After the death of Ningbo people, can WeChat, Alipay and game accounts be inherited?

Mr. Zhao from Ningbo recently encountered a thorny thing: after his father died, when he sorted out his belongings, he found that his father's mobile phone was bound with WeChat and Alipay, and there was also an online game account that he had played for many years. The account had both balance and a lot of game equipment. He wanted to withdraw and inherit these “digital assets,” only to find that each platform has different rules: some allow account balances to be withdrawn, while others prevent him from even logging in. When he found us, his only concern was this: can these intangible “digital assets” be inherited?

This is not an isolated incident. As mobile payments, online social networking, and e‑commerce become increasingly widespread in both urban and rural areas of Ningbo, more and more families are encountering the new issue of “digital inheritance” when handling estate matters. So-called digital inheritance, in simple terms, refers to the assets and rights that a deceased person possessed during their lifetime, existing in the form of accounts, data, virtual items, and the like. It does not have a physical certificate like real estate or bank deposits, yet it may still represent genuine economic value. This article, from the perspective of a party involved in Ningbo, clarifies whether digital assets can be inherited and, if so, how they should be inherited.

1. the common question of Ningbo people: when people leave, do WeChat, Alipay and game accounts count as heritage?

In the practice of handling inheritance matters in Ningbo, parties most commonly fall into three common misconceptions.

The first misconception is that “once a person passes away, the account ceases to exist and has nothing to do with their estate.” Many people believe that WeChat accounts, Alipay accounts, and game accounts are provided by the platforms, and that once the user passes away, the platforms will reclaim them, so they cannot be inherited. This idea overlooks the real assets behind the account. An account may just be a “shell,” but the balance, wealth management products, and earnings it holds are where the real money is.

The second misconception is that “the account and the money are one and the same—anyone who can log in to the account can take everything.” On the contrary, whether an account can be accessed and taken over by the account holder’s heirs and whether the funds in the account can be inherited are two distinct issues.

The third misconception is that “digital assets are too small to be worth the effort.” In some families in Ningbo, the balance in the mobile phone of the elderly, the income from small change, the equipment bought by game recharge, and the operating funds of online shops are not necessarily small in amount. If they do not deal with it, they will actually give up their own rights and interests.

To determine whether something qualifies as an inheritance, one cannot rely on intuition; instead, one must refer to the relevant legal provisions.

What does the 2. law think: Why digital property can become heritage

Article 1122 of the Civil Code provides: An estate consists of the lawful personal property left behind by a natural person upon death. Any estate that, according to law or by its nature, may not be inherited shall not be subject to inheritance. This article is very important. It changes the definition of inheritance to a "general form", that is, instead of listing only specific types such as houses, deposits, and stocks as in the past, it grasps the "personal legal property left at the time of death". Core standard. As long as the property legally owned by the decedent during his lifetime, it may fall into the scope of the estate in principle, which leaves room for digital property to enter the field of inheritance.

Furthermore, Article 127 of the Civil Code provides: Where the law contains provisions on the protection of data and virtual property in cyberspace, such provisions shall apply. This provision explicitly stipulates that virtual property on the internet is protected by law. Online accounts, Alipay accounts, game items, online stores, and the like possess disposability, exchange value, and use value, and thus fall within the scope of property protected by law.

Put the two articles together, the logic is clear: Article 127 confirms that the virtual property of the network is "property" and protected by law; Article 1122 confirms that "the personal legal property left at the time of death" belongs to the heritage in principle. Therefore, whether the digital property legally acquired by the decedent during his lifetime can become an estate is judged by two criteria-whether it is the personal legal property left over at the time of his death; whether it falls within the scope of "not to be inherited according to the law or by nature.

