What happens to your PayPal account when you die: the steps as of 2026-10-18

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How do I close the PayPal account of a deceased relative?

We're very sorry to hear of your loss. Please note that we’re only able to take instructions from the authorized executor or administrator of the deceased estate to close a PayPal account previously held by a deceased person. If you wish to close the account of a loved one, please contact the relevant executor or administrator.

If you are an executor or administrator of a deceased estate, please provide the following documents to us:

A cover sheet from the requestor (or a person who is duly appointed or authorized to administer the estate of the deceased customer) identifying the PayPal account by the primary email address and requesting the account to be closed

The requestor's email address, so our Deceased Account Team can reach out directly

A copy of the death certificate for the account holder

A copy of a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license, passport, or state-issued ID) of the requestor

Legal documentation or a copy of the will that identifies the executor of the estate

State-issued documentation if a living will is not present

A W9 of the Estate - This can be obtained directly from the IRS' website at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf

Please send the documents to be reviewed for

account closure:

Email:

deceasedaccounts@paypal.com

PayPal Inc.

Attn: ICA

P.O. Box 45950

Omaha, NE 68145

Upon receipt, the documentation and account will be reviewed. Any mailed documentation will be destroyed once reviewed. We cannot return mailed documents.

We can disburse any money that remains in the account in one of the following

ways:

The requestor will

request a check in the name of the deceased account holder through the

PayPal account. We do not change ownership of the funds and must issue the check in the name of the deceased account holder.

The requestor will

have access to the deceased customer’s bank account to transfer the

balance to the bank account linked to the PayPal account.

Once we’ve received this information, we'll review the documents

and, upon approval, will close or lock the account.

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As published on 2026-10-18, https://www.paypal.com/us/cshelp/article/how-do-i-close-the-paypal-account-of-a-deceased-relative-help220