Cash Advances (Funeral Expenses)

Cash advance items are any goods or services that a funeral provider must purchase from a third-party vendor on behalf of their customer. The funeral home may make these purchases on your behalf, and then pay the vendors with the money you have given them. The items, services, amount you spend is entirely up to you, as it is you who decides what is necessary and what isn’t. Although termed cash advances, they do not necessarily need to be paid in cash (a check or credit card can be used). In some cases the families can pay the third party vendors directly. Cash advance items are not marked up by the funeral home.

Cash advance items for a typical funeral might include but are not limited to: payments to the cemetery, crematory, churches, death certificates, permits, florists for flower arrangements, payments to newspapers for obituary notices, monument companies and other payments to individuals such as pallbearers, musicians, or clergy for memorial services.