As for “who will inherit and how the shares will be divided,” that falls back to the rules governing inheritance itself. Article 1127 of the Civil Code specifies the scope and order of statutory heirs, while Article 1123 provides that, upon the commencement of succession, statutory succession shall apply; where a will exists, succession or bequest shall be carried out in accordance with the will. In other words, the inheritance of digital assets also follows the basic principle of “if there is a will, the will prevails; if there is no will, statutory succession applies,” and the heirs and their respective shares are not altered simply because the assets are “digital.”

3. Key distinction: the account itself versus the property rights within the account.

This is the most important sentence to remember in the whole article: to distinguish between "account itself" and "the property rights within the account", the fate of the two is often different.

On the one hand, property rights held in an account are generally inheritable. For example, Alipay balance, WeChat change and change pass income, account wealth management products, fund shares, virtual currency and equipment in the game, online store operating income, etc., these are real property, belonging to the heir's death of the personal legal property, can be inherited as a legacy in accordance with the law.

On the other hand, the right to use an account and the service contract relationship between the user and the platform often have a personal nature and are governed by the platform’s user agreement. Many platform user agreements explicitly stipulate that accounts are for the exclusive use of the registered user and may not be transferred, gifted, or inherited. Therefore, heirs generally cannot simply “take over” an account and transfer it as if it were a tangible asset. However, this does not mean that the rights are rendered void—inheritors may generally, in accordance with the law, assert claims regarding the monetary value of assets held in the account and apply to the platform to withdraw the balance or monetize the corresponding rights.

There is also a special category of content—chat logs, private photos, emails, and the like. These matters primarily concern the privacy and personality interests of the deceased and third parties, and are generally not treated as part of the estate that heirs may freely dispose of. Therefore, it is often difficult for family members to read all chat records after the death of their relatives in law and platform rules, which requires psychological expectation in advance.

By keeping this distinction in mind, many seemingly contradictory phenomena can explain: why the same person's Alipay balance can be taken out after his death, but the WeChat account may not be used by his children.

One more thing to keep in mind: whether or not something can be inherited is one issue, and whether the platform is willing to cooperate is another. Legal recognition of the inheritability of a particular right does not mean that the platform will immediately grant access. Many disputes do not arise from the question of “whether or not to grant [access],” but rather from the difficulty in proving “that this is indeed the deceased’s account and exactly how much money it contains.” Therefore, it is often more useful to save the evidence of account ownership and property clues in advance than to argue the legal truth after the fact.

4. Which types of digital assets can typically be inherited, and which generally cannot be directly transferred?

Combined with the above distinction, common situations can be roughly classified into the following categories for reference by Ningbo parties.

Generally inheritable and subject to claims regarding its property value:

• WeChat Wallet balance, Yu'E Bao balance, and accumulated earnings;
• The principal and earnings of Alipay balance, Yu’ebao, and other wealth management products;
• Shares of financial products such as funds, wealth management products, and insurance purchased within the account;
• the virtual currency, game equipment, props and other parts with property value in the game account;
• The online store’s operating assets, merchandise payments, security deposits, and distributable earnings;
• Other property rights within the account that can be explicitly converted into money.

Usually not directly taken over, need to be treated differently:

• The right to use the account itself is subject to the “for personal use only, non-transferable and non-heritable” provision in the platform’s terms of service;
• Chat records, private messages, personal photos, and other content involving privacy and personal rights;
• Social relationships, hierarchies, and status markers that possess only personal attributes and lack independent property value.

What needs to be explained is that the specific boundary in practice depends on how the platform user agreement is agreed and whether the property rights and interests can be clearly verified. The processing channels and levels of coordination vary across platforms; some offer dedicated portals for inheritance or estate claims, while others require applicants to submit materials in person. Therefore, when dealing with large sums of money or complex situations, it is inadvisable to make assumptions; one should first verify the platform’s rules before taking any action.

How to get the heir of 5. Ningbo: Operation path from inquiry to extraction

for the parties in ningbo, the digital heritage can be handled in three steps: "inquiry-confirmation-extraction or change.

