How to find and stop subscriptions paid with PayPal

PayPal is easy to forget as a source of subscriptions, because its charges arrive on your card or bank statement as PayPal entries rather than under the service’s name. It does, however, keep a proper list.

Where PayPal lists them

PayPal calls them automatic payments: an agreement that lets a business charge you without you signing in each time. Subscriptions, billing agreements and recurring payments all fall under it. On the PayPal website, open Settings, then Payments, then the section labelled "Subscriptions and saved businesses" or "Automatic Payments". This follows PayPal’s own help article; the label differs between account types and regions.

The list shows every business with a standing agreement, including ones you have not paid in a long time. Old agreements are worth removing even if they are dormant: they are permission to charge, not a record of past charges.

Saved businesses are not only subscriptions

Checking out with PayPal and choosing to save it for future purchases also creates an entry, even for a shop you bought from once. Those saved businesses can charge you later without a fresh login. If you do not expect to buy from a business again, removing it costs nothing and closes the door.

Cancelling an automatic payment

Open the business in the list and cancel the automatic payment. On the same page you can change which card or bank account is used for it. Do this before the next payment date to avoid another charge.

Cancel with the merchant as well

Cancelling in PayPal withdraws PayPal as the way to pay. It does not necessarily end your account or subscription with the business, which may then try another payment method on file or mark your account as overdue. For a clean stop, cancel the subscription in the service’s own account settings too, then remove the agreement in PayPal.

Reading PayPal charges on a statement

PayPal charges typically appear on card and bank statements with "PayPal" followed by the merchant name, often shortened. If the merchant part is unclear, the PayPal activity list shows the full name for the same date and amount.

The rest of your subscriptions

PayPal shows only what is paid through PayPal. Apple, Google Play and direct card subscriptions are listed elsewhere — see how to find all your subscriptions and how to spot subscriptions on a bank or card statement.

Keeping PayPal subscriptions visible

Because PayPal subscriptions hide behind a PayPal line on your statement, they are the easiest to lose. SubTracker lets you record the payment method for each subscription, so the PayPal ones stay visible next to everything else. SubTracker does not connect to your bank or to Apple, Google, PayPal or Amazon — you add each subscription once yourself, which takes about ten minutes and means nobody else sees your transactions.