When a PayPal customer dies, the executor or administrator of the estate asks PayPal to close the account by sending a short set of documents to deceasedaccounts@paypal.com or by post. PayPal says it only takes instructions from that person. Remaining money is paid out by check in the deceased's name or to their linked bank account. If the person bought crypto in PayPal, ask PayPal how that balance will be handled before the account is closed. Nobody should sign in as the deceased person.
This guide follows PayPal's U.S. help center and crypto terms as of October 2026. PayPal's reply to your request is what counts.
PayPal deceased account at a glance
| Step | What you do | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm who can act for the estate | PayPal deals only with the executor or administrator |
| 2 | Gather the six items PayPal lists | Including an IRS Form W-9 for the estate |
| 3 | Email them to deceasedaccounts@paypal.com, or post them | Type the address yourself |
| 4 | Ask how any crypto balance will be handled | Before the account is closed |
| 5 | Choose how the remaining money is paid | Check in the deceased's name, or the linked bank account |
Who can close a deceased person's PayPal account
PayPal's help page is clear that it is "only able to take instructions" from the authorized executor or administrator of the estate. A spouse or child who isn't the executor can't close the account on their own. If nobody has been appointed yet, start with the estate: a will names an executor, and without one a court appoints an administrator, or a small-estate affidavit may be used where state law allows it.
PayPal's help page doesn't describe a way to name a beneficiary on a PayPal account, so the balance goes through the estate.
Step 1: Gather the documents PayPal asks for
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Cover sheet | Identifies the account by its primary email address and asks PayPal to close it |
| Your email address | So PayPal can reply to you |
| Death certificate | A copy of the official certificate |
| Your photo ID | A copy of your government-issued photo ID |
| Proof you are the executor | The will, or the legal document naming you executor or administrator; state-issued documentation if there is no will |
| IRS Form W-9 for the estate | Available from the IRS website |
The estate usually needs its own taxpayer identification number (EIN) for the W-9. The estate's lawyer or accountant can help with that.
Step 2: Send them to PayPal
- Email: deceasedaccounts@paypal.com
- Post: PayPal Inc., Attn: ICA, P.O. Box 45950, Omaha, NE 68145
PayPal says posted documents are destroyed after review and aren't returned, so send copies, not originals. It doesn't publish a timeline. Keep a note of what you sent and when.
Step 3: Ask about the crypto before the account closes
PayPal's deceased-account page doesn't mention crypto. Its crypto terms say "You must sell or transfer any Crypto Assets in your Crypto Account before closing it," and that some custody and trading services are performed for PayPal by Paxos Trust Company. So ask PayPal, in writing:
- Will the crypto be sold for cash, or can it be transferred to the estate or an heir?
- Can PayPal give the value of each asset on the date of death?
- Is there a separate Venmo account? Venmo has its own deceased-account process.
The date-of-death value matters for taxes: in the U.S., inherited crypto usually gets a stepped-up basis. See is inherited crypto taxable?
Step 4: How the money is paid out
PayPal offers two ways to pay out the remaining balance:
- A check in the deceased's name. PayPal says it doesn't change the ownership of funds, so the check can't be made out to you. It is usually deposited into an estate bank account.
- The linked bank account. The balance can go to the bank account linked to the PayPal account, if you can access that account.
After approval, PayPal closes or locks the account.
If the PayPal account was closed for inactivity
Sometimes nobody touches the account for years and the family only learns about it later. PayPal's U.S. user agreement doesn't set out a dormancy rule we could find, but in the U.S. money left in an unused financial account is generally reported to a state unclaimed property program once a dormancy period set by state law has passed. If the balance is no longer in PayPal:
- Search the state unclaimed property site for every state the person lived in. Unclaimed.org, run by the state administrators' association NAUPA, links to each state's official site, and MissingMoney.com searches many states at once.
- Search under the person's legal name and any older names or addresses.
- Claims for a deceased owner usually need the death certificate and proof that you are the executor or an heir; each state lists its own documents.
- Searching and claiming through the state is free. Treat anyone charging a fee to "release" a PayPal balance with suspicion.
Ask PayPal first, though. If the account still exists, the deceased-account process above applies.
Outside the U.S.: PayPal Europe
Accounts held with PayPal (Europe) S.à r.l. et Cie, S.C.A. follow PayPal's European process, which differs from the U.S. one. PayPal's German-language help page (Swiss site) asks the executor or estate administrator for a cover sheet with their contact details, a copy of the death certificate, a certified copy of the will naming the executor (or, without a will, a statement identifying the likely administrator and their connection to the estate), their government photo ID, a signed copy of PayPal's standard indemnity form, and instructions for the remaining balance. Documents go to europeanservices@paypal.com or by post to PayPal's Luxembourg address. The balance can be paid to the linked bank account, another bank account, or a PayPal account the executor chooses. Check the help page for the country where the account was opened.
There is no seed phrase to find
Crypto bought in PayPal is held for the customer, so the family doesn't need a recovery phrase to claim it. If you find a 12 to 24-word phrase anyway, the person probably also had a self-custody wallet. That follows a different route, explained in the 30-day family checklist.
Don't sign in, and watch for fake support
Signing in with the deceased person's password or phone isn't a claim, and it can complicate the estate. Keep their email and phone number active while PayPal reviews the request.
People searching for a "PayPal deceased account phone number" are a common target for impostors. Use only the contact details on PayPal's own help site. No real agent will ask for a password, a login code, remote access to your computer, or a fee to release an estate. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center has warned about companies that falsely claim they can recover crypto for an upfront fee. See the recovery-scam checklist.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.
If you use PayPal: make it easier for your family
- Write down that you have a PayPal account, which email it uses, and whether you hold crypto in it.
- Keep your PayPal name the same as on your legal documents.
- Say who your executor is and where your will is kept.
A letter of instruction can hold all of this without any password. PingVaults can deliver that note to a trusted contact after a period of inactivity; it doesn't replace PayPal's process or prove anyone's authority.
For other apps, see Cash App, Robinhood and the payment-app overview.
Common questions
How do I close a deceased person's PayPal account?
The executor or administrator sends PayPal a cover sheet naming the account's primary email, their own email address, the death certificate, their photo ID, the will or legal document naming them executor, and an IRS Form W-9 for the estate, to deceasedaccounts@paypal.com or by post to PayPal's Omaha address.
Can a family member who isn't the executor close the account?
No. PayPal says it only takes instructions from the authorized executor or administrator of the estate.
What happens to the money in a deceased person's PayPal account?
PayPal pays it by check in the deceased's name, or to the linked bank account if you can access it. It doesn't change the ownership of the funds.
What happens to crypto in a deceased person's PayPal account?
PayPal's deceased-account page doesn't cover crypto, and its crypto terms say crypto must be sold or transferred before a crypto account is closed. Ask PayPal in writing whether it will sell or transfer the crypto, and for the value on the date of death, before the account is closed.
What if the PayPal account was closed due to inactivity?
Ask PayPal whether the account still exists. If the balance was turned over to a state, search that state's unclaimed property site (links at unclaimed.org) for the person's name and file a claim as executor or heir. It's free.
How do I close a deceased relative's PayPal account in Germany or elsewhere in Europe?
PayPal (Europe) uses its own process: the executor or estate administrator sends the death certificate, the will or a statement naming the administrator, their photo ID, a signed indemnity form and payout instructions to europeanservices@paypal.com or to PayPal's Luxembourg address.
Is there a PayPal phone number for deceased accounts?
PayPal's help page gives an email address and a postal address, not a phone line. Treat a "PayPal estate hotline" found in search results or on social media as suspect.