Cancel an auto payment by going to your PayPal settings
To stop a recurring payment on PayPal, log into your account, go to Settings (the gear icon), then select Payments in the left menu. Look for Manage automatic payments — this shows every subscription and recurring charge linked to your account. Find the payment you want to stop, click on it, and select Cancel. The charge will stop after you confirm.
The whole process takes about two minutes. Once you cancel, PayPal will send you a confirmation email. That email is your proof the cancellation went through, so keep it in case the merchant tries to charge you again.
If you cannot find the payment in your settings, it may be set up through the merchant's own website rather than through PayPal directly. In that case, you will need to log into the merchant's account (the subscription service, gym, streaming app, or whatever is charging you) and cancel from their side instead.
Key Takeaways
- Cancelling a recurring payment on PayPal takes two minutes: Settings > Payments > Manage automatic payments > select the charge > Cancel.
- PayPal sends a confirmation email when you cancel, which proves the cancellation went through if the merchant charges you again.
- Some recurring charges are managed by the merchant's website, not PayPal, so you may need to cancel directly with them instead.
- Cancelling stops future charges but does not refund money you already paid — contact the merchant if you want a refund for past charges.
- If a merchant continues charging after you cancel, dispute the charge through PayPal's Resolution Center within 180 days.
What happens to charges you already paid
Cancelling a recurring payment stops future charges only. It does not refund money the merchant already took from your account. If you want money back for charges before you cancelled, you will need to contact the merchant directly and ask for a refund.
Many merchants will refund a recent charge if you ask within a few days. Some have a refund window (like 14 or 30 days) stated in their terms. If the merchant refuses and you believe the charge was wrong, you can dispute it through PayPal's Resolution Center, but you must do so within 180 days of the charge date.
If the merchant keeps charging after you cancel
Sometimes a merchant continues to charge even after you cancel the automatic payment. This usually happens because the cancellation did not go through, or the merchant is using a different payment method or account to bill you.
First, check your PayPal settings again to confirm the payment is actually cancelled. Log back into Settings > Payments > Manage automatic payments and look for the merchant's name. If it is still there, the cancellation did not stick — try cancelling again.
If it is gone from your automatic payments list but you still got charged, the merchant may be billing a different PayPal account, a credit card, or a bank account instead. Check your bank and credit card statements to see which payment method was used. You may need to cancel the payment with that method directly, or contact the merchant to update their records.
If you have cancelled multiple times and the merchant keeps charging, dispute the unauthorized charge in PayPal's Resolution Center. You will need the charge date and the merchant's name. PayPal will investigate and may refund you if the charge was truly unauthorized.
Cancelling a payment set up through the merchant's website
Not all recurring charges show up in PayPal's automatic payments list. Some merchants set up subscriptions through their own website and only use PayPal as the payment method. In this case, you cannot cancel through PayPal — you have to cancel through the merchant.
Log into the merchant's website or app, find your account settings or subscription page, and look for an option to cancel or manage your subscription. Most services have a Billing, Subscription, or Account section where you can pause or cancel. If you cannot find it, contact the merchant's customer service — they can cancel for you.
After you cancel with the merchant, the charge should stop at your next billing date. Some merchants process refunds for the current billing period if you cancel mid-cycle, but this varies. Check the merchant's refund policy or ask their support team.
Removing PayPal access from a merchant entirely
If you want to stop a merchant from charging you through PayPal altogether — not just cancel one payment, but revoke their permission to bill you in the future — you can do that through PayPal's connected apps and services.
Go to Settings > Apps and permissions > Connected apps. Find the merchant or service in the list and click on it. Select Remove access. This disconnects the merchant from your PayPal account, so they cannot charge you anymore, even if they try.
Removing access is stronger than cancelling a single payment because it cuts off the merchant's ability to bill you at all. Use this if you no longer want the merchant to have any connection to your PayPal account.
Disputing a charge if cancellation does not work
If you cancelled a recurring payment and the merchant charged you anyway, or if you cannot cancel through PayPal or the merchant's website, you can dispute the charge. Open PayPal, go to your Activity or Transaction history, find the charge, and click on it. Select Report a problem and choose Unauthorized transaction or I do not recognize this charge.
PayPal will ask you to describe what happened. Explain that you cancelled the automatic payment (include the date if you remember it) and the merchant charged you anyway. Attach your cancellation confirmation email if you have it. PayPal will contact the merchant and investigate.
You have 180 days from the charge date to file a dispute. PayPal usually responds within 10 business days, though some disputes take longer if the merchant contests it. If PayPal finds in your favor, they will refund the charge to your PayPal balance or the original payment method.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will cancelling a PayPal automatic payment affect my credit score?
No. Cancelling a recurring payment on PayPal does not affect your credit. Credit bureaus only see payments you make to credit accounts (credit cards, loans, mortgages). Cancelling a subscription or automatic payment is not reported to them.
Can I pause a payment instead of cancelling it completely?
PayPal does not have a built-in pause feature for automatic payments. You can only cancel. If you want to restart the payment later, you will have to set it up again with the merchant, or the merchant may let you reactivate it through their own website.
What if I cancelled but the merchant says they never received the cancellation?
PayPal's cancellation is final on PayPal's end, but the merchant may not be notified when ready. If the merchant claims they did not receive it, show them your PayPal confirmation email. If they keep charging, dispute the charge through PayPal's Resolution Center and include a screenshot of your cancellation confirmation.
Do I need to contact PayPal customer service to cancel a payment?
No. You can cancel any automatic payment yourself through Settings > Payments > Manage automatic payments. You only need to contact PayPal if the payment will not cancel, or if you want to dispute a charge that went through after you cancelled.
Can I cancel a payment if I do not remember which merchant set it up?
Yes. Go to Settings > Payments > Manage automatic payments and look at the merchant names and amounts. If you do not recognize one, click on it to see more details — PayPal usually shows the merchant's website or phone number. You can cancel it from there, or contact the merchant to confirm what the charge is for before you cancel.