What to do when a Synchrony account holder dies
Contact Synchrony — 5-step process, 5 required documents, and varies; online notification provides tracking id for credit card accounts
Synchrony Bank, P.O. Box 669802, Dallas, TX 75266-0955
Synchrony Bank, P.O. Box 669802, Dallas, TX 75266-0955
Deceased Notification / Estate Services
Synchrony Bank, Specialty Services, PO Box 669802, Dallas, TX 75266-0955 (Overnight: 3000 Kellway Drive, Suite 120, Carrollton, TX 75006)
After an account holder at Synchrony dies, accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer to the designated recipients without probate. Solely-owned accounts require the estate's representative to contact Synchrony's Deceased Notification / Estate Services at 1-866-226-5638 with the proper legal authority documents.
Synchrony provides an online portal for initiating death claims, which can simplify the initial notification and document submission process. Claims can also be started by phone or by mailing the required documents.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Synchrony requires:
Filing a claim
- For banking accounts: call 1-866-226-5638 and provide the deceased's name, Social Security number, and account numbers
- For credit card accounts: submit the online deceased notification form at synchrony.com/s/deceasednotification or call 1-844-365-1994
- Provide cardholder name, address, last 4 of SSN, last 4 of account number, and next of kin/representative contact information
- Upload or mail supporting documents (online form accepts PNG, JPG, or PDF; max 10 MB)
- Receive a submission ID for tracking
- For POD accounts with beneficiaries: Beneficiary Distribution Instruction Form (wres023809.pdf)
- For trust accounts: Trust Distribution Instruction Form (wres023812.pdf)
- For estate distribution (no beneficiary): Estate Distribution Instruction Form (wres023810.pdf)
- For non-personal beneficiary entities: Non-Personal Beneficiary Distribution Instruction Form (npben-dist-form.pdf)
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Applicable distribution instruction form (beneficiary, trust, estate, or non-personal beneficiary), notarized
- Government-issued ID for beneficiary, trustee, or executor
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if no beneficiary designated)
- For New Jersey residents: Form L-8 or tax waiver
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Banking account death notifications use the general customer service line (1-866-226-5638). Credit card/retail card account notifications use the estate services line (1-844-365-1994, weekdays 8am-8pm ET, Saturdays 8am-5pm ET) or the online form. The same estate line and online form cover every Synchrony card, including retail store cards, network cards, the Synchrony Mastercard, and CareCredit — there is no separate deceased process for CareCredit (medical) vs. retail store cards. Card side: a Synchrony card balance is an unsecured debt that survives the cardholder and is repaid from the estate, not by heirs personally; an authorized user is not liable for the balance, while a joint account holder or co-signer is. No death-benefit or beneficiary designation exists on a credit card, so no distribution form applies to card debt — the death certificate is the core document, and the estate representative reports the death to stop further charges and requests a final balance. Per the Deposit Account Agreement (Death, Incompetence or Termination clause, effective 07/01/2025): you agree to notify the Bank immediately when any owner dies; upon notice the Bank may place a hold and refuse deposits or withdrawals, retain funds until it knows the identity of the successor, and require proof of death. Until it receives notice and any required proof, the Bank may act as if all owners are alive and continue accepting and processing deposits until it has notice and a reasonable opportunity to act. Distribution forms must be notarized, and both pages of the form must be returned or processing is delayed. The Estate Distribution form requires the executor to certify (with a New Jersey five-year domicile question) that all debts, taxes, and claims against the estate have been paid or provided for, and to agree to refund any amounts erroneously distributed. Beneficiary Distribution Form: synchrony.com/document/wres023809.pdf. Estate Distribution Form: synchrony.com/document/wres023810.pdf. Joint Distribution Form: synchrony.com/document/wres023811.pdf. Trust Distribution Form: synchrony.com/document/wres023812.pdf. Non-Personal Beneficiary Distribution Form: synchrony.com/document/npben-dist-form.pdf. IRA beneficiaries may establish beneficiary IRA accounts and conduct direct rollovers; contact an IRA Specialist at 1-866-226-5638. IRA Beneficiary Distribution for Traditional IRAs: synchrony.com/document/TRADIRABENEREQDIST.pdf. IRA Beneficiary Distribution for Roth IRAs: synchrony.com/document/ROTHIRABENEREQDIST.pdf.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Synchrony
Synchrony asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist Synchrony requires.
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 Synchrony →Processing timelines at Synchrony: Varies; online notification provides tracking ID for credit card accounts. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Documentation required by Synchrony includes Certified death certificate, Applicable distribution instruction form (beneficiary, trust, estate, or non-personal beneficiary), notarized, and Government-issued ID for beneficiary, trustee, or executor, along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Submit the online Deceased Notification form at synchrony.com/s/deceasednotification or call Synchrony estate services at 1-844-365-1994 (weekdays 8am-8pm ET, Saturdays 8am-5pm ET). The form asks for the cardholder name and address, the last four digits of the account number and SSN, and the next of kin/representative and (if any) executor and attorney contact information, and it accepts uploaded PNG, JPG, or PDF documents up to 10 MB total. You receive a submission ID for tracking. The same form and estate line cover every Synchrony card — retail store cards, network cards, the Synchrony Mastercard, and CareCredit.
A Synchrony card balance is an unsecured debt of the estate. Per Synchrony, debts such as credit card balances must be repaid, but they are paid from the deceased person's estate by the executor or administrator rather than by heirs personally. An authorized user is not personally liable for the balance. A joint account holder or co-signer is responsible for the balance, and in community property states a surviving spouse may be liable under state law. A credit card has no beneficiary or payable-on-death designation.
No. CareCredit is issued by Synchrony Bank, and reporting a death uses the same online Deceased Notification form and the same estate services line, 1-844-365-1994, that Synchrony's retail store cards use. The balance is settled by the estate the same way. Only routine, non-death CareCredit servicing differs: general cardholder support is 1-866-893-7864 and CareCredit payments mail to Synchrony Bank, PO Box 71715, Philadelphia, PA 19176-1715.
Synchrony's Deceased Notification / Estate Services can be reached by phone at 1-866-226-5638 and fax at 1-844-713-2595 for questions throughout the claims process.
Multiple Synchrony accounts may mean multiple claims. Some account types can be processed together, but others require their own documentation. Check with the Deceased Notification / Estate Services to confirm what applies.
Sources
Data sourced from Synchrony primary sources (21 pages reviewed). How we research.
Synchrony Bank, P.O. Box 669802, Dallas, TX 75266-0955
Synchrony Bank, P.O. Box 669802, Dallas, TX 75266-0955
Deceased Notification / Estate Services
Synchrony Bank, Specialty Services, PO Box 669802, Dallas, TX 75266-0955 (Overnight: 3000 Kellway Drive, Suite 120, Carrollton, TX 75006)
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