{
 "id": "paypal",
 "name": "PayPal",
 "category": "business_finance",
 "website": "https://www.paypal.com",
 "domains": [
  "paypal.com"
 ],
 "summary": "PayPal's User Agreement lets you close a personal or business account at any time at no cost, after withdrawing or transferring the balance. You can't close it with a pending transaction, open dispute or claim, negative balance, or a hold, limitation or reserve. Optional monthly services aren't refunded.",
 "routes": [
  {
   "channel": "direct_web",
   "label": "Close the PayPal account",
   "applies_to": "Personal and business PayPal accounts under the PayPal User Agreement",
   "who": "The account holder",
   "method": "self_serve",
   "start_url": null,
   "steps": [
    {
     "do": "Withdraw or transfer any balance: from the business account for a business account, or from the Balance Account for a personal account",
     "expect": null
    },
    {
     "do": "Make sure nothing blocks closing: no pending transaction, open dispute or claim, negative balance, or hold, limitation or reserve on the account",
     "expect": null
    },
    {
     "do": "Sign in to PayPal and use the account-closing option; PayPal's public terms don't name the menus",
     "expect": null
    }
   ],
   "confirm_by": null,
   "effective": "When the account closes; PayPal then cancels any scheduled or incomplete transactions. Closing a personal account also closes its linked Balance Account",
   "notice": null,
   "refund": null,
   "fees": "No cost to close; you stay liable for all obligations related to the account after it closes",
   "source_ids": [
    "s1",
    "s2",
    "s3",
    "s4",
    "s6",
    "s7",
    "s8",
    "s9",
    "s10",
    "s11"
   ]
  }
 ],
 "pay_less": [],
 "export": [],
 "after_cancel": {
  "access_until": "When the account closes; scheduled or incomplete transactions are cancelled at that point",
  "data_kept": "Personal information used for the relationship is kept for the length of the relationship plus 10 years, or the period local law requires, and longer where the law or legal claims require",
  "you_lose": [
   "Scheduled or incomplete transactions, which PayPal cancels when the account closes",
   "A linked Balance Account, when you close a personal account"
  ]
 },
 "agent_notes": {
  "sign_in_needed": null,
  "phone_or_chat_only": null,
  "retention_step": null,
  "tips": [
   "Withdraw or transfer the balance first; PayPal won't close an account with a pending transaction, an open dispute or claim, a negative balance, or a hold, limitation or reserve",
   "Closing does not end your liability for obligations related to the account",
   "Optional monthly services (Payments Pro, Payments Advanced, Payflow, Invoice Subscription Service and others on PayPal's business fees page) are billed separately; you can stop using card payment services at any time, but monthly fees already paid aren't refunded",
   "When you stop a card payment service, you still have to complete all pending card transactions"
  ]
 },
 "sources": [
  {
   "id": "s1",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/useragreement-full",
   "title": "PayPal User Agreement",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "You may close your PayPal account and terminate your relationship with us at any time without cost",
   "supports": "you can close the account at any time, at no cost"
  },
  {
   "id": "s2",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/useragreement-full",
   "title": "PayPal User Agreement",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "you must withdraw or transfer any funds held in your Balance Account before closing your personal account.",
   "supports": "Balance funds must be moved before closing a personal account"
  },
  {
   "id": "s3",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/useragreement-full",
   "title": "PayPal User Agreement",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "you will remain liable for all obligations related to your PayPal account even after the PayPal account is closed.",
   "supports": "obligations continue after closing"
  },
  {
   "id": "s4",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/useragreement-full",
   "title": "PayPal User Agreement",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "When you close your PayPal account, we will cancel any scheduled or incomplete transactions.",
   "supports": "what happens to scheduled or incomplete transactions at closing"
  },
  {
   "id": "s5",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/useragreement-full",
   "title": "PayPal User Agreement",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "upon termination of this user agreement, the payment to you of any unrestricted funds held in your PayPal account.",
   "supports": "unrestricted funds are paid out when the agreement terminates"
  },
  {
   "id": "s6",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/useragreement-full",
   "title": "PayPal User Agreement",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "If you have a business account, you must withdraw or transfer any balance from your business account before closing it",
   "supports": "business accounts must move the balance first"
  },
  {
   "id": "s7",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/useragreement-full",
   "title": "PayPal User Agreement",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "In certain cases, you may not close your PayPal account, including:",
   "supports": "some cases block closing"
  },
  {
   "id": "s8",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/useragreement-full",
   "title": "PayPal User Agreement",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "If you have a pending transaction or an open dispute or claim",
