Frequently asked questions

Straight answers, including to the uncomfortable ones. Anything missing, ask us at support@inheritvault.com.

What is Inherit Vault?

Inherit Vault is a digital inheritance vault. It is a locked place to keep the map of your estate. It says which banks, pensions and policies you hold, where your will is, and what your family should know. When you pass away it goes to the executor you chose, once we have checked. It sits alongside a will. It does not replace one.

What is a digital inheritance vault?

A digital inheritance vault is a locked online record of what you own and where it is. It lists your bank accounts, pensions, policies, property and online accounts. It says where your will is kept and who to contact. While you are alive, only you can read it. When you pass away it goes to the executor you named, once the death has been checked. A password manager keeps you logged in day to day. This is built for what comes after. We check in with you while you are here, we ask your executor for a death certificate, and you keep a printed Recovery Certificate with your will.

How much does it cost?

Lifetime access is £99 for a limited time. One payment. No subscription. Executors and family members never pay anything.

Can I use my vault on my phone and my laptop?

Yes. Sign in on your phone, tablet or computer, in the app or on the website. Your vault is kept locked on our servers. When you sign in, your password unlocks it on the device you are using. So you see the same vault on every device, and anything you add on one shows on the others. We still cannot read it. A new device will also ask for your second sign-in check.

Can Inherit Vault staff read my vault?

No. That is not a promise about how we behave, it is how the system is built. Your vault is locked on your own device before anything reaches us. The only keys are your password and your recovery phrase, and you hold both. We keep no master key and no back door. Everything on our servers is a locked box. If someone broke in, they would get data nobody can read. That is why we ask you to look after your password and your printed Recovery Certificate. They are what open the vault.

How does Inherit Vault know when I’ve passed away?

Your executor tells us. They send the death certificate and their own photo ID, and our team checks both. Then there is a 14 day wait before anything opens. We tell you and every other executor as soon as a request is made. If you sign in during that time, the release stops. Nothing is ever released on a timer.

Can my executor see my vault while I’m alive?

No, not unless you choose to allow it. Normally the contents are released only after a passing has been confirmed. You can switch on earlier access if you want to. Either way, every executor login is reported to you and to your other executors.

What if my executor and I pass away at the same time?

You can name more than one executor, just as you can in a will. Add a second executor as a backup, so there is always someone who can come forward. You add them in the Executors & beneficiaries part of your vault.

My executor did not get the email. What should I do?

Invitations sometimes land in junk or spam. Ask your executor to look there first. Ask them to add support@inheritvault.com to their contacts too, as that is the address our emails come from. Then check you typed their email address correctly. If it was wrong, correct it in your vault and we will send the invitation again to the new address.

What is the Recovery Certificate?

A printed page you get when you set up your vault. It carries your recovery phrase, the only key besides your password. Keep it with your will, and your solicitor can hold it in the same packet. Keep a second copy somewhere safe. Your executor uses it to open the vault after you die.

What happens if I forget my password?

Your recovery phrase gets you back in. It is printed on your Recovery Certificate. If you lose your password and your certificate, the vault is gone for good, for everyone, including us. That is the price of a vault nobody else can read. Once a year we ask you to confirm you still know where your certificate is.

What if someone finds my Recovery Certificate?

Make a new one. Sign in, go to Account Settings and choose Replace my Recovery Certificate. Your old certificate stops working straight away. Print the new one and put it where the old one was, for example with your will or your solicitor. The certificate alone does not get anyone into your account, because they would also need to get into your email. But treat it as private all the same.

Can you send me a new recovery code?

No, because we never see it and we keep no copy. But you can make a new one yourself while you can still sign in. Go to Account Settings and choose Replace my Recovery Certificate. The new phrase is made on your own device, and your old certificate stops working. We still never hold a copy. If you lose your password and your certificate, nobody can recover your vault, including us.

What stops someone falsely claiming I’ve passed away?

Several things. A claim needs a death certificate and the claimant's own identity documents, and we check them. Then there is a 14 day wait. During that time we tell you and your other executors, so one email from you stops a false claim. Even if a claim did get through, all they would receive is a locked vault. Without the printed Recovery Certificate kept with your will, they cannot read it.

Is my vault legally part of my will?

No. Your will decides who inherits. Your vault tells your executor what exists and where. Nothing in the vault can create, change or cancel a will, and your estate is still shared out under the law and any valid will. We keep the two separate on purpose. A will becomes public after probate. Your vault stays private.

Is two-factor authentication required?

Yes, for everyone. Owners and executors both need it before they can reach a vault. Get the password wrong too often and the account locks, and each time it locks for longer. We record failed attempts and look at them.

What happens if I stop paying?

If a payment fails, you get 7 days with the vault fully working while we try again. If payment stops for good, the account is suspended. We will never let unpaid fees block a release that has already properly started for your family.

How old do I need to be to use Inherit Vault?

You must be 18 or over to open a vault. Anyone you name as an executor or trusted contact also has to confirm they are 18 or over before they can take the role.

Does Inherit Vault operate outside the UK?

Yes. You can set up a vault from anywhere, and this is not a UK only service. If you want to record a type of asset or debt we do not list yet, email support@inheritvault.com and we will sort it out where we can.

Does using Inherit Vault have tax implications?

No. Inherit Vault only stores information. It never holds your money, looks after an asset, or moves anything, so using it creates no tax of its own. We are not tax advisers though. Inheritance tax and other rules depend on your own circumstances, so speak to a qualified adviser about your estate.

What happens to my vault if Inherit Vault shuts down?

Your data outlives us. If we ever had to close, every owner would get their whole locked vault file first, with fair notice. Our free offline tool opens that file using your recovery phrase and nothing else. It is a single file you can save today, and it needs no Inherit Vault servers. Your family's access never depends on us.

How much money actually goes unclaimed like this?

£50bn sits unclaimed in the UK. Forgotten pensions, dormant bank accounts, and investments nobody knew about. The average forgotten pension is worth about £9,500, which is far more than the £99 Inherit Vault costs. It is rarely because anything was hidden. It is because nobody left a map.

For businesses

I’m a solicitor, will writer, or adviser, can I refer clients?

Yes, through our partner programme. Your firm gets a branded referral link and portal, your clients see your logo next to ours, and you earn commission on what we collect, paid 30 days in arrears. Apply at inheritvault.com/partner-signup. We open accounts after a review.