What happens to pending transactions when I close my account?

You cannot close your PayPal account while you have pending transactions. All payments must be completed, all refunds processed, and all disputes resolved before PayPal allows account closure. Check your Activity page and wait for all pending items to clear.

Will I lose my transaction history when I close my account?

Yes. All transaction history is permanently deleted when you close your PayPal account. This includes payment records that may be important for taxes, business expenses, or warranty claims. Download your complete transaction history from the Activity page before closing if you need these records.

Can I reuse my email address to create a new PayPal account?

Not immediately. After closing your account, PayPal prevents you from creating a new account with the same email address for several months. This is a security measure to prevent fraud and account abuse. If you need PayPal again soon, you'll have to use a different email address.

What happens to my subscriptions that use PayPal?

All automatic payments and subscriptions using PayPal will fail when your account is closed. Services like Netflix, Spotify, web hosting, and any recurring billing will be unable to charge you. Update each service with an alternative payment method before closing to avoid service interruptions.

How do I close a PayPal Business account?

Business accounts have additional requirements: all outstanding invoices must be resolved, recurring payments buttons must be managed, and you may need to keep records for IRS reporting. The closure process is similar to personal accounts but may require contacting PayPal support for assistance.

Will closing PayPal affect my credit score?

No. Closing your PayPal account has no direct impact on your credit score. PayPal accounts are not reported to credit bureaus unless you have a PayPal Credit account (which is separate). However, if you used PayPal Credit, you should handle that separately before closing your main PayPal account.

How to Delete Your PayPal Account - Step-by-Step Guide (2025)

Written & Verified By

Delete.Directory Content Team

Our team of privacy advocates and former social media employees verify every deletion process through hands-on testing.

This guide helps you permanently delete your PayPal account. We believe in digital autonomy: your right to leave any platform should be as easy as joining it. Follow these verified steps to ensure complete account deletion.

How We Verified This Guide

Methodology: Hands-on testing with live accounts

Quick Information

Time Required

10 minutes

Difficulty

medium

Steps

5 steps

Official Resources

PayPal Help Center - Close Your Account

Official deletion guide from PayPal

Additional Resources

[1]

Download Your PayPal Transaction History

Official guide for downloading your transaction history and account data

[2]

PayPal Privacy Statement

Understanding how PayPal handles your financial data and privacy

[3]

Withdraw PayPal Balance

How to withdraw your PayPal balance before closing your account

Step-by-Step Guide

Withdraw All Funds From Your Account

Transfer all money from your PayPal balance to your linked bank account or debit card. Go to 'Wallet', click 'Transfer Money', and select 'Transfer to your bank'. Wait 1-3 business days for the transfer to complete. Your balance must be $0.00 before closing.

Tips

•Check for pending transactions that haven't settled yet
•Consider downloading your transaction history before closing

Warnings

•You cannot close your account with any remaining balance
•Bank transfers take 1-3 business days to complete

Resolve All Pending Transactions and Disputes

Ensure all pending payments have been completed, all disputes are resolved, and all claims are closed. Check your 'Activity' page for any pending items. You cannot close your account with active disputes or unresolved issues.

Tips

•Wait for all eBay sales to complete if applicable
•Resolve any buyer or seller disputes before proceeding

Update Subscriptions and Automatic Payments

Review all services that use PayPal for automatic payments (Netflix, Spotify, domains, etc.). Update each service with an alternative payment method. Go to 'Settings' > 'Payments' > 'Manage automatic payments' to see all active subscriptions.

Warnings

•Services will fail to charge after account closure
•You may lose access to subscriptions if not updated

Remove Account Limitations

If your account has any limitations or restrictions, you must resolve them before closing. Contact PayPal customer service to lift limitations, verify your identity if requested, or resolve any outstanding issues.

Tips

•Check 'Resolution Center' for any account issues
•Accounts with limitations cannot be closed

Close Your PayPal Account

Log into PayPal, click the gear icon (Settings), scroll down to 'Account options', and click 'Close your account'. PayPal will verify your account meets all requirements. Confirm closure when prompted. You'll receive a confirmation email.

Warnings

•This action is immediate and permanent
•You cannot use the same email for a new PayPal account for several months

Important Warnings

Cannot Close Account With Balance or Pending Transactions

PayPal strictly requires your account balance to be exactly $0.00 with no pending transactions, disputes, claims, or limitations before allowing closure. Any remaining funds must be withdrawn to a bank account or debit card. Pending transactions must fully complete (which can take several days) before closure is possible.

All Transaction History Permanently Deleted

When you close your PayPal account, your complete transaction history is permanently deleted. This includes records of payments sent and received, which may be important for taxes, business records, warranties, or dispute resolution. Download your transaction history before closing if you need these records.

