Glossary
What is cash advance items?
Cash advance items are goods and services a funeral home buys from outside parties on your behalf — such as death certificates, obituary notices, flowers, clergy honoraria, or musicians. The FTC Funeral Rule requires the home to tell you if it adds a service charge or markup to these costs.
Rather than you paying each vendor directly, the funeral home advances the money and adds the items to your bill. Common examples include newspaper obituary fees, cemetery charges, flowers, and payments to clergy or musicians.
Under the Funeral Rule, if the home charges more than it actually paid — or receives a discount, rebate, or commission — it must disclose that. Always ask whether cash advance items are billed at cost or carry a markup.
Related terms
General Price List
A General Price List, or GPL, is the itemized list of prices a funeral home must provide under the FTC Funeral Rule. It lets you see the cost of each good and service separately so you can compare providers and choose only what you want.
FTC Funeral Rule
The FTC Funeral Rule is a US Federal Trade Commission regulation that gives consumers rights when buying funeral goods and services. It requires itemized pricing, lets you buy only what you want, and bars certain misrepresentations by funeral homes.
Basic services fee
The basic services fee is the non-declinable charge every funeral home adds for its essential work — planning, permits, staff, and overhead — no matter what else you buy. Under the FTC Funeral Rule it must appear on the price list, and it typically runs $1,000 to $4,500.
Common questions about Cash advance items
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This definition is general information, not legal or financial advice. Laws and prices vary by state and provider. See our editorial standards.