How to Close and Delete Your PayPal Account
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Independent guide, not affiliated with PayPal
PayPal lets you close a personal account yourself from Account Settings, as long as there is nothing outstanding: no balance owed, no open disputes or holds, and no pending transactions. Any positive balance should be withdrawn first.
Closing PayPal does not affect accounts at Venmo or Xoom, even though they belong to the same company.
At a glance
- Time required: About 5 minutes
- Requirements: No negative balance, open disputes, limitations or pending payments
- Balance: Withdraw it to your bank before closing
- Reversible?: No — closed accounts cannot be reopened
PayPal Help Center (official site) ↗
Before you delete
- Withdraw your balance to a linked bank account or card.
- Download statements: Activity > Statements, for taxes and records.
- Cancel automatic payments (Settings > Payments > Manage automatic payments) and update subscriptions elsewhere.
- Resolve disputes and holds; PayPal blocks closure while they are open.
- Business accounts may need to contact PayPal to close.
How to close your PayPal account
- Log in at paypal.com and click the Settings (gear) icon.
- Stay on the Account tab and find Account options or scroll to the bottom.
- Click Close account (or Close your account).
- If prompted, confirm your bank details or resolve outstanding items PayPal lists.
- Click Close Account to confirm.
Menus change often. If a button has moved, use the search box in the app's settings or the official help link above.
What happens after closing
You can no longer log in, send or receive money, and pending recurring payments stop. PayPal keeps transaction records for the period required by financial regulations, so your history is not instantly erased from its systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reopen my PayPal account after closing it?
No. You can open a new account later, but your old history and settings do not return.
What happens to pending payments?
You must let them complete or cancel them; PayPal won’t close an account with pending transactions or open disputes.
How do I download my PayPal transaction history?
Go to Activity > Statements and download monthly statements or a custom activity report before closing.
Does closing PayPal close Venmo?
No. Venmo is a separate account with its own closure process.