Subscription and Recurring Payments Will Fail

All services using PayPal for automatic payments will fail when your account closes. This includes streaming subscriptions, web hosting, domain names, software licenses, and any recurring billing. Services may be interrupted or canceled if you don't update payment methods beforehand.

Email Address Cannot Be Reused Immediately

After closing your PayPal account, you cannot create a new PayPal account with the same email address for several months. PayPal implements this restriction for security and fraud prevention. If you need PayPal in the near future, you'll have to use a different email address.

Cannot Close Business Account With Outstanding Issues

PayPal Business accounts have additional closure requirements. All invoices must be paid or canceled, all subscriptions managed through PayPal buttons must be moved, and business account holders may need to maintain records for IRS reporting. Business closures are more complex than personal accounts.

Lose Buyer and Seller Protection History

Your history of PayPal purchases, seller feedback, dispute resolutions, and buyer/seller protection claims is deleted. If you frequently use PayPal for online purchases, you lose the protection history that helps with future disputes. Your reputation as a trusted buyer or seller is reset.

Alternatives to Consider

Keep Account With Zero Balance

easy

Maintain your PayPal account with $0 balance and no linked payment methods. This preserves your transaction history and account for occasional use without security risk.

Pros

•Keep complete transaction history for records
•No ongoing costs or fees for inactive accounts
•Easy to reactivate if you need PayPal again
•Maintain buyer/seller protection history
•Can still receive money if needed

Cons

•Your data remains on PayPal's servers
•Account vulnerable to security breaches
•May receive occasional PayPal emails
•PayPal continues to have your financial information
•Doesn't address privacy concerns

5 min

Remove All Payment Methods and Personal Information

easy

Delete all linked bank accounts, credit cards, and remove as much personal information as possible while keeping your account active for minimal use.

Pros

•Significantly reduce security risk
•Keep transaction history accessible
•Can manually add payment method when needed
•Maintain established account for occasional use

Cons

•PayPal still has historical financial data
•Less convenient for future transactions
•Some data cannot be deleted while account active
•Doesn't fully eliminate privacy concerns

10 min

Download Complete Transaction History First

medium

Before closing, download all transaction history, tax documents, and receipts. PayPal allows exporting transactions as CSV or PDF for your records.

Pros

•Maintain records for tax purposes
•Keep proof of payments for warranties and disputes
•Can reference past transactions even after closure
•Important for business accounting and records

Cons

•Requires manual organization and storage
•You're responsible for securing sensitive financial data
•Takes time to download and organize
•Still need to close account separately

15 min

Frequently Asked Questions

No. PayPal requires your account balance to be exactly $0.00 before you can close your account. You must withdraw all funds to your linked bank account or debit card (which takes 1-3 business days) before proceeding with closure. The close account option is disabled if you have any balance.

References & Citations

[1]
Download Your PayPal Transaction History
Official guide for downloading your transaction history and account data
https://www.paypal.com/us/cshelp/article/how-do-i-download-my-transaction-history-help664
[2]
PayPal Privacy Statement
Understanding how PayPal handles your financial data and privacy
https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full
[3]
Withdraw PayPal Balance
How to withdraw your PayPal balance before closing your account
https://www.paypal.com/us/cshelp/article/how-do-i-withdraw-money-from-my-paypal-account-help690

All citations verified as of 11/8/2025. We regularly review and update all external links to ensure accuracy.

Found incorrect information?

We strive for accuracy. If something's outdated or wrong, let us know.

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Critical Warnings

Cannot Close Account With Balance or Pending Transactions
PayPal strictly requires your account balance to be exactly $0.00 with no pending transactions, disp...
All Transaction History Permanently Deleted
When you close your PayPal account, your complete transaction history is permanently deleted. This i...
Subscription and Recurring Payments Will Fail
All services using PayPal for automatic payments will fail when your account closes. This includes s...

Last Updated

November 8, 2025

PayPal Account Deletion

How We Verified This Guide

Quick Information

Official Resources

Additional Resources

Step-by-Step Guide

Withdraw All Funds From Your Account

Resolve All Pending Transactions and Disputes

Update Subscriptions and Automatic Payments

Remove Account Limitations

Close Your PayPal Account

Important Warnings

Cannot Close Account With Balance or Pending Transactions

All Transaction History Permanently Deleted

Subscription and Recurring Payments Will Fail

Email Address Cannot Be Reused Immediately

Cannot Close Business Account With Outstanding Issues

Lose Buyer and Seller Protection History

Alternatives to Consider

Keep Account With Zero Balance

Remove All Payment Methods and Personal Information

Download Complete Transaction History First

Frequently Asked Questions

References & Citations

Found incorrect information?

Quick Navigation

Related Guides

Critical Warnings

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