Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, completely. CremationMatch is free to use for families. You can search, browse provider profiles, and contact providers at no cost. We never charge families a fee or take a referral commission from providers. When you contact a funeral home through our directory, 100% of the relationship is between you and them.

Every provider listed here applied to be included and was reviewed against our standards before being accepted. To qualify, a funeral home must be independently or family-owned (no corporate chains), must offer direct cremation at $1,500 or less, must have a physical location in the city they’re listed for, and must make their pricing publicly available.

We also limit listings to one provider per city — so every funeral home you find here has an exclusive spot. We re-verify every listing annually. Providers that no longer meet our standards are removed.

The directory is growing, and not every city has a listed provider yet. If your city isn’t listed, it means we haven’t yet accepted a qualified, independent funeral home in that area — not that there isn’t one.

You can use our contact form to request your city. We’ll do our best to help you find options or notify you when a provider becomes available in your area. If you own a funeral home in an unlisted city and meet our standards, you can also apply to claim that spot.

Direct cremation is the simplest, most affordable form of cremation. There is no embalming, no formal viewing or visitation at the funeral home, and no graveside service facilitated by the funeral home. The body is transported, cremated, and the cremated remains (often called ashes) are returned to the family, typically within a few days.

Direct cremation does not prevent families from holding a memorial. Many families hold a private gathering, a celebration of life, or a religious service on their own timeline — often at home, in a park, or at a place of worship. The cremated remains can be kept, scattered, buried, or placed in a memorial urn. Direct cremation simply removes the funeral home ceremony from the equation, which is why it costs significantly less.

Preneed funeral contracts are legal agreements governed by state law, and yes — when you sign and fund a preneed plan with a licensed funeral home, it is a binding contract. The funeral home is obligated to provide the services outlined when the time comes.

State laws vary on the specifics, including how funds must be held, what happens if the funeral home closes, and what refunds are available upon cancellation. Ask your provider for a copy of their preneed contract and review it carefully before signing. If you have questions, a licensed preneed insurance agent or attorney can help you understand the terms.

In most states, prepaid funeral funds must be held in a state-regulated trust account or backed by a preneed insurance policy. This is separate from the funeral home’s operating funds, which means the money is protected even if the funeral home is sold, changes ownership, or closes.

Always ask your provider how funds are held, which institution holds them, and whether the plan is transferable. Reputable funeral homes will answer these questions clearly and without hesitation.

In most cases, yes. Most preneed plans can be cancelled, often with a partial or full refund depending on state law and the terms of your specific contract. Some states require a full refund within a certain period; others allow the funeral home to retain a portion of funds for administrative costs.

The right to cancel and the terms of any refund should be clearly stated in your preneed contract. If you’re considering cancelling, contact the funeral home directly — and if you’re unsatisfied with their response, your state funeral regulatory board can provide guidance.

You absolutely can call funeral homes yourself — and we encourage that. The difference is that we’ve already filtered out corporate chains and providers who don’t meet a pricing or transparency standard. Every funeral home you find here has been vetted: they’re independent, they’re affordable, and they display their pricing.

If you search on your own, you may encounter national cremation chains, providers with no physical location in your area, or funeral homes that won’t give you a price without a sales appointment. We’ve done the initial screening so you don’t have to.

An annual listing is $999/year. There is an optional one-time setup fee of $199 to have us build out your profile with your photos, pricing, and description. The $999 annual fee covers your exclusive city listing, the Verified Independent Provider badge, full profile access, and annual re-verification. There are no long-term contracts. See the Pricing page for full details.

To qualify, your funeral home must be independently or family-owned (not part of SCI, Dignity Memorial, Carriage Services, Foundation Partners Group, or any other corporate chain), must offer direct cremation at a total price of $1,500 or less, must have a licensed physical location in the city you wish to list for, and must make your pricing publicly available. See our full requirements page for details.

Yes. Each city is a separate listing, and each listing is $999/year. If your funeral home has multiple physical locations serving different cities, you can apply to list each city separately. Each location must independently meet our requirements, and each city listing is exclusive — meaning no other funeral home can list for that same city while yours is active.

You don’t need a website to list. Your CremationMatch profile serves as your public-facing page. Families can see your name, location, pricing, description, and contact information directly on your listing. If you do have a website, we’ll include a link. But a website is not required to qualify or to be found by families searching in your area.

Families contact you directly — we never insert ourselves as a middleman. Your listing displays your phone number, and families can also reach you through our contact form, which routes their message directly to you. There are no referral fees, no per-lead charges, and no commission on any services you provide. Once a family contacts you, the relationship is entirely between you and them.

Yes. You can request updates to your listing at any time by contacting us at contact@cremationmatch.com. We’ll make changes to your name, description, pricing, phone number, or other details promptly. Note that pricing changes must still remain at or below the $1,500 cap to maintain your listing. If your pricing increases above that threshold, your listing will be reviewed and may be removed.