PayPal recurring payments · free US guide
How to Cancel PayPal Subscriptions & Autopay
Review PayPal’s automatic payments to identify the merchant and manage its payment agreement. Then check the underlying subscription with that merchant: stopping a payment agreement and ending a service are separate checks.
Reviewed · By Submo · No Submo account needed
Find your PayPal automatic payments
- Sign in to PayPal on the website and open Settings.
- Choose Payments, then Subscriptions and saved businesses or Automatic Payments.
- Select the merchant and review the agreement and contact details.
- Use the cancellation option for that automatic payment and complete the confirmation shown.
Official source: PayPal US automatic-payment instructions
Confirm the service is canceled too
PayPal explains that stopping its payment method typically does not cancel the underlying subscription or contract. Open the merchant’s account or contact its support to check the service’s cancellation process and any remaining obligations.
Keep the PayPal confirmation and the merchant’s response together. Record the service end date separately from the date you changed the payment agreement so the two events are easy to distinguish later.
Official source: PayPal on canceling recurring subscriptions
You do not recognize the merchant
Compare the business name and amount in PayPal with your email receipts. Use the merchant contact details in the agreement to identify the service. A business name on a payment record may differ from the app name you remember.
Add an unresolved charge to a review list rather than guessing which subscription it belongs to. Record the date, amount and merchant name. Never include passwords or complete payment-card details in that list.
A useful record for the next billing cycle
For each service, write down the payment agreement status, the provider’s subscription status, any confirmed end date and where you saved the confirmation. Check other payment accounts too: your PayPal list is only one part of a subscription audit.
When comparing costs, use the actual billed amount and currency. Keep annual charges separate until you have converted them to a monthly equivalent, and do not count the same purchase again just because both PayPal and your bank show it.
Your review checklist
Copy these fields into your own notes. Keep private account details out of shared documents.
- Merchant name and account email
- Automatic-payment agreement status
- Provider’s cancellation confirmation
- Service end date and any final charges
- A check for the same charge on another payment method
Frequently asked
An automatic-payment agreement is permission for a merchant to use PayPal for agreed payments. Review the merchant and its terms to identify what it covers; a saved business is not by itself proof of a current monthly subscription.
Not necessarily. PayPal says stopping the payment method typically does not end the underlying subscription or contract. Complete the merchant’s process and obtain its confirmation.
No. You manage the agreement in PayPal and confirm cancellation with the merchant. Paid Submo membership helps discover recurring charges and track the renewals you choose to keep.
Optional paid membership
Keep your recurring charges in one place
Submo membership helps discover subscriptions, track renewal dates and find cancellation steps. You review the findings and cancel with the provider.
Explore membership →Answer a few questions, then review pricing and recurring billing terms before paying or connecting an account.