There are three main components to the final cost of a Funeral Service:
Funeral director's professional fees - takes into account their professional services and facilities, overheads and fixed costs, liaising with cemeteries, crematoria, newspapers, florists etc, and supplying hearse and staff on the day of the funeral. They are also available at any hour, day or night, providing trained personnel, advice and expertise.
Merchandise Costs - this may include your choice of coffin, memorial book, urn, service booklets, etc provided directly by the funeral director.
Disbursements - costs the funeral director pays on behalf of the family such as cemetery or crematorium fees, flowers, press notices etc provided by a third party.
The final costs of the funeral service will reflect the choices you have made.
Each funeral director will have their own payment terms in place, however as a general rule, most will require a deposit prior to the service with final payment due within a specified term. E.g: 7, 14 or 28 days. Some will offer a discount for payment within this specified term.
Many will have facilities in place for credit card or EFTPOS payment in addition to online banking funds transfer. Some may also offer payment plan options.
We recommend that you talk with your chosen funeral director about your needs and budget so that they can assist you with the best payment option.
From 1st February 2020 the NSW Department of Fair Trading revised it's Funeral Service Standard which requires funeral directors to make available pricing and other information: on their websites, prominently in their offices and in printed form for any member of the public on request.