How to Close Your PayPal Account in 2026 (and What Data Is Kept)
What you need to know first
No deactivation. Closure is permanent and cannot be reopened. A combined 'Delete your data and close account' flow is available under Data & Privacy.
Step-by-step: delete your data from PayPal
- Step 1: Log in at paypal.com
- Step 2: Click the Settings (gear) icon
- Step 3: Open Data & Privacy > 'Delete your data and close account'
- Step 4: Read the information and click Yes, Continue
- Step 5: Resolve/unlink connected services (Xoom, Honey, Zettle)
- Step 6: Choose an email for updates and select a reason
- Step 7: Submit the request and enter the 6-digit security code
Separate data request
Data erasure request (Data & Privacy); closed-account erasure goes through Customer Service
Key gotchas
- Cannot close with a balance, limitation, pending dispute, or amount owed — resolve first
- Erasure is permanent and cannot be withdrawn; you can't pick specific data
- Transfer out your balance first
- Unlink Xoom/Honey/Zettle
What this doesn't cover
Financial records cannot be erased on demand due to legal-retention laws; data already shared with credit/fraud bureaus persists.
Financial-record retention is mandated by law, but the marketing/people-search data tied to your name and email is not — that's delist.ai's layer.
See what personal data is exposed about you beyond PayPal.
Run a free scan →Frequently asked questions
Does PayPal delete my data immediately?
Can I opt out of PayPal using my data for training?
Does deleting my PayPal account remove my data from the internet?
What are common mistakes when deleting PayPal data?
Sources
Steps and URLs reflect the platform documentation as of the date above. Platforms may change their settings layout at any time. This guide is informational and not affiliated with PayPal Holdings, Inc.