You have questions.
We have answers.

AngelPass has three moving parts. First, we send you a secure, encrypted USB drive. You load it with all the important documents your family will need — your will, insurance policies, bank details, pension information, utility accounts, and so on.

Second, the system that protects the drive is held in two parts by two independent parties: AngelPass holds the password in encrypted cloud storage, and our partner solicitor firm holds your authentication code independently. Neither can release the password alone.

Third, you pass your unique authentication code to whoever you trust to act after your death. When you die, that person contacts us with the code and a death certificate, we verify their identity, the solicitor confirms the code, and after a short waiting period we release the USB password. They unlock the drive and have everything they need.

Once you complete your purchase, we will send you a welcome pack by post within 3–5 working days. This contains your encrypted USB drive, a printed setup guide, your unique password to access the USB drive, a unique authentication code on a keepsake card, and a suggested document checklist to help you get started.

Setting up the drive is straightforward — plug it in, enter the password we provide, and begin copying your documents across. Most people complete their initial setup in an afternoon.

None at all. If you can copy a file from your computer to a USB drive, you can use AngelPass. The drive works like any USB drive — plug it in, enter the password, and drag your files across.

Documents can be stored as PDFs, Word documents, scanned images, photos — whatever format they are in. You do not need to convert anything or use any special software.

The initial setup — plugging in the drive, entering the password, and beginning to load documents — takes about 15 minutes. Gathering and scanning all the documents you want to store typically takes an afternoon, though many people spread it over a few sessions.

There is no deadline. You can add documents to your drive at any time, at your own pace. We recommend starting with the most important items — your will and insurance policies — and building from there.

Yes, at any time. The drive is yours to manage. Simply plug it in, enter the password, and add, remove, or update any files you like. We recommend reviewing the contents once a year — for example, when you renew your subscription — to make sure everything is current.

You do not need to tell us when you make changes. The drive is entirely in your control.

We offer a full 30-day money back guarantee on all plans. If you change your mind within 30 days of purchase — for any reason — contact us and we will refund you in full, no questions asked.

After 30 days, annual subscriptions can be cancelled at any time and will not auto-renew. The lifetime plan is a one-off purchase with no ongoing obligation, though it is also covered by the 30-day guarantee.

We supply a hardware-encrypted USB drive with AES-256 encryption — the same standard used by government departments and the NHS. The Essential plan includes a standard-capacity drive suitable for the vast majority of customers. The Premium and Family plans include a higher-capacity drive.

The drive is plug-and-play on Windows, Mac, and Linux. No additional software is required to read the contents — just the password we hold in escrow.

Contact us and we will send a replacement drive at a reduced cost. Your original password can be transferred to the new drive if you request this — though for security reasons you may prefer to set a new password on the replacement, in which case we will update our escrow records accordingly.

We recommend keeping your drive somewhere sensible — a fireproof safe, a safety deposit box, or alongside other important documents. It does not need to be hidden, as the contents are encrypted and unreadable without the password.

Yes. Without the correct password, the contents of the drive are completely inaccessible — even to someone with specialist forensic equipment. AES-256 encryption is effectively unbreakable with current technology.

The drive can be stored openly without concern. That said, we recommend treating it with the same care as any other important document.

The Essential plan drive holds several gigabytes of data — easily enough for thousands of scanned documents, PDFs, and photos. The Premium and Family drives have a larger capacity for those with more extensive documentation needs.

For context, a typical scanned document page is around 100–300 kilobytes. The Essential drive holds the equivalent of tens of thousands of scanned pages — far more than most families will ever need.

Yes. The drive works on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. It connects via standard USB-A. If your computer only has USB-C ports, you will need a USB-A to USB-C adapter — these are widely available and inexpensive.

