How to close your PayPal account
You can close your PayPal account yourself through your account settings in a few minutes. Before you do, make sure your account balance is zero — PayPal will not let you close an account with money in it. If you have a balance, you can transfer it to your bank account or request a withdrawal. Once your balance is clear, you go to Settings, find the Close Account option, and confirm the closure. PayPal will send you a confirmation email.
The process is straightforward, but there are a few things to know beforehand. If you have active subscriptions or recurring payments set up through PayPal, those will stop working once you close the account. If you have pending transactions or disputes, you may need to resolve those first. And if you plan to open a new PayPal account later, you can do so with a different email address.
Key Takeaways
- Your PayPal account balance must be zero before you can close the account — transfer any remaining money to your bank first.
- Active subscriptions and recurring payments will stop working when ready when you close your account.
- You close your account through Settings in the PayPal website or app, not by contacting customer service.
- PayPal keeps your transaction history for a set period even after closure, so you can still view past activity if needed.
- You can open a new PayPal account with a different email address at any time after closing.
Check your account balance before you start
PayPal will not let you close an account that has money in it. Log into your account and look at your balance on the main dashboard. If you have money sitting there, you need to move it out first.
The easiest way is to transfer the balance to your linked bank account. Go to Wallet, select your bank account, and choose Transfer to Bank. Enter the amount and confirm. Transfers usually take one to three business days. If you do not have a bank account linked, you can add one before transferring, or you can request a check from PayPal — though this takes longer.
Stop any subscriptions or recurring payments
If you have set up automatic payments through PayPal — like a monthly subscription, gym membership, or bill payment — those will stop working when you close your account. Before you close, go through your subscriptions and either cancel them or switch them to a different payment method.
To find your subscriptions, go to Settings, then Payments. Look for Manage Automatic Payments. You will see a list of every place that charges you regularly through PayPal. Cancel the ones you no longer want, or update the payment method for the ones you want to keep. This prevents any surprises when a payment fails because your PayPal account no longer exists.
Resolve any open disputes or pending transactions
If you have a transaction that is still pending — meaning the money has not fully moved yet — or if you have filed a dispute with another user, you may need to wait for those to finish before closing. PayPal will usually tell you if there is something blocking closure.
Check your Resolution Center to see if there are any open cases. If there are, resolve them first. Pending transactions usually clear within a few days. Once everything is settled, you can move forward with closing.
Close your account through Settings
Once your balance is zero and your subscriptions are handled, you are ready to close. On the PayPal website, go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right). Scroll down to find Account Settings, then look for Close Account or Deactivate Account — the exact wording varies slightly depending on your account type.
Click on it. PayPal will ask you why you are closing and may offer you options to resolve the issue instead. You can skip those and continue. Read the information about what happens when you close, then confirm. You will get a confirmation email within a few minutes saying your account is closed.
If you are using the PayPal app instead of the website, the steps are similar: tap the menu icon, go to Settings, find Account Settings, and look for the close account option.
What happens after you close your account
Once your account is closed, you cannot log in anymore. You cannot send or receive money through that account. Any money owed to you through PayPal cannot be collected — so if someone tries to send you money, it will fail.
PayPal keeps your transaction history for a period of time even after closure, so you can still contact them if you need to look up a past transaction or resolve something that comes up later. However, you cannot access this history through your account — you would need to contact PayPal directly.
If you want to use PayPal again in the future, you can open a new account with a different email address. There is no waiting period, and you can do it whenever you want.
If you cannot close your account
Sometimes PayPal will not let you close your account. The most common reasons are: your balance is not zero, you have pending transactions, you have an open dispute, or there is a problem with your account that PayPal needs to investigate.
If you see an error message when you try to close, read it carefully — it will usually tell you what needs to be fixed. If the message is unclear, or if you have tried everything and still cannot close, contact PayPal customer service. You can reach them through the Help Center on the PayPal website, or through the Resolution Center if your issue is about a specific transaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reopen my PayPal account after I close it?
No, you cannot reopen the same account. However, you can open a new PayPal account with a different email address at any time. The new account will be separate and will not have access to the old account's history.
What happens to my transaction history after I close my account?
PayPal keeps your transaction records for several years even after you close your account. You cannot view them through your account anymore, but you can contact PayPal customer service if you need to look up a past transaction for tax or record-keeping purposes.
Will closing my PayPal account hurt my credit?
No. Closing a PayPal account does not affect your credit score because PayPal is not a credit provider — it is a payment service. Your credit is only affected by credit accounts like credit cards, loans, and lines of credit.
What if I have a pending refund when I try to close?
If you are waiting for a refund from a seller, you should wait for it to arrive before closing your account. Once your account is closed, the refund cannot be deposited into it. Contact the seller to ask when the refund will be processed, or contact PayPal if the refund is overdue.
Do I need to contact PayPal to close my account, or can I do it myself?
You can close your account yourself through Settings without contacting anyone. You do not need to call or email PayPal unless something is preventing you from closing, like a balance that will not transfer or a pending transaction.