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How to Delete PayPal Account Permanently

Recently many PayPal users are looking for how to delete PayPal account. The reason why people are closing off their accounts is because of a seemingly planned acceptable use policy (AUP) change.

Recently many PayPal users are looking for how to delete PayPal account. The reason why people are closing off their accounts is because of a (now abandoned) seemingly planned acceptable use policy (AUP) change. The policy change stated that – PayPal will fine users $2,500 for spreading misinformation.

Right after this policy change was came to the light, people were furious and decided to leave PayPal for good. “BoycottPayPal” was trending on Twitter this weekend and people are looking to delete their PayPal accounts permanently.

David Marcus, the former president of PayPal, tweeted that the new policy change goes against everything he believes in. He further stated in his tweet that “A private company now gets to decide to take your money if you say something they disagree with”. Calling this policy, insanity. Elon Musk also commented on that tweet that he agrees with David.

In this post, we are going to show you how you can delete your PayPal account permanently. So, let’s get started.

Before you close your PayPal account

Before we actually get to the deleting process, let’s discuss what to do before you delete your PayPal account. We will also discuss what happens after you close your PayPal account.

So before deleting, obviously you have to withdraw all of your money from your PayPal account so that you don’t lose any funds. You will also lose any unpaid requests for money as well as coupons and codes from PayPal.

Note that you won’t be able to access or use a PayPal Smart Connect account. PayPal Smart Connect is the company’s in-house line of credit. So after you delete your account you cannot use it.

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What might prevent you from deleting your PayPal account?

If you can’t delete your PayPal account or having trouble deleting your PayPal account, then there might be some unresolved issues. PayPal notifies you, if you have any problem with your balance. Sometimes, PayPal puts limitations on your account if they detect any suspicious activities. If that happens, then you can’t delete or close your PayPal account.

Generally, there are a few reasons why PayPal puts limitations on a user’s account:

  • If a user doesn’t follow PayPal’s Acceptable User Policy (AUP)
  • If an unauthorized person is using an account
  • If a user fails to provide any regulatory requirements such as providing valid documentation
  • If a user sells faulty/defective products and too many buyers claim refunds
  • If PayPal needs to check what you selling or how much you’re selling

When a user faces one of the above mentioned issues, PayPal puts a limitation on that account. After that, the user of that account cannot delete their account until the issue is resolved.

how to delete PayPal account

How to delete PayPal account permanently – How to close PayPal

Once again, before you remove your account, make sure to withdraw all your money from your PayPal account. Because you won’t be able to access your PayPal account anymore.

If you want to use a different platform, or just simply don’t want to continue with PayPal anymore, then follow the given steps:

Delete your PayPal account from desktop

If you want to delete your PayPal account from desktop, follow these steps:

  1. Click on “Settings” (located next to “Log out”)
  2. Find the “Accounts” option, then select “Close your Account”
  3. Put it in your bank account if required
  4. Finally click on “Close Account”

And with that your PayPal account will be terminated.

Delete your PayPal account from the app in your mobile phone

If you want to delete your PayPal account from the PayPal app on your phone, follow these steps:

  1. Click on the profile icon located in the top left corner of the screen
  2. Click on “Close your account”
  3. Select “Close account”

Then you can uninstall the app if you want. That is how you can delete your PayPal account permanently.

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Why are people deleting their PayPal accounts?

The “BoycottPayPal” movement begin right after PayPal made a new adjustment to their acceptable user policy (AUP). This policy was planned to take effect from November 3rd. The policy was, “the sending, posting, or publication of any messages, content, or materials” that “promote misinformation” or “present a risk to user safety or wellbeing” as stated by Mediaite. Anyone who violates this policy will be fined $2,500. Which will be directly taken out of their accounts by PayPal.

Some of the users also came into PayPal’s defense saying that PayPal also tweeted, “It was a mistake”. A spokesman of PayPal also said that PayPal is not fining people and the language was never meant to be added in the acceptable user policy (AUP). He further said that the policy was posted in error.

But the damage has already been done. Some users said that PayPal was ready to take $2,500 from their account and they are now calling it an error because they were caught. Again, what is considered “misinformation” will be decided by the company itself. Because of this reason a large number of PayPal users have deleted their account and many are in the process of deleting theirs too.

Can I recover my deleted PayPal account?

If you’re wondering if you can recover your closed PayPal account after you delete it, then the answer is “no, you can’t”. According to PayPal, you can then open a new account. But the account that you deleted is lost forever. Your new account will not have the old transaction history or any coupon codes, etc.

So if you’re looking to delete your PayPal account for good, make sure that you don’t have anything important in there.

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Conclusion

Deleting a PayPal account is really an easy and takes only 2 minutes or so. But before you delete make sure to withdraw all your cash from your account. Because once you delete your PayPal account, you won’t have access to anything and you cannot recover this account in any way. You can, however, open a new account but it won’t have any of your previous transaction history.

Although PayPal is saying that this new policy was posted as an error and they never meant to fine people, many users are furious. This truly is a dark time for PayPal as the company’s shares have lost more than half of their values this year. After this incident, their stock is down by 6% on Monday. Things are looking more and more grim for the company.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and we may receive a small commission if you purchase something by following them. However, we recommend services/products that we believe good to serve your purpose.

Jack Oliver
Jack Oliver

Jack is a content specialist at Techfring. He is a full-time writer, occasional photographer, seasonal traveler, and a food-lover. When he's not writing, probably he is cooking.

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