How do I see all my PayPal subscriptions?

Sign in and go to paypal.com/myaccount/autopay/ — or click the Settings gear, then Payments, then 'Manage automatic payments'. Every recurring billing agreement is listed there. Filter by 'Active', because PayPal keeps cancelled agreements on the page permanently and the full list can be misleading.

Does cancelling in PayPal cancel my subscription?

No — and this catches almost everyone out. Cancelling a billing agreement only withdraws PayPal's permission to pay the merchant. The merchant still treats your subscription as active, and may charge a card you have on file with them, restrict your account, or send the unpaid balance to collections. Always cancel through the merchant as well.

Why do all my PayPal charges just say 'PAYPAL' on my bank statement?

Because PayPal is the merchant of record — your bank sees PayPal, not the underlying service. Some banks append a shortened merchant name, but many don't. The only reliable way to identify a charge is to match its amount and date against your PayPal activity at paypal.com/myaccount/activity.

Can I get a refund for a PayPal automatic payment?

Cancelling never refunds a payment already taken. Ask the merchant for the refund first. If they refuse, open a dispute at paypal.com/disputes within 180 days of the charge, choose 'I have a billing issue', and attach proof that you cancelled before the payment date. If the merchant doesn't resolve it in 20 days you can escalate the dispute to a PayPal claim.

What is a PayPal billing agreement?

It's standing permission you gave a merchant to charge your PayPal account on a schedule, usually created when you checked out with PayPal and ticked a box to save the payment method. It works like a direct debit: the merchant pulls the money without asking again. You can revoke it at any time at paypal.com/myaccount/autopay/.

I cancelled a PayPal agreement but was still charged — what now?

Check whether the merchant billed a different payment method (a card saved with them rather than PayPal), which is the usual explanation. If the charge genuinely came through PayPal after you cancelled, open a dispute at paypal.com/disputes immediately and attach your cancellation confirmation. Dated proof that the cancellation preceded the charge almost always wins the claim.

Cancellation Guides/Billing Platform

How to Cancel PayPal Automatic Payments & Subscriptions

Subscriptions paid through PayPal never show the merchant's name on your bank statement — only PayPal's. This is the page that lists every one of them, and the one thing cancelling here won't do.

Updated June 2026

4 min read

100% Verified Manual Instructions

Starting Cost

Varies

Billing Terms

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Trial Conditions

Varies by app

Difficulty Level

Easy

Interactive Guide

Cancellation Assistant

Go to Cancel Page

On the Web / Desktop

Sign in at paypal.com and go to paypal.com/myaccount/autopay/ directly, or click the ⚙ Settings gear icon, then the Payments tab, then 'Manage automatic payments'.

You'll see a list of merchants with automatic billing agreements. Click 'Active' at the top to filter — cancelled agreements stay on this page indefinitely and make the list look longer than it is.

Click a merchant's name to see the agreement: how much it charges, how often, and the date of the next scheduled payment.

Click Cancel (or 'Cancel automatic payments') and confirm. The status changes to Cancelled and PayPal will no longer pay that merchant.

Now cancel the subscription with the merchant itself. This is the step almost everyone skips: cancelling in PayPal only revokes PayPal's permission to pay — the merchant's subscription remains active and they will bill you another way or send the account to collections.

Check your PayPal balance and linked cards over the next cycle to confirm nothing was charged, and keep PayPal's cancellation confirmation email.

Advisory: Cancel Where You Subscribed

You can only stop billing on the platform you originally paid on. If you subscribed inside an app, cancelling on the website won't stop the charge — and vice versa. Watch out for retention “dark patterns” too: keep going until you see a clear “Cancellation Confirmed” screen and a confirmation email.

Refunds

How to Get a PayPal Refund If You Were Already Charged

Cancelling a billing agreement stops future payments but never reverses the one that already went through. To get that money back you have two routes, and PayPal expects you to try the first one before the second.

Contact the merchant directly first and ask for a refund. If they agree, the money is returned to your PayPal balance or original payment method within a few business days. Keep the email in which they agree — you'll need it if the refund doesn't arrive.

If the merchant refuses or ignores you, open a dispute in PayPal's Resolution Center at paypal.com/disputes within 180 days of the payment. Choose 'I have a billing issue' and explain that you cancelled the subscription and were charged anyway. A dispute is a conversation with the merchant; if they don't resolve it within 20 days you can escalate it to a formal PayPal claim, where PayPal decides. Attach your cancellation confirmation — a dated screenshot or email showing you cancelled before the charge is what wins these claims.

Charged for something you forgot?

Renew Reminder warns you up to 14 days before your next renewal — so you never have to chase a refund again.

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Pre-Cancellation Review

Before You Cancel — Things to Consider

Cancelling in PayPal does not cancel your subscription. It only stops PayPal from paying. The merchant still considers you subscribed, may bill you through another payment method on file, and can pursue the unpaid balance. Always cancel with the merchant too.
Cancelled agreements stay on the page forever. PayPal never removes them, so filter the list by 'Active' before concluding that you're still paying for something.
Look for merchants you don't recognise. Billing agreements are often created during a one-off checkout years ago and are among the easiest recurring charges to lose track of, because your statement only ever says 'PAYPAL'.
Cancelling an agreement does not refund the last payment. You'll need to request that from the merchant, or open a dispute in PayPal's Resolution Center.
A cancelled agreement cannot be reinstated. If you want the service back later you'll have to re-subscribe through the merchant, which may mean losing legacy pricing.
PayPal is one of four places subscriptions hide. Between PayPal, the App Store, Google Play, and direct card charges, most people have never seen all their subscriptions on one screen. Renew Reminder puts them there, and reminds you before each renewal instead of after.

DifficultyEasy

Cancel Duration2 mins

Advisory Note

Cancelling here stops the billing, but the app may keep a separate account. Check the service directly if you also want your data deleted.

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