When a Cash App customer dies, the family claims the account and any bitcoin in it through Cash App's Deceased Customer and Estate Services, which starts with a call to Cash App Support. Expect to send the death certificate, your own U.S. ID with a selfie, and a small estate affidavit or letters appointing an executor. Nobody should sign in as the owner.
This guide follows Cash App's own help pages as of October 2026. For PayPal and Venmo, see crypto in payment apps after a death. For bitcoin held outside Cash App, see what happens to your bitcoin when you die.
What a Cash App account can hold
One app can hide several products with different owners and routes. Work out which ones existed before you call.
| What you found | What it is | Route after a death |
|---|---|---|
| A cash balance and a Cash App Card | The general Cash App account | Estate Services, with the documents below |
| Bitcoin bought in Cash App | Bitcoin held in the Cash App account; Cash App says bitcoin trading is offered by Block, Inc. | Estate Services, as part of the same account |
| Stocks in Cash App | A Cash App Investing account, a broker-dealer (Cash App Investing LLC) | A named investing beneficiary, if there is one; otherwise the estate |
| A Bitkey app and hardware device | Bitkey, a self-custody bitcoin wallet built by Block | Bitkey's own inheritance feature or recovery tools; Cash App can't release it |
| A 12- or 24-word list | Probably a separate self-custody wallet | The hardware wallet guide |
Clues: the Cash App icon on the person's phone, emails from Cash App, monthly statements, tax forms, bank transfers to or from Cash App, and the person's $Cashtag. Bitcoin kept in the Cash App balance has no seed phrase, so don't search for one.
Step 1: Gather what Cash App asks for
Cash App's Estate Services page says each state has different rules for how a decedent's funds are paid out and which documents are required. It lists examples of what you may be asked for:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Death certificate | Cash App uses it to verify identity, date of death and legal residence |
| About the deceased | Full legal name, and any $Cashtag, phone numbers and email addresses linked to the account |
| About you | Your information and your relationship to the deceased |
| Your ID | Front and back photos of a U.S.-issued driver's license, state ID, passport card or passport |
| A selfie | You holding that same ID |
| Proof of authority | A small estate affidavit or an equivalent document |
Cash App also says additional documents may be needed to show who has authority to receive account information or assets.
Step 2: Get the authority document
Cash App's FAQ explains that a small estate affidavit lets someone collect a decedent's assets, such as a Cash App account, without formal probate in states that offer one. Not every state does, and the value limit differs. Where it isn't available, or the estate is too large, Cash App suggests a letter from a probate court appointing you executor or administrator.
To get either one, Cash App points families to the probate office of the local county court, a personal lawyer, or a legal services clinic. Ask the court which document applies before you call Cash App, so the claim doesn't stall halfway.
Step 3: Call Cash App Support from the official app or site
Cash App's page says to call Support for help with the estate process. Find the number inside the Cash App app or on cash.app itself. Don't use a number from a search ad, a social media reply or a forum post. "Cash App support number" is one of the most impersonated searches online; our guide to real wallet and app support channels explains why.
Keep the deceased person's phone number and email active while the claim runs. They may be the only link between the account and its owner.
Step 4: Ask how the bitcoin will be paid out
Cash App's Estate Services page doesn't say whether bitcoin is sent as bitcoin or sold and paid as cash. Ask before you send documents, and keep the answer in writing:
- Will the bitcoin be transferred to an heir's Cash App account or wallet, or sold?
- If sold, on which date and at what price?
- Can Cash App give a statement of the bitcoin's value on the date of death?
- Where will funds go: an estate bank account, a check, or an heir's account?
The value on the date of death matters for tax. U.S. heirs generally take that value as their cost basis; see how inherited crypto is taxed. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.
How to close a deceased person's Cash App account
Don't delete the app or close the account from the owner's phone. Closing it before the estate is settled can strand the balance and the bitcoin. Closure is part of the same Estate Services case:
- Call Cash App Support from the number in the app or on cash.app and say the account holder has died.
