A funeral usually has to be arranged within days, and the money you may be able to draw on, such as the person’s bank account, their super or government payments, can take time to reach you. This guide sets out the realistic ways to pay for a funeral in Australia, what each one requires, and where funeral finance such as eziFuneralPay fits.
Last reviewed 3 November 2026. General information only, not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules and eligibility change, so confirm details with the bank, agency or provider involved.
Need a funeral quote or payment option now? Compare itemised quotes from independent funeral directors through eziFunerals, free for families and with no obligation, or call 1300 236 402, 24/7.
The Short Answer
Most families pay for a funeral from a mix of sources. These are the main options:
- Cost: MoneySmart, ASIC’s consumer money website, says funerals can cost from $4,000 for a basic cremation to around $15,000 for a more elaborate burial.
- The person’s bank account: many banks will release money against the funeral invoice before the estate is finalised. CommBank, for example, does this for immediate funeral expenses.
- Super: the person’s super may help but can take time to arrive. Your own super can be released early only on compassionate grounds for a dependant’s funeral, as a last resort, and the ATO decides.
- Government payments: Services Australia bereavement payments depend on which payments you and the person who died were receiving.
- Payment plans and buy now pay later: these spread the cost over time. Buy now pay later has been regulated as credit since 10 June 2025.
- Planning ahead: prepaid plans, funeral bonds and funeral insurance are for paying in advance, not for a funeral that is already due.
What Does a Funeral Cost in Australia?
MoneySmart says funerals can cost from $4,000 for a basic cremation to around $15,000 for a more elaborate burial. A typical funeral includes funeral director fees, transport, the coffin, death certificates, permits, burial or cremation, a cemetery plot, and extras such as a celebrant, flowers, newspaper notices and the wake.
Prices vary by provider and location, so ask for an itemised quote and compare. The compare funeral costs tool and funeral cost calculator show indicative ranges, and our cremation cost guide breaks down the lower-cost options.
Check for a Prepaid Plan, Bond or Insurance First
Before you pay, check whether the person already had a prepaid funeral plan, funeral bond or funeral insurance. If one exists, it may cover some or all of the funeral and could save you paying twice. Look through paperwork and bank statements for payments to funeral directors, friendly societies or insurers. If you can’t find anything, a lost funeral plan search contacts the plan, bond and insurance providers on your behalf, and our guide to finding a lost funeral plan explains the steps.
Ways to Pay for a Funeral at a Glance
| Option | Works best when | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Bank account of the person who died | There is money in their accounts | Banks set their own rules. Have the funeral director’s tax invoice, or a tax receipt if you have paid. Some banks pay only the funeral invoice, not extras such as a wake or headstone. |
| Super of the person who died | They had super | MoneySmart says it can take time to receive. You may need to pay upfront and claim it back once the will is finalised. |
| Your own super (early release) | You must pay for a dependant’s funeral and have no other way to pay | The ATO treats it as a last resort. The expense must be unpaid, or paid with borrowed money not yet repaid. Taxed as a normal super lump sum. |
| Services Australia bereavement payments | You were the person’s partner or carer | Eligibility depends on the payments you and the person who died were receiving. Check with Services Australia. |
| State or territory funeral assistance | You are on a low income or receive benefits | Programs vary by state and territory, as do eligibility rules. |
| Funeral director payment plan | You want to spread the cost with the provider | Ask for terms in writing: deposit, instalments, interest, fees, and what happens if you miss a payment. |
| Funeral finance or buy now pay later (a funeral director may offer it; eziFuneralPay explains the options) | You need funds now and other money will arrive later or is not available | Fees, interest and repayments are set by whoever provides the credit. Check the total cost and that the provider is licensed. |
Using the Bank Account of the Person Who Died
Many banks will release money from the account of a person who has died to pay a funeral invoice, even though the account is otherwise stopped.