The most important documents to store are the ones that your family would struggle to find or access without you. We recommend starting with:

• Your will (or the name and contact details of your solicitor who holds it)
• Life insurance policies — including policy numbers and insurer contact details
• Bank and savings account details — account numbers and sort codes
• Pension information — provider names, policy numbers, and any nominated beneficiary forms
• Mortgage or property documents
• Utility providers — gas, electricity, water, broadband, council tax reference numbers
• Subscription services — especially those with automatic payments
• NHS number and key medical information
• National Insurance number
• Passport copies and driving licence

Beyond the essentials, you might also consider investment accounts, share certificates, vehicle documents, property deeds, business interests, digital account passwords, and any personal letter or message you'd like your family to have.

Both. You can store any file type — scanned PDFs, photos, Word documents, spreadsheets, text files, anything. If a document exists digitally already (an email confirmation of an insurance policy, for example), you can save it directly. Physical documents should ideally be scanned, but a clear photograph is perfectly acceptable for most purposes.

Yes — this is one of the most useful things you can store. A simple document listing your online account usernames and passwords (email, online banking, social media, subscription services) is enormously helpful for your family and almost impossible to obtain any other way after death.

Because the drive is protected by strong encryption, storing passwords on it is safe. We recommend using a simple formatted document or spreadsheet — no specialist password manager software required.

Absolutely — and many of our customers consider this the most valuable thing on the drive. A personal letter explaining your wishes, expressing your feelings, or simply saying the things you might not have said is something your family will treasure. There are no rules about format or length. Some people write a single letter; others write individual notes to different family members.

Never. Your documents live on your physical USB drive, which stays in your home. We do not receive a copy of your files, we have no server containing your documents, and we cannot access them under any circumstances. In the event of a data breach of our systems, your documents are completely untouched — because they were never with us.

The only thing we hold is the password that protects your USB drive — and even that is split between two independent custodians.

Two separate elements are required to release your USB password — and they are held by two completely independent parties.

• AngelPass holds your USB password in encrypted cloud storage via AWS Secrets Manager — the same infrastructure used by HMRC, NHS Digital, and major UK financial institutions. Every access attempt is logged and audited.
• Our partner solicitor firm — an SRA-regulated practice with professional indemnity insurance — holds your authentication code independently, in their own secure vault. AngelPass cannot access it.

Both are required to release your password. The solicitor provides the authentication code; AngelPass provides the password. Neither can act alone. This means a breach of AngelPass's systems cannot unlock your drive, because the authentication code sits entirely outside our control.

Yes. We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection authority. We operate under full GDPR compliance, including a formal Data Protection Impact Assessment, lawful bases for all data processing, and clear data retention policies.

Under GDPR, you have the right to request a copy of all personal data we hold about you (a Subject Access Request), the right to correct inaccurate data, and the right to request deletion in certain circumstances. To exercise any of these rights, contact us.

We hold Cyber Essentials certification — a UK government-backed scheme that independently verifies our security controls. This is externally assessed, not self-certified. We are also ICO registered and operate with a formally SRA-regulated solicitor partner in our custody chain.

Our USB drives use AES-256 hardware encryption, and our cloud infrastructure uses AWS KMS (Key Management Service) with TLS 1.3 for all data in transit.

Trusted individuals at AngelPass can access your password. But the stored encrypted password in AWS Secrets Manager requires multi-factor authentication and is access-logged at all times — every access attempt creates an auditable trail. 

Reconstructing your password and authentication code would require a rogue employee to simultaneously compromise both our AWS system and our solicitor firm — which is, by design, practically impossible for a single person to achieve.

To date, we have had no reportable data breaches. Under GDPR, we are required to notify the ICO within 72 hours of becoming aware of any personal data breach likely to result in risk to individuals, and to notify affected customers without undue delay. We will always be transparent about any security incident. You can find our current security status on our Security page.

Your nominated person is whoever you trust most to act on your behalf after your death. This is usually a spouse or partner, an adult child, a close friend, or your solicitor. It does not have to be the same person as your executor, though it often makes sense for it to be.

The most important qualities are trustworthiness and the likelihood that they will be alive and reachable when the time comes. For that reason, we recommend choosing someone younger than you where possible, and registering a backup nominee on Premium or Family plans.

No. They simply need to keep the authentication code safe and know what AngelPass is. We recommend telling them where the USB drive is kept as well, so they can collect it when needed.