1. Queries. First, sort through the deceased’s mobile phone, computer, and bank cards to identify as many linked payment, wealth management, gaming, and online store accounts as possible. For known accounts, check whether there are any property clues such as balance, financial management, income, etc. For unknown accounts, traces can be found in combination with bank card flow, short messages, bills, etc.
2. Confirmed. Confirmation of Successors and Succession Shares. If there is a will, the scope of benefit shall be determined according to the will, and if there is no will, the scope and order of legal heirs as determined in article 1127 of the Civil Code, in conjunction with article 1123. Where multiple heirs have reached a consensus on the distribution, they may agree through negotiation; in cases of dispute, they should first attempt to resolve it through negotiation, and if no agreement is reached, they may then consider initiating litigation to confirm their rights.
3. Extractions or Alterations. Bring death certificate, kinship certificate, heir identity certificate, will or notarial deed, etc., through the platform's customer service or inheritance application channel for balance withdrawal, rights and interests realization.

In this process, notarization is often a convenient part. The heir may first apply to a notary office for certification of the right of inheritance, and then the platform can, based on the notarial certificate, process the withdrawal or change of account. This approach helps reduce the platform’s need for repeated verification of the heir’s identity and share. Regarding the verification of the mobile phone number linked to the account and the real-name information, you should also prepare in advance any documents that can prove “that this account belongs to the deceased.”

It should be noted that the procedures and required documents vary across platforms. Before applying, it is advisable to confirm the details through official channels to avoid making a wasted trip. If the platform refuses to cooperate and the value of the assets involved is substantial, the heirs may also initiate legal proceedings to seek a determination of the scope of the estate and demand the platform’s cooperation in its administration.

6. Evidence and Disputes: What materials need to be prepared, and what should you do if a dispute arises?

The major difficulty of digital heritage cases lies in the proof. Digital assets lack physical proof, so heirs often “know there is money but cannot specify where it is or how much there is.” Therefore, the preparation of materials is of utmost importance.

Common basic materials include: death certificate of the decedent; identity certificate of the heir; proof of kinship, such as household register, birth certificate, certificate of unit or village residence, etc.; wills or legacy support agreement, if any; notarial certificate of inheritance right, if it has been handled; real name information, binding mobile phone number and binding bank card records that can prove the ownership of the account; as well as bills, running water, screenshots, etc. that can reflect the value of property in the account.

Disputes usually focus on two points: one is the identification of the scope of property, such as how much balance there is in a certain account and the value of equipment; the other is the distribution of shares. Many heirs have different opinions on how to divide and how much to divide. The former type of issue is resolved through evidence, while the latter is resolved through a will or by mutual agreement. If negotiations fail, it will be necessary to seek a court determination through litigation.

(Example) In judicial practice, final and effective court judgments have already recognized the property value of virtual assets such as online stores and game assets, and have supported heirs in asserting corresponding rights within the scope of the estate. Specific to the case, whether to inherit, how to convert, still need to combine evidence and platform rules to judge. This is only a regular explanation, and there are no public and verified specific cases in Ningbo for reference.

7. Extension: New types of digital assets such as self-media accounts, virtual currencies, and livestreaming earnings.

The types of digital assets continue to expand. In addition to WeChat, Alipay and game accounts, many parties in Ningbo will also encounter new types of property such as self-media accounts, online shops, live rewards and revenue sharing, virtual currency, etc.

The treatment of these properties also comes back to two basic standards: whether it is the personal legal property left by the decedent when he dies; whether it belongs to the scope that cannot be inherited according to the law or the nature. Operating income, share, advertising revenue, etc., as long as it can be verified and converted into money, can usually be treated as property rights and interests; and whether the account itself can be transferred still depends on the platform agreement. As for virtual currencies and other assets of a special nature, the issues involved are even more complex and require careful assessment in light of their legal attributes and applicable regulations.