CommBank says it can release funds to pay or reimburse immediate funeral expenses when the request comes from the person who paid for the funeral or whose name is on the invoice. You need to be identified and provide a tax invoice if you have not paid yet, or a tax receipt if you have. Other banks set their own rules. Some limit releases to the funeral invoice itself and will not pay for extras such as a wake, headstone or travel. Some make a part-payment if the balance is short.
Ask the funeral director for a tax invoice, contact the bank’s deceased estates team, and ask what other documents they need, such as a death certificate.
Super: Two Different Routes
The super of the person who died
MoneySmart says a family may be able to use the person’s super to pay for the funeral, but the money can take time to arrive. Families may have to pay upfront and claim it back once the will is finalised. Contact the person’s super fund to ask how a death benefit is paid and how long it takes.
Your own super (early release on compassionate grounds)
The ATO allows early release of your own super on compassionate grounds to pay for the death, funeral or burial expenses of a dependant. You must meet all of its conditions. The ones that matter most for a funeral are:
- The expense has not been paid, or it was paid with borrowed money that has not been fully repaid. If you borrowed, you can only apply for the part of the borrowed amount you cannot repay without accessing your super, and you need extra documents.
- You cannot pay some or all of the expense without accessing your super. The ATO calls early access a last resort and may ask what other options you explored.
- You meet the ATO’s residency requirements. Current temporary residents are not eligible.
- You have the evidence the ATO requires, including proof of the expense and of the dependent relationship.
Super released this way is paid and taxed as a normal super lump sum, and you include any taxable amount in your tax return. You apply through ATO online services or on a paper form. It is worth asking your super fund about fees and tax before you apply.
Government Bereavement Payments and State Help
Services Australia can provide bereavement help to some surviving partners and carers. What you may receive depends on which payments you and the person who died were getting. For example, someone who receives Carer Payment for a person who dies may keep getting it for up to 14 weeks. If the person who died was single, Services Australia pays their final payment up to the day before they died, the executor can access it from their bank account, and there is no extra lump sum.
If the person received a Department of Veterans’ Affairs pension, MoneySmart says the family may be eligible for bereavement assistance through DVA.
Some states and territories also run funeral assistance for people on low incomes. MoneySmart lists Funeral AssistanceSA in South Australia and the bereavement assistance program run by the WA Department of Communities as examples. Programs and eligibility vary, so check with your state or territory government. See the eziFunerals funeral assistance guide.
Payment Plans and Buy Now Pay Later
Some funeral directors offer payment plans, such as a deposit followed by instalments. Terms vary widely, so ask for them in writing before you agree: the deposit, the instalment amounts, any interest or fees, and what happens if you miss a payment. Do not feel pressured to upgrade the service to fit a plan. See our guide to funeral payment plans.
Buy now pay later (BNPL) lets you go ahead with a service now and repay over time. Since 10 June 2025, BNPL contracts have been covered by the National Credit Act, and ASIC says anyone engaging in credit activities involving BNPL contracts must hold an Australian credit licence.
eziFuneralPay is an information and referral service run by eziFunerals. It explains how funeral finance works and connects you with an independent funeral director to discuss payment options. eziFuneralPay is not a lender, credit provider or financial institution, and nothing on it is an offer to lend. You can find a funeral director that offers buy now pay later or read how funeral payment plans and finance work.
Before you agree to finance, check:
- The total you will repay, including fees and interest, not just the instalment.
- The repayment schedule and what happens if you miss a payment.
- Whether you can repay early and whether early repayment fees apply. This matters if money from the estate, super or insurance is likely to arrive later.
- That the provider holds an Australian credit licence. ASIC’s professional registers show who is licensed.
Planning Ahead: Prepaid Plans, Funeral Bonds and Funeral Insurance
These options are for paying in advance. They do not help if a funeral is already due. MoneySmart summarises them this way:
- Prepaid funeral plans let you choose and pay for a funeral in advance through a funeral director, with the cost fixed at today’s prices. You can pay in full or pay a deposit and the rest in regular payments. In a number of states, funeral directors must put prepaid money into a registered funeral fund. MoneySmart notes fewer protections in the ACT and NT.