- Send the documents Support asks for (death certificate, your ID and selfie, and the small estate affidavit or letters).
- Agree how the cash balance and bitcoin will be paid out, as in Step 4.
- Ask Support to close the account once everything has been paid out, and keep their confirmation.
Cancel any linked bills or direct deposits through the payers themselves, and keep the owner's phone number active until Cash App confirms the account is closed.
Cash App Investing beneficiaries don't cover bitcoin
Cash App lets customers name one or more beneficiaries on a Cash App Investing account, who take ownership of the stocks there when the owner dies. Cash App's help page is explicit that such a beneficiary is "ONLY considered the beneficiary to your Cash App Investing account," not the general Cash App account. Bitcoin in the Cash App balance therefore goes through Estate Services and the estate, even if the investing account has a named beneficiary.
Bitkey is a different story
Bitkey is a self-custody bitcoin wallet made by Block, the company behind Cash App, with a phone app, a hardware device and recovery tools. Cash App can send bitcoin to it, but Cash App doesn't hold it, so Estate Services can't release it.
Bitkey has its own inheritance feature. When it launched in November 2024, Bitkey said the owner names a beneficiary in the app, the beneficiary needs their own Bitkey wallet and hardware, and a claim has a six-month waiting period during which the owner is notified and can cancel. If the owner never set this up, the family needs the owner's Bitkey recovery tools. Check Bitkey's current help pages before acting.
Don't sign in, and don't pay "recovery agents"
Using the owner's phone, PIN or sign-in code to send money or sell bitcoin isn't a claim. It can breach Cash App's terms, freeze the account and cause problems for the estate.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center has warned about companies that falsely claim they can recover crypto for a fee. A real Cash App agent won't need the owner's PIN, a sign-in code, remote access to your computer, or a payment to release an estate. See the recovery-scam checklist.
If you use Cash App: make it easier for your family
- Name beneficiaries on your Cash App Investing account through Cash App Support, and remember they don't receive your bitcoin.
- Write down your $Cashtag and the phone number and email tied to the account in a letter of instruction, without your PIN.
- Keep your legal name in Cash App identical to your ID and estate documents.
- If you moved bitcoin to Bitkey or another wallet, set up its inheritance or recovery plan and say where the instructions are.
PingVaults can deliver that letter of instruction to a trusted contact after a period of inactivity, as part of a digital inheritance vault. It doesn't replace Cash App's estate process or prove anyone's authority. For the wider plan, see crypto estate planning.
For other platforms, see Robinhood's Estates form, the Binance Inheritance Appeal, or how to claim a deceased person's exchange account.
Common questions
What happens to bitcoin in Cash App when someone dies?
It stays in the Cash App account until the estate claims it. The family calls Cash App Support and goes through Deceased Customer and Estate Services with a death certificate, ID and a small estate affidavit or letters appointing an executor. Ask whether the bitcoin will be transferred or sold.
Is there a seed phrase for Cash App bitcoin?
Not for bitcoin kept in the Cash App balance. A seed phrase exists only if the person moved bitcoin out to a self-custody wallet such as Bitkey.
Does a Cash App Investing beneficiary get the bitcoin?
No. Cash App says an investing beneficiary is only the beneficiary of the Cash App Investing account, not the general Cash App account where bitcoin is held.
Do I need probate to claim a Cash App account?
Not always. In states that offer a small estate affidavit, Cash App accepts it in place of formal probate. Otherwise you may need letters from a probate court appointing you executor or administrator.
How do I contact Cash App about a deceased account?
Call Cash App Support using the number shown in the Cash App app or on cash.app. Don't use numbers from search ads or social media.
How do I close a deceased person's Cash App account?
Through Cash App's Estate Services, not from the owner's phone. Call Support, send the documents, agree how the balance and bitcoin will be paid out, then ask Support to close the account and keep the confirmation.
Can we keep using the account to pay bills?
Don't. Using a deceased person's Cash App account can breach its terms and complicate the estate. Let the estate's representative handle bills through the estate.