How it Works

We've designed Cremstar to make arranging a direct cremation as simple as possible. While other “online” cremation services require multiple emails and phone calls to order (40 minutes to an hour of your time), Cremstar lets you arrange a direct cremation completely online in as little as 15 minutes, with phone and chat support, from the safety and comfort of your home, or wherever you happen to be at your time of need. We are the only cremation provider in the US using RFID and GPS technology to track the decedent, so we always know exactly where your loved one is at all times. If there are siblings or other Next-of-Kin whose signatures are required, we even coordinate that entire process online. Plus, we'll keep you notified regarding where you are in the process via email so there are no surprises. While we love hearing from our customers, unless you want to, you never need to call us. We will contact you once all forms have been submitted to verify the information and to answer any questions you might have.

Milestone #1: Order Cremation
To start, click on the Order Cremation button, in the header above. There are three sections to the online ordering process. If your loved one passes away at home, make sure to contact your hospice nurse or the police so they can pronounce the death.

Section One (Options & Payment) lets you price out the cremation and pay. Cremstar accepts most major credit or debit cards, as well as MasterCard/VISA gift cards.

Milestone #2: Provide Required Information
Once the payment has been processed, you'll receive two emails. One is a PDF receipt. The other features a link and pin number to take you to the final two sections in the ordering process.

Section Two (Details About the Deceased) is where you enter information about the decedent. For samples of the questions you'll need to answer, and to request a free Planning Ahead for a Cremation kit, visit our Forms & Kits section.

And Section Three (Authorization & Signatures) is where the Authorizing Agent (usually next-of-kin) signs the screen using their mouse as a pen, or their fingertip if they're using a smartphone. This gives us the legal authority to perform the removal and cremation, and to file the required paperwork with the state.

That's it. You're done!

Milestone #3: Confirmation of Pickup Details
Once submitted, our funeral director will reach out to you by telephone in order to confirm and finalize all outstanding details. For example, if the deceased is located at a private residence, they will verify the address and timing of the pickup (removal).

Milestone #4: Transportation to Crematory
Transport professionals will pick up the deceased from the hospital, residence, or other location, and transport them to our funeral home or directly to the crematory. Once the removal has occurred, we'll email you and let you know. There is a mandatory waiting period (24–48 hours) required by the state before any cremation can occur. During this time, the deceased is housed in a refrigeration unit.

Milestone #5: Cremation
Most cremations happen within a week of all permits being issued. The following steps must be completed before the cremation can occur:
- Authorizations are signed by the Next of Kin;
- Attending physician certifies the death;
- State issues the disposition permit;
- In some states, the county issues a county cremation permit;
- Once the state officially registers the death, death certificates can be ordered.
All Cremstar crematories are fully licensed and accredited by the local state funeral board, certified by various federal and state agencies, and are inspected on a regular basis.

Milestone #6: Return of Cremains
The cremains (ashes) are collected and returned to you, according to the method you select during sign–up. They are sealed within a durable plastic bag, which is in turn placed inside a biodegradable reinforced cardboard Cremstar Scattering Tube, approximately 12” x 5”. Or, you can purchase a custom urn when you first order your cremation, including high-quality, bespoke urns and other funeral products from Final Spring. You can either pick up the cremains at no cost from the crematory or Cremstar funeral home; have them shipped for a fee anywhere in the country via the United State Postal Service (USPS), the only way one can mail cremains in the U.S.; or we can scatter them for you anonymously either at sea or in one of our beautiful scattering gardens. Note that death certificates are processed by the state and shipped separately.

You will be notified by email once the cremains are ready to be picked up or once they have shipped. Also, you will be notified by email when the death certificates have been mailed to you (along with the tracking #).

Milestone #7: Memorialization & Life Celebration Events
Every Cremstar cremation comes with a complimentary online memorial from MemoryBox, the nation's leading memorialization website and app. With a MemoryBox memorial, you, your family and friends can post and share photos and memories of your lost loved one. If you're planning a dinner, memorial service, or scattering, try creating an “Event” Memory at MemoryBox. When folks join an Event Memory, as long as their phone is equipped with the MemoryBox app, all the photographs they take with their phone during the event are copied off their photo roll and posted to the Event Memory online automatically — even if they're not actively using the MemoryBox app but just their phone's regular photo function! And for those who would like to arrange a virtual Life Celebration event, we've pioneered MemoryBox in the Metaverse, a 3D online location to host virtual Celebrations of Life in real–time, with live eulogies, and guests using avatars joining from anywhere in the world. Whether you're curating your digital identity before you pass on — ensuring you're remembered the way you want to be remembered — or you're creating an online memorial for someone who's already transitioned, this powerful application makes it easy. Learn More

If you have any questions, please contact us:

By phone: (888) 802-0999, available 24/7. (Se Habla Español.)
By email: [email protected]
By chat: 7AM - 10PM Eastern Time, seven days a week; click on the round red chat button on the bottom right of the screen.

If you have an immediate need, you may always order a direct cremation at Cremstar.com 24/7 by clicking on the Order Cremation button below, and a Cremstar representative will be in touch with you shortly.

Order Cremation