- Funeral bonds are savings that earn interest and can only be used for the funeral. You cannot withdraw the money earlier. Funeral bonds and prepaid plans are not part of the Age Pension assets test.
- Funeral insurance can cost more than the benefit your family receives, and if you stop paying premiums you lose the cover and what you have already paid. MoneySmart suggests considering other options first.
Learn more in our guide to prepaid funeral plans and funeral bonds, or see eziFunerals’ pages on prepaid funeral plans and funeral insurance explained.
Ways to Bring the Cost Down First
Whatever way you pay, lowering the bill lowers how much you need to find. Ask each funeral director for an itemised quote, compare a few, and ask what their lowest-cost option is. MoneySmart puts a basic cremation at the low end of the price range. You can request quotes through eziFunerals or read about direct cremation.
What to Have Ready
- The funeral director’s quote or tax invoice.
- The death certificate.
- Your photo ID.
- Details of the will and the executor, if known.
- Details of the person’s bank accounts, super fund and any insurer.
If someone has just died, our step-by-step checklist for what to do when someone dies covers the first days, including who to notify and what paperwork to gather.
Frequently Asked Questions
MoneySmart says funerals can cost from $4,000 for a basic cremation to around $15,000 for a more elaborate burial. Actual prices vary by provider and location, so ask for an itemised quote.
Often, yes. Many banks will pay a funeral invoice from the account of a person who has died, even before the estate is finalised. You will usually need to be identified and provide a tax invoice or tax receipt. Each bank sets its own rules, and some will only pay the funeral invoice itself.
There are two routes. The super of the person who died may help pay for the funeral, but it can take time to arrive. You can also apply to the ATO for early release of your own super on compassionate grounds to pay for a dependant’s funeral, if you meet all the conditions, including that you cannot pay without accessing your super.
Services Australia provides bereavement payments in some circumstances, for example to some surviving partners and carers. What you may receive depends on the payments you and the person who died were getting, so check with Services Australia.
Funeral directors set their own payment terms. Some offer payment plans or accept payment through finance. Ask about the terms before you agree, and get them in writing.
Yes. Since 10 June 2025, buy now pay later contracts have been covered by the National Credit Act, and providers must hold an Australian credit licence, according to ASIC.
eziFuneralPay is an information and referral service run by eziFunerals. It explains funeral finance and connects you with an independent funeral director to discuss payment options. It is not a lender or credit provider.
Families use payment plans, personal loans or buy now pay later to spread the cost. Compare the total you will repay, including fees and interest, and check whether money from the estate, a bank release or super could cover the invoice instead.
A bank may make a part-payment from the money available. You can then look at other sources, such as a payment plan, state funeral assistance or finance, and check whether the person had a prepaid plan, bond or insurance.
Some states and territories offer funeral assistance for people on low incomes or benefits, such as Funeral AssistanceSA in South Australia and the bereavement assistance program run by the WA Department of Communities. Availability and eligibility vary by state. Services Australia may also provide bereavement payments in some circumstances.
How My Funeral Care and eziFunerals Can Help
You do not have to work through this alone. My Funeral Care gives guidance from the moment a death occurs, and eziFunerals helps you compare your options:
- Compare itemised funeral quotes from independent funeral directors, free for families and with no obligation.
- Find a funeral director that offers buy now pay later.
- Learn how funeral payment plans and finance work before you agree to one.
- Start a lost funeral plan search if you think a plan, bond or insurance policy may already exist.
Call 1300 236 402, 24/7, or compare funeral costs and directors through eziFunerals to see your options first.
Sources
- MoneySmart: Paying for your funeral
- MoneySmart: Paying for funerals (state and community assistance)
- ATO: When you can access your super early
- ATO: Eligibility conditions for compassionate release of super
- ASIC: Buy now pay later credit contracts and credit licensing
- Services Australia: What help there is when an adult dies
- CommBank: Deceased estate
Information on this page was last checked on 3 November 2026.