How to close a deceased person's PayPal account
PayPal handles closing a deceased person's account through by email, or by mail. The steps below are PayPal's own published process, taken from its official support pages — this page organizes them so you can see what the provider asks for; it doesn't add to them or recommend any particular action.
What you'll need
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Letters testamentary or letters of administration (or a small-estate affidavit where eligible)
- Your government-issued photo ID
- A letter of instruction stating how remaining funds should be handled
Steps
- PayPal only takes closure instructions from the authorized executor or administrator of the estate; anyone else should contact that person.
- Prepare a cover sheet identifying the PayPal account by its primary email address and requesting closure, plus your own email address so PayPal's Deceased Account Team can reach you.
- Gather a copy of the death certificate, a copy of your government-issued photo ID, legal documentation or a copy of the will identifying the executor (or state-issued documentation if there is no will), and a W-9 for the estate.
- Send the documents by email to deceasedaccounts@paypal.com or by mail to PayPal Inc., Attn: ICA, P.O. Box 45950, Omaha, NE 68145 (mailed documents are destroyed after review and cannot be returned).
- On approval PayPal closes or locks the account. Remaining funds are disbursed either as a check in the name of the deceased account holder, or by transfer to the bank account linked to the PayPal account.
Closing one account is only part of the job — every recurring charge still draws on a card or bank account the estate will eventually claim. HeirLoft reads the recurring charges straight out of an inbox in one pass, so you can see everything that's still billing while you work down the list.
Surface every recurring charge in one place
How to contact PayPal
Typical timeline
PayPal does not publish a typical timeline for this process.
Notes
PayPal does not change ownership of the funds — a check is issued in the deceased's name — and does not give anyone access to the account.
Sources
Last reviewed September 14, 2026 · Links verified September 14, 2026
Related guides
- Close a deceased person's account, provider by provider
- Accessing a deceased person's financial accounts
The simplest way to spare your own family this process is to keep an up-to-date list of your accounts somewhere they can find it. HeirLoft finds the recurring charges you've forgotten and keeps them in one place your heirs can actually use.