How to Delete a PayPal Account

Last Updated: November 7, 2020 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to permanently close your personal PayPal account. Once your PayPal account is closed, you won't be able to reopen it. Any scheduled or incomplete transactions will be canceled. You can’t close your account if there are limitations, unresolved issues, or a balance connected to it.

Steps

1
Go to https://www.paypal.com in a web browser. You can use any web browser to close your PayPal account. Then click on Log in in the upper-right corner of the window.
- You can't deactivate your account from the PayPal mobile app.
2
Log in. Type the email associated with your account and your password into the labeled fields and click on Log In.
- Before you can close the account, you must verify it and transfer all remaining funds to your bank.
- If you have any unresolved issues, such as a dispute or pending transactions, your account cannot be closed until they are resolved.
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3
Click
. You'll find this gear icon in the upper-right corner of the window.
4
Click the ACCOUNT tab. It's in the menu that runs horizontally across the top of your window, next to SECURITY, PAYMENTS, and NOTIFICATIONS.
5
Click Close your account. It's under the "Account options" section.
6
Enter your bank account number (if prompted). If you don't have an attached bank account, you won't be asked for this and can skip this step.
7
Click Close Account. Your PayPal account will be closed and you'll get an email confirmation of the action.
- Once closed, a PayPal account can't be reopened.^{[1]
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Community Q&A

Question

Is it possible to close an account and then start a new account with the same email address?

Community Answer

Yes, you can reuse your e-mail address that you have used on a previously closed Paypal account.
Question

My email address shows when I log in. How do I stop this from happening?

Community Answer

Eliminate your cache and cookies. Select "Tools" or "Preferences" from your web browser's drop-down menu, and look for a tab or section with the name "privacy." There should be an option called "clear all history/cookies/cache." Click on that, and you should be given an option to pick what you want to delete (cache, cookies, history, etc.) and from where (the very beginning, a month ago, a week ago, etc.).
Question

Can I cancel my Paypal account over the phone?

Community Answer

Yes. Just call Customer Service and they can help you step by step in closing your account.