We suggest giving them a brief written note explaining: what AngelPass is, where the authentication code is, where the USB drive is, and the AngelPass website address and claims contact. Many people keep this with their will.

Yes, at any time. Contact us with your updated nominee details and we will update your account. We recommend also issuing a new authentication code when you change your nominated person, so the old one cannot be used — we will arrange this for you at no charge.

On the Essential plan, one nominated person may be formally registered with us. You may give the authentication code to additional people if you choose, but only the registered nominee has the formal standing to initiate a death claim without further verification.

On Premium and Family plans, you can formally register up to three nominated persons. This provides useful redundancy — if one nominee predeceases you or is unavailable, another can make the claim.

Contact us to update your nominated person. If you discover your nominee has died and you have not yet had the chance to update your account, the executor of your estate can make a claim using a Grant of Probate in place of the authentication code — though this is a slower, higher-verification process.

This is one of the reasons we recommend Premium or Family plans for those who want additional resilience — having two or three registered nominees significantly reduces this risk.

They should contact AngelPass — by phone, email, or through the online claims form — and quote the authentication code you gave them. We will then guide them through the process step by step.

They will need to provide a certified copy of the death certificate, photo ID, and proof of their address. We process everything digitally through our verification partner (Thirdfort), though original documents can also be submitted by post if preferred.

On the Essential plan, the process takes 10–14 working days from the point all required documents have been received and verified. On Premium and Family plans, this is reduced to a guaranteed 5 working days.

The waiting period exists for important reasons: it allows time to complete checks, identify any inconsistencies, and give time for a dispute to be raised before the password is released. It is not bureaucracy — it is a deliberate safeguard for your family.

This is one of the most common anxieties people have. The authentication code is important, but it is not the only path forward.

Without the code, a claim can still be made — but it requires a higher level of verification. We will ask for a Grant of Probate (confirming they are the legal executor or administrator of the estate) plus full identity verification. This process takes longer but ensures your family is never permanently locked out.

If the account holder is still alive and has lost their authentication code, a replacement can be issued. Contact AngelPass, pass our identity verification process, and we will co-ordinate with our partner solicitor firm to issue a new code by post. An administration charge applies. The original code is immediately superseded and will no longer be accepted.

The USB password is released via encrypted secure message — never by unencrypted email, never by phone alone. We use a time-limited secure link that can only be opened once, sent to the verified email address of the nominated person.

On Premium and Family plans, the release is also countersigned by our partner solicitor firm before it is sent, adding a second layer of authorisation.

If two people both claim the right to receive the password — for example, if a will is contested or family members disagree — we immediately suspend the claim and notify all parties. We will not release the password until the dispute is resolved, either by a Grant of Probate confirming the rightful executor, or a court order.

This protects all parties and ensures AngelPass cannot be drawn into a family dispute. Our role is to release the password to the correct person, not to adjudicate on estate matters.

The drive is encrypted and cannot be accessed without the password — that is by design. However, there is nothing preventing you from leaving a separate note alongside the drive explaining what it contains, your solicitor's contact details, and other immediately useful information that does not need to be on the drive itself.

For very urgent needs — such as accessing funeral wishes — we do have an expedited process for Premium and Family customers. Contact our claims team and explain the circumstances.

The annual subscription covers the ongoing escrow service — securely storing and maintaining your password in an encrypted vault, keeping your authenication code at a second location, keeping our systems operational, processing death claims, and ensuring your nominated person can always reach us. The one-off setup fee covers the physical USB drive and delivery. Without the subscription, the escrow service is not maintained.

Many of our customers — particularly those over 60 — strongly prefer paying once rather than managing an ongoing subscription. The lifetime plan reflects this: a single payment that covers the escrow service indefinitely, with no renewals to remember and no risk of lapsing.

The lifetime price is set at roughly ten years' worth of annual subscription — a reasonable break-even for most customers, and exceptional value for anyone who expects to hold the service for longer.