The overall trend is that, as the digital economy develops, the proportion of digital assets in household wealth will continue to rise, and inheritance rules will become increasingly clear in practice. For Ningbo families, it is more important to understand in advance and sort out in time than to remedy afterwards.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

After a family member passes away, can I directly log in to and continue using their WeChat or Alipay account?

Generally, you can't use the account directly as your own takeover. The right to use an account is usually personal and is bound by the platform user agreement, and many platforms explicitly stipulate that the account is for personal use only and cannot be transferred or inherited. However, property rights such as the account balance, wealth management products, and revenue from Yu’E Bao can be asserted in accordance with the law. Article 127 of the Civil Code confirms that the network virtual property is protected by law, and Article 1122 confirms that the personal legal property left behind at the time of death belongs to the estate, and the heir can apply to the platform to withdraw the corresponding property accordingly.

Does the balance, financial management and game equipment in the account count as inheritance?

is usually an inheritable property interest. As long as the heir is legally acquired, left behind at the time of death, can be converted into money property, such as WeChat change, Alipay balance, wealth management product share, game virtual currency and equipment, online store operating income, etc., in principle can be used as inheritance.The subject and share of inheritance are determined in accordance with articles 1127 and 1123 of the Civil Code, and if there is a will, it shall be processed in accordance with the will.

Can chat records and private photos be inherited as inheritance?

It is generally inappropriate to be disposed of as an estate by heirs at will. This kind of content involves the privacy and personality interests of the heir himself and the chat object, and is restricted by law and platform rules. Therefore, it is often difficult for family members to check and disclose all chat records after the death of their relatives. If there are special needs, it should be handled prudently in the light of specific circumstances and relevant regulations.

What should I do if I don't know what digital accounts my relatives have?

You can start with physical clues: by combing the mobile phone, bank card, SMS and billing records of the decedent, you can often find the bound payment, financial management and online store accounts. For known accounts, check one by one for the existence of balance, financial management, income and other property clues. If necessary, you can consult whether there is a heritage application or inquiry channel through the official customer service channel of the platform, and submit death certificates, kinship certificates and other materials according to the requirements of the platform.

9. Practical Insights from a Lawyer

"digital heritages" such as WeChat, Alipay and game accounts are most likely to lead people to two extremes: either they think that the account will be taken back by the platform as soon as one leaves, which has nothing to do with the heritage, or they think that they can take over everything directly as long as they know the password. The actual situation is between the two-the account itself is often bound by the platform agreement and cannot directly "inherit" the account, but the balance, financial management and income in the account are inheritance and can be inherited according to law. Therefore, the key is not "whether the account can be inherited", but to take apart the "shell" and "the money inside". Don't be frightened by being invisible and touching, and don't overestimate the extent to which you can control it.

In terms of operation, if the decedent is found to have digital assets, it is necessary to fix the clues as soon as possible: mobile phone number, account number, binding information, approximate balance and platform, so as to avoid the more difficult inquiry after the mobile phone is shut down and the account number is frozen. Inheritors can apply to the platform for inquiry and withdrawal of funds in the account based on death certificates, kinship certificates, inheritance certificates and other materials. Different platforms have different rules, some can withdraw cash, and some need offline verification. Game equipment, self-media accounts, virtual currency, etc., whether or not to inherit, how to inherit the difference is very big, but also to understand the platform policy and the nature of rights and interests in advance, don't take it for granted to operate.

When talking about digital heritage in the family, it is best to make a list of the main account number, bound mobile phone and general assets while the old man is alive, so as to inform the trusted family members, which is not only convenient for future search, but also reduces suspicion. If the elderly want someone to inherit specific digital property, they can indicate it through a will and leave a clue to the account but not reveal the password itself. When it is found that the account is occupied by others or the platform refuses to cooperate, it is much more efficient to find out whether it is the property rights and interests or the right to use the account, and then decide whether to negotiate or to rely on the inheritance certificate. It is much more efficient to find out "what, where and how much it is worth" than blindly looking for a platform afterwards.