How to Stop a Recurring Payment on PayPal
Stop a recurring payment by canceling the subscription in your PayPal account
You can stop any recurring payment—a subscription, membership, or automatic bill—directly from your PayPal account without contacting the merchant. Log into PayPal on a computer or phone, go to Settings, then Payments, then Manage automatic payments. Find the payment you want to stop, click it, and select Cancel. The merchant will no longer be able to charge you on the next scheduled date.
The process takes less than a minute. Once you cancel, PayPal sends a confirmation email to the address on your account. The merchant may also send you a cancellation notice, but that comes from them, not PayPal—your job is done once you hit Cancel in your account.
If you cannot find the payment in your automatic payments list, it may be set up through the merchant's own website rather than through PayPal's system. In that case, you will need to log into the merchant's account directly and cancel from there instead.
Key Takeaways
- You stop recurring payments in PayPal Settings under Payments, then Manage automatic payments—no call to PayPal needed.
- Canceling a subscription in PayPal stops future charges but does not refund money already charged; contact the merchant if you want a refund for a recent charge.
- Some merchants set up recurring payments outside PayPal's system, so if you cannot find the payment listed, log into the merchant's website and cancel there.
- After you cancel, check your next billing date to confirm no charge appears; if one does, contact PayPal's Resolution Center within 180 days of the charge.
Where to find your recurring payments in PayPal
Open PayPal and sign in. On a computer, click the gear icon in the top right corner to open Settings. On a phone, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right, then Settings.
Once in Settings, look for a section called Payments or Subscriptions—the exact name varies slightly by device and account type, but it will be near the top of the menu. Click or tap it, then select Manage automatic payments or View subscriptions. PayPal will show you every recurring charge tied to your account, listed by merchant name and next billing date.
Scroll through the list to find the payment you want to stop. If you have many subscriptions, use the search or filter option to narrow it down by merchant name or date.
The steps to cancel a recurring payment
Once you locate the payment in your automatic payments list, click or tap on it. A details page will open showing the merchant name, the amount charged, how often it charges, and the next billing date.
Look for a button or link that says Cancel, Stop, or Unsubscribe—the exact wording depends on your device and PayPal version, but it will be clearly visible on this details page. Click it. PayPal will ask you to confirm the cancellation. Select Yes or Confirm to complete the process.
That is all. The recurring payment is now canceled. PayPal will send you a confirmation email within a few minutes. The merchant will not be able to charge you again unless you manually set up a new recurring payment with them in the future.
What happens after you cancel
Once canceled, no charge will appear on your next billing date. Check your PayPal transaction history on that date to confirm the charge did not go through. If a charge does appear after you canceled, it means either the cancellation did not process or the merchant is charging you outside the PayPal system.
If you see a charge after canceling, open PayPal's Resolution Center, select Report a problem, and choose the transaction. Explain that you canceled the subscription and were charged anyway. PayPal will investigate and can reverse the charge if you filed the report within 180 days of the charge date.
Canceling stops future charges only—it does not refund money you were already charged. If you want a refund for a recent charge, contact the merchant directly and ask for one. Many merchants will refund a charge if you cancel within a short window (often 3 to 7 days), but that is their policy, not PayPal's.
When the payment is not in your PayPal list
Some merchants do not use PayPal's automatic payment system. Instead, they store your PayPal information and charge you directly through their own billing system. In these cases, the payment will not appear in your PayPal automatic payments list, even though the charge comes from your PayPal account.
To stop this type of recurring payment, log into the merchant's website or app using your own account with them (not PayPal). Look for a section called Account, Billing, Subscriptions, or Membership. Find the payment method or subscription tied to your PayPal account and cancel it there. The merchant controls this setup, so you must cancel it on their end.
If you cannot find where to cancel on the merchant's website, contact their customer service directly. Provide your order number or account email and ask them to cancel the recurring charge. Keep a record of the cancellation confirmation they send you.
Stopping a payment you authorized through a third-party app
If you gave a third-party app or website permission to charge your PayPal account on a recurring basis, you can revoke that permission from PayPal without contacting the app. In PayPal Settings, go to Apps and Websites (or Connected Apps, depending on your version). Find the app or website in the list, click it, and select Disconnect or Revoke Access. This stops the app from charging you going forward.
Revoking access through PayPal is faster than trying to cancel through the app itself, especially if the app makes cancellation difficult. However, if the app has already charged you and you want a refund, you still need to contact the app's customer service or file a dispute in PayPal's Resolution Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the merchant know I canceled?
Yes. PayPal notifies the merchant when you cancel a subscription set up through their system. The merchant may send you a cancellation confirmation email. If you cancel a payment set up on the merchant's own website, only the merchant knows—PayPal is not involved in that notification.
Can I cancel a recurring payment if I do not remember setting it up?
Yes. You can cancel any recurring payment listed in your PayPal automatic payments, whether you remember it or not. If you do not recognize a merchant name, click on it to see the full details, then cancel it. If you were charged by a merchant you did not authorize, report it as unauthorized in PayPal's Resolution Center within 180 days.
What if I want to pause a subscription instead of canceling it?
PayPal does not have a built-in pause feature for recurring payments. You must cancel to stop charges. If the merchant offers a pause or suspension option on their own website, you can use that instead. Otherwise, cancel the subscription and set a reminder to reactivate it later if you want to restart it.
Do I get a refund if I cancel mid-cycle?
No. Canceling stops future charges but does not refund the current billing period. If you were charged today and cancel tomorrow, you keep that charge. Contact the merchant directly if you want a refund for the current period—some offer them within a short window, but it is their choice, not PayPal's policy.
How long does it take for a canceled payment to stop showing up?
The cancellation is immediate in your PayPal account. The merchant will not be able to charge you on the next scheduled date. However, it may take a few days for the payment to disappear from your automatic payments list in PayPal, and the merchant may still send you a cancellation email for a few days after you cancel.