How to close a PayPal account after someone dies
PayPal Australia will only act on instructions from the executor or administrator of the estate. If you're family but not the executor, you'll need to go through them. The process is done by email, and any money left in the account is paid out to the estate.
Last changed: 19 October 2026What to send
Email the following to bereavement@paypal.com.au: (PayPal AU)
- A cover sheet stating that the account holder has died and the executor wants the account closed, including the email address on the PayPal account
- A copy of the death certificate
- The grant of probate or letters of administration
- A copy of the executor's government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's licence or passport
If the executor is a statutory body, such as a state trustee, it sends a statutory certificate instead of probate and ID.
PayPal reviews the documents and contacts you about next steps. It destroys mailed documents once reviewed and won't return them, so send copies, not originals.
Want this done for you? See the Guided Inventory ↓
What happens to the money
Any remaining balance can be:
- transferred to the bank account linked to the PayPal account, or
- sent by wire transfer.
Watch out: if the linked bank account was in the deceased's sole name, it may already be frozen or closed. Tell PayPal where the funds should go, such as the estate account, in your cover sheet.
Don't forget automatic payments
Many people pay subscriptions such as streaming, software and donations through PayPal. Closing the PayPal account stops them, but note what they were before closing, so you can cancel the underlying services and claim any refunds.
What you'll need
- The email address used for PayPal (check their inbox for PayPal receipts)
- Death certificate
- Grant of probate or letters of administration
- Executor's photo ID
Small estates: PayPal's Australian page asks for probate or letters of administration. If the estate isn't going through probate, contact PayPal to ask what alternatives it will accept.
Make it easier for your own family
PayPal accounts are easy to forget because they rarely send paper statements. Listing it, with its email address and linked bank account, takes a minute. The Legacy Mapped Guided Inventory walks you through banking and digital assets, so accounts like PayPal sit alongside everything else your executor needs.
- Includes the $49 Digital Estate Kit
- Generates your finished inventory, ready to print
- