Key information
- The funeral information standard sets out the information that all funeral directors must give their customers when arranging funeral services.
- This includes information on prices, disbursements, packages, mortuaries and crematoria, and body transportation.
- The information must be prominently displayed at every place of business in a way that is simple to understand and easy to find.
- Customers must be given an itemised quote before entering into any agreement.
- Failure to follow the standard can lead to fines and penalties.
What is the funeral information standard?
The funeral information standard sets out funeral information, including prices, about goods and services offered by funeral directors. It is designed to help funeral directors communicate with customers in a clear and simple way and to help customers make informed choices.
Changes from the previous standard
The standard was updated in 2020 to introduce greater price transparency to help customers make more informed choices, and to encourage more competitive business. The main change is that funeral directors must prominently display prices everywhere they conduct business. This includes at place(s) of business, when visiting customers in their home, on any website accessible to customers with internet connection or social media. If you do not have a website, but use social media instead, you must display pricing information on the social media account. The requirement to provide a “basic funeral service” has been removed, however you are still able to offer this service if you like.
Who does the funeral information standard apply to?
The information standard covers anyone who runs a business arranging the collection, transport, storage, preparation or embalming of bodies for burial or cremation. If you do any of these, you are considered a funeral director, even if you do not advertise your services. This includes death doulas, funeral brokers and any other business model in the funeral industry that arranges any of the activities captured in the definition of funeral director in the information standard.
What do I need to do?
All funeral directors need to clearly show information about the goods and services they offer for burial and cremations.
The information includes:
- a price list
- the cost of any disbursements
- the price of the least expensive package for burial or cremation
- details of the mortuary and crematorium you use
- information about how a body is transported before burial or cremation.
Before entering into an agreement with a customer you must also provide an itemised quote with the total amount payable.
You must show this information at every place you run your business. This includes at your business premises, on your website (if you have one), on social media (if you have one) and if you visit a customer at their home.
If you’re unsure where to begin the example funeral directors price list is a good starting point.
What does the price list need to include?
The price list must include prices for:
- transport of the body before burial or cremation
- storage of the body at a mortuary or holding room
- hire of a refrigeration plate
- each type of coffin, casket or shroud supplied OR the price range of all coffins, caskets or shrouds supplied
- care and preparation of the body before burial or cremation
- viewing of the body prior to burial or cremation
- arrangement and conduct of a funeral service (including venue hire)
- burial or cremation of the body.
You must not combine two or more items in your price list into a ‘total price’. For example, total price for storage of the body and the care and preparation of the body before burial or cremation.
You must not use terms such as “included”, “complimentary”, “no charge” or similar instead of displaying a price.
If you do not offer a good or service listed above, you do not have to display it on your price list. If you offer other services, you can choose to include them on your price list, but you do not have to.
What if I have a large range of products?
If you have a large range of products (for example, caskets or shrouds), it might not be possible to display the price for each item.
In this case, you could provide pricing information on the top three sellers in each category, or give a price range from least to most expensive for each category on offer.
Can I qualify my pricing for certain services?
The funeral information standard does not require fixed pricing for each service. You can display your prices in several ways. For example, you could offer the viewing of the body at a flat rate within a certain timeframe or on a per hour basis with excess fees for viewing outside of business hours.
What does disbursements need to include?
Disbursements are external expenses like getting a certificate or dealing with government bodies.
A funeral director is required to provide the customer with price estimates for:
- getting a death certificate from the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages
- getting any certificate or permit required by law in relation to the body
- fees charged by a cemetery or crematorium for the burial or cremation of a body.
What is meant by “least expensive package”?
A ‘package’ is a combination of goods and services you offer to customers. A “least expensive package” is an estimate of the total minimum price for the least expensive combination of goods and services you offer to customers, irrespective of whether you offer or describe this combination of products as a ‘package.
An example of a least expensive package could be a ‘no service, no attendance’ burial or cremation. You must specify what goods and services are included in the least expensive package. You can use a total price to display your package, if each individual item is already displayed as part of the price list.
Can I maintain or provide package prices in addition to the least expensive package requirement?
Prices of any funeral packages you offer can also be displayed. However, these must be in addition, rather than in place of, the itemised price list of goods and services.
What details about the mortuary and crematorium do I need to include?
You must provide the location of the mortuary or crematorium you use. While it would be ideal to provide the address, providing the name and suburb is acceptable.
If you are not the owner of the facility, then you must provide the customer with the facility manager’s or owner’s name.
What details about body transportation do I need to include?
You must provide the details of how a body is moved prior to burial or cremation.
You can choose whether to tell customers information about storage or how the body is handled between receiving and preparing for funeral arrangements.
If a person requests a copy of my funeral information how much time do I have to provide it?
A customer can request to see a copy of your funeral information at any time (including before you give them a quote). You must be able to provide it to them within 48 hours of receiving the request or within another period of time that you agree.
Do I need to provide a price for my professional services fees?
If you would like to include a professional service fee, you may, however it is not required by the funeral information standard.
If you choose to include a professional service fee, it must be part of the itemised quote that you send to the customer, before entering into an agreement and made clear to the customer.
How do I display the pricing information?
You must prominently display pricing information at every place you run your business. This includes at your business premises, on your website (if you have one), on social media (if you have one) and if you visit a customer at their home.
There is no set way you must show the information, however, it must be clear, easily understood by customers and easy to find.
Creating a document
Here is an example funeral directors price list. The example can help you set out the required information while complying with the funeral information standard.
You can use this document as a template or create your own.
Displaying the document
Below are some suggestions for how you may want to display the information for your business.
Business premises
You could display the information:
- on the wall in a prominent area such as in the lobby or near the entrance
- in a document on your desk
- in printed form that customers can take with them, such as a pamphlet.
Website
Customers should not have to click or scroll through several pages to find the information on your website, so you should ideally display it on your home page or main menu.
The headings or menu link you use for your price list should be clear and easily understood by customers. For example, use “Funeral Pricing” or “Pricing Breakdown”, not “FAQs”, “Other Information”.
All pricing information could be on the same page so that customers can easily compare costs. It could be in an easy-to-read font size and colour.
You do not need to create a website if you do not have one. However, if you do decide to create one in the future, you will need to display the information.
Social media
If you use a social media account for your business that can be viewed by the public, you will need to comply with the information standard. You could display the information:
- On the ‘About’ page
- As a link on the ‘About’ page
- In a pinned post at the top of the page.
You do not need to create a social media account if you do not have one. However, if you do decide to create one in the future, you will need to display the information.
Visiting customers
When visiting customers, you should bring the information along with you in a printed document. This could include a pamphlet or page that you can leave with the customer once you have finished speaking with them.
You can also choose to email the information to a customer before you visit them.
Making an agreement
Once you are ready to make an agreement with a customer, you must provide an itemised quote with the total amount payable. This quote must include:
- each of the goods and services you will supply to the customer
- the cost of any disbursements
- the total amount payable.
Both parties must sign and date the agreement.