   "supports": "pending transactions, disputes and claims block closing"
  },
  {
   "id": "s9",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/useragreement-full",
   "title": "PayPal User Agreement",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "If your PayPal account has a negative balance",
   "supports": "a negative balance blocks closing"
  },
  {
   "id": "s10",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/useragreement-full",
   "title": "PayPal User Agreement",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "If your PayPal account is subject to a hold, limitation or reserve",
   "supports": "a hold, limitation or reserve blocks closing"
  },
  {
   "id": "s11",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/useragreement-full",
   "title": "PayPal User Agreement",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "closing a personal account will result in PayPal automatically closing any linked Balance Account.",
   "supports": "the linked Balance Account closes too"
  },
  {
   "id": "s12",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/privacy-full",
   "title": "PayPal Privacy Statement",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "stored for the duration of the relationship plus a period of 10 years or such period as mandated by any applicable local law once our relationship comes to an end",
   "supports": "how long data is kept after the relationship ends"
  },
  {
   "id": "s13",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/pocpsa-full",
   "title": "PayPal Online Card Payment Services Agreement",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "You may terminate your use of the Online Payment Services at any time.",
   "supports": "card payment services (Payments Pro, Payments Advanced, Payflow) can be stopped at any time"
  },
  {
   "id": "s14",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/pocpsa-full",
   "title": "PayPal Online Card Payment Services Agreement",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "You will not be refunded the remainder of any applicable Monthly Fees that you have paid for such Online Payment Service.",
   "supports": "no refund of monthly fees already paid"
  },
  {
   "id": "s15",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/pocpsa-full",
   "title": "PayPal Online Card Payment Services Agreement",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "If your use of any Online Payment Service is terminated, you agree to complete all pending Card transactions",
   "supports": "pending card transactions must be completed"
  },
  {
   "id": "s16",
   "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/business/paypal-business-fees",
   "title": "PayPal Merchant Fees",
   "publisher": "vendor",
   "quote": "Standard rate for Invoice Subscription Service",
   "supports": "optional paid services billed monthly"
  }
 ],
 "verification": {
  "level": "partial",
  "checked_on": "2026-10-08",
  "by": "stackcut-research",
  "unverified": [
   "The menu names and on-screen steps for closing a PayPal account aren't in PayPal's public terms; they'd be in PayPal's Help Center article \"How do I close my PayPal account?\", so the steps above follow the User Agreement only",
   "Confirmation that the account has closed isn't described in PayPal's User Agreement",
   "How to cancel optional monthly services such as Payments Pro, Payflow or the Invoice Subscription Service isn't described in PayPal's public agreements",
   "When a final payout arrives after closing isn't stated in PayPal's User Agreement",
   "How to download transaction history before closing isn't covered in PayPal's public terms; the User Agreement says only that statements are viewed by logging in"
  ],
  "review": {
   "by": "stackcut-review",
   "on": "2026-10-08",
   "result": "partial",
   "notes": [
    "Added the cases in which PayPal won't close an account (pending transaction, open dispute or claim, negative balance, hold, limitation or reserve)",
    "Covered business accounts: the balance must be withdrawn or transferred from the business account; a personal account's linked Balance Account closes with it",
    "Added PayPal's data retention (relationship plus 10 years, or local law)",
    "Added the card payment services agreement: Payments Pro/Advanced/Payflow can be stopped any time, monthly fees aren't refunded, pending card transactions must be completed",
    "The on-screen steps for closing an account aren't confirmed from PayPal's help article, so the review stays partial"
   ]
  }
 },
 "delete_account": {
  "url": "https://www.paypal.com/myaccount/privacy/data/deletion",
  "difficulty": "medium",
  "source": "JustDeleteMe (MIT), https://github.com/jdm-contrib/jdm"
 },
 "page": "https://stackcut.io/cancel/paypal",
 "json": "https://stackcut.io/exits/paypal.json",
 "evidence": {
  "packet_revision": "ab1e1d6313003ac1b94c7583cf3e4cb34b6b1d55eca884c654f32333b8158625",
  "docs_checked_on": "2026-10-08",
  "last_observed_success_on": null,
  "verification": "partial",
  "freshness": {
   "as_of": "2026-10-09",
   "status": "current",
   "checked_on": "2026-10-08",
   "age_days": 1,
   "stale_after_days": 30,
   "next_check_on": "2026-11-07"
  },
  "routes": [
   {
    "route_id": "paypal--direct-web--r1",
    "channel": "direct_web",
    "checked_on": "2026-10-08",
    "freshness": {
     "as_of": "2026-10-09",
     "status": "current",
     "checked_on": "2026-10-08",
     "age_days": 1,
     "stale_after_days": 30,
     "next_check_on": "2026-11-07"
    }
   }
  ]
 },
 "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
 "credit": "Stackcut Exits (https://stackcut.io/cancel), CC BY 4.0"
}