Funeral plan fees compared
When you buy a funeral plan, you deserve to know exactly where your money is going. A lower administrative and marketing fee means more of your money goes directly toward the funeral you want.
It’s important to know what you are paying for, and at With Grace, we believe this should be clear from the start.
Attended Funeral (funeral director’s charges only)
This is a funeral where family and friends have a ceremony, event or service for the deceased person at the same time as they attend their burial or cremation.
Taking care of all necesary legal and administrative arrangements £640
Collecting and transporting the deceased person from the place of death (normally within 15 miles of the funeral director’s premises) into the funeral director’s care £200
Care of the deceased person before the funeral in appropriate facilities. The deceased person will be kept at [both] the funeral director’s [branch premises] [and at other] [non-branch premises] £250
Providing a suitable coffin – this will be made from wood veneer, standard size 6’2″ x 23″ x 12″ £225
Viewing of the deceased person for family and friends, by appointment with the funeral director (where viewing is requested by the customer) £300
At a date and time you agree with the funeral director, taking the deceased person direct to the agreed cemetery or crematorium (normally within 20 miles of the funeral director’s premises) in a hearse or other appropriate vehicle £600
How our fees compare
Different providers describe their fees in different ways. Some call them administration fees, some include marketing or sales costs, and some use broader terms such as support, maintenance or overhead costs.
The table below compares the published fees and retained costs from an independent weekly price check based on the published terms and conditions of major UK funeral plan providers.
|
Provider
|
Plan
|
Fees
|
|---|---|---|
|
With Grace
|
Direct Cremation
|
£700
|
|
With Grace
|
Attended Cremation
|
£750
|
|
Aura Life
|
Various plans
|
£854.60-£1,222.15
|
|
Choice
|
All plans
|
Up to £1,000
|
|
Co-op Funeral Care
|
Pre-paid plans
|
£465 + marketing fees
|
Figures are based on publicly available provider information and our latest market review (week commencing 11/05/2026). Providers may update their pricing or terms, so please check the latest plan documents before making a decision. Price comparisons are conducted weekly.
Why funeral plan fees matter
A lower admin and marketing fee means more of your money goes towards the funeral you’ve planned. At £700 or £750 depending on whether your plan is for a direct or attended cremation, you can see exactly where your money’s going and what you’re paying for.
Some plans charge over £1,200 in marketing fees alone, and that’s before any admin charge or cancellation fee is added.
A lower plan price does not always mean better value, and a higher plan price does not always mean more of your money is going towards the funeral. The clearest comparison is one that shows both the total plan cost and the fees retained by the provider.
We publish our fees because you deserve a clear answer
If you’ve had a quote from another provider and want help working out what their fees actually include, the team is here to help.
Give us a call on 0800 471 4689 and we’ll happily walk you through it.
Funeral plan fees FAQs
Admin fees help cover the cost of setting up, managing and maintaining your funeral plan. This can include paperwork, customer support, plan administration and the ongoing work needed to keep your plan in place.
Marketing fees cover the cost of helping people find and understand the plan, including advertising, communications and sales-related activity.
With Grace’s fixed £700 or £750 retained fees are much lower than many providers we reviewed. Aura Life’s published support, marketing, sales and overhead costs range from £854.60 to £1,222.15, while Celebration of Life states that £850 is retained from its plan price.
Not always. You should look at the full plan, including what is included, what is not included, how your money is protected and whether the provider is authorised and regulated. A clear fee structure is important, but it should be considered alongside the overall value of the plan.
Yes. Pre-paid funeral plan providers must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. The FCA advises customers to check that a provider is authorised and has permission to enter into and administer funeral plan contracts.
This depends on the plan you choose and what is included. With Grace funeral plans are designed to clearly show what is included and what is not, so you and your family know what has been paid for in advance.
Providers do not all use the same wording. Some separate administration fees from marketing or maintenance fees, while others group costs together under sales, support, overheads or company operations. That is why it is useful to compare the total retained amount, not just the name of the fee.
