership interest in the property (e.g., probated will, court order, recorded deed, or trust document)
6Santander will review your documentation and confirm your status as a Successor in Interest under CFPB mortgage servicing rules
7Once confirmed, you will have access to loan information and can discuss options: continue making payments, apply for loss mitigation or financial hardship assistance, assume the loan, refinance with another lender, or pay off the balance
8Continue making monthly mortgage payments during the review process to avoid default
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Completed Successor in Interest documentation
- Documentation proving ownership interest in the property (one or more of the following): probated will naming you as heir, court order of succession, recorded deed transferring ownership, trust document showing you as successor trustee or beneficiary
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- Marriage certificate (if surviving spouse)
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Santander Bank cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Confirmed Successors in Interest are treated as borrowers under CFPB mortgage servicing rules and are entitled to account information and loss mitigation options. Santander is no longer originating new mortgages but continues to service existing loans. Customer Service Center: 1-855-241-5699. General customer service: 1-877-768-2265.
Processing timelines at Santander: POD/ITF beneficiaries may receive funds upon presenting death certificate and ID at a branch. Non-POD accounts require probate documentation, which may take several weeks to process.. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Santander requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified death certificate (original required; bank will mail back after processing), Valid government-issued ID for claimant, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if no POD/ITF designation), and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Frequently asked questions
Visit a local Santander branch to add a POD (Payable on Death) beneficiary designation or set up an informal trust account (ITF - In Trust For). Beneficiary changes cannot be made online, by mail, or by phone. You will need to provide the beneficiary's legal name, street address, and date of birth. For trusts as beneficiary, provide the trust name, address, and EIN.
An informal trust account (also called ITF - In Trust For) allows you to deposit funds in trust for one or more beneficiaries. More than one person may act as trustee. Trustees own the funds during their lifetimes and may withdraw or change beneficiaries at any time. Upon death of the last surviving trustee, the bank distributes the balance equally to surviving beneficiaries. These accounts avoid probate and are governed by the Personal Deposit Account Agreement.
After the death of the last surviving trustee, beneficiaries can request distribution at a branch by presenting a certified death certificate and valid ID. If all beneficiaries are present, each receives an equal share. If not all are present, Santander issues a check payable to all beneficiaries as tenants in common. If all beneficiaries predeceased the trustee, the balance goes to the trustee's estate. The bank is not obligated to notify beneficiaries of the trustee's death or the existence of the account.
At minimum, you need a certified death certificate (original required; Santander will mail it back after processing) and a valid government-issued ID. For accounts without a POD designation, you will also need Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court. For joint accounts, a notarized letter requesting removal of the deceased owner's name is required. Santander will then mail a new signature card and account maintenance form to complete the process.
Mail documents to: Santander Bank, N.A., P.O. Box 12646, Reading, PA 19612. Include the original certified death certificate (Santander will mail it back), a notarized letter if applicable, and government-issued ID. You can also visit any local Santander branch in person. For general questions, call 1-877-768-2265 (Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm ET). For Santander Investment Services accounts, contact 1-866-736-6475 separately.
Santander's Death Claims / Estate Processing (Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm ET) can be reached by phone at 1-877-768-2265 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Santander accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Death Claims / Estate Processing (Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm ET) can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Customer Service Center (Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm ET)
Phone1-877-768-2265
Mailing Address
Santander Bank, 75 State Street, Boston, MA 02109
Santander Select Services
Santander Private Client
Private Client Investment Services
Santander Investment Services
Mortgage Servicing
Relay Service (hearing/speech-impaired)
WebsiteLearn more →
Customer Service Center (Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm ET)
Phone1-877-768-2265
Mailing Address
Santander Bank, 75 State Street, Boston, MA 02109
Santander Select Services
Santander Private Client
Private Client Investment Services
Santander Investment Services
Mortgage Servicing
Relay Service (hearing/speech-impaired)
WebsiteLearn more →
Death Claims / Estate Processing (Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm ET)
Phone1-877-768-2265
Toll-Free1-877-768-2265
Mailing Address
Santander Bank, N.A., P.O. Box 12646, Reading, PA 19612
Verified Feb 2026
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