We send multiple reminders before renewal — at 30 days, and 7 days before expiry. If a subscription lapses, we apply a 12-month grace period before taking any irreversible action. During this period, your password remains in escrow and a death claim can still be processed.

We take this approach because a lapsed subscription does not necessarily mean the customer is still alive — and we will never destroy a password without being certain it is appropriate to do so.

Yes, at any time. Contact us to upgrade. You will pay the difference in annual subscription from your next renewal, and we will send a replacement USB drive at a reduced hardware upgrade cost. Your password and account details transfer automatically — there is nothing technical for you to do.

We accept all major UK debit and credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) processed securely through Stripe. We also accept direct debit for annual subscriptions via GoCardless. We do not currently accept cheques or bank transfers for initial orders, though we can arrange these for corporate or partnership accounts — contact us to discuss.

We have planned carefully for this scenario. Our partner solicitor firm holds the authentication code of every customer under a formal business continuity agreement. Should AngelPass at any point seize trading they will gain access to the encrypted vault which hold all corresponding passwords. If AngelPass ceases trading, they retain their code and can continue to process any outstanding death claims.

In a wind-down, we would write to all living customers with their full password directly (since the escrow purpose has ended) and work through all pending claims before closing. We maintain a six-month subscription reserve specifically to fund this process.

This is one of the reasons our solicitor partnership is so central to our model — it is not just a trust signal, it is a genuine backstop for our customers.

A successful attack on our systems would yield, at most, one encrypted password per customer. Without the authentication code held by our solicitor partner — which they would not have access to — the stolen data is useless.

This split-custody model exists precisely to make a hack of AngelPass alone meaningless to an attacker.

If your drive is lost, contact us for a replacement. We will transfer your escrow password to the new drive. If your subscription has lapsed, you can reinstate it at any time during the 12-month grace period and your account will resume normally. If the grace period has expired, contact us — we review all individual cases and take a compassionate approach.

No — the death claim process specifically requires a death certificate. We do not release passwords for reasons of incapacity, illness, or loss of mental capacity.

If you are planning ahead for potential incapacity, we strongly recommend also having a Lasting Power of Attorney in place, which would give your chosen person the legal authority to access your financial affairs while you are still alive. A solicitor can advise on this — and it works very well alongside AngelPass for comprehensive planning.

You can close your account at any time. Contact us and we will confirm your identity, cancel your subscription, destroy both halves of your escrow password, and confirm in writing that all your personal data has been deleted in accordance with our retention policy. This process takes up to 30 days.

We will also send you the USB drive password directly before destroying it, so you can either use the drive as a normal (unencrypted) USB or reset it yourself.

We offer two models for solicitor firms. A referral arrangement — where you recommend AngelPass to clients and receive a referral fee per customer — and a white-label arrangement, where AngelPass can be presented under your firm's branding as part of your estate planning service.

We are particularly interested in co-custody partnerships — where your firm also acts as the solicitor custodian for your referred clients' authentication code. This creates a very strong trust proposition for your clients and deepens your relationship with them.

Get in touch and we will arrange a conversation at a time that suits you.

AngelPass is not a financial product and does not fall under FCA regulation. Recommending it to clients is therefore not a regulated activity in the same way that recommending an investment or insurance product would be. However, we recommend taking your own compliance advice before establishing any formal referral arrangement, as the specific structure of any fee or commission arrangement may have regulatory implications.

We are happy to provide you with product information to support your compliance review. Contact us to request our professional information pack.

Yes. For organisations that want to offer AngelPass to multiple employees or clients at scale, we offer wholesale pricing, bespoke billing arrangements, and a dedicated account manager. This is particularly relevant for employee benefits packages, corporate will-writing schemes, and large funeral planning companies.

Contact our partnerships team to discuss your requirements.

Yes — this is one of our most natural partnership models. A will-writing firm that also provides clients with an AngelPass is offering a genuinely complete estate planning solution. The will tells people what you own. AngelPass tells them where to find it.

We can arrange either a referral model (client purchases directly and you receive a fee) or a bundled model (you include AngelPass in your package at an agreed wholesale rate). Contact us to discuss which model works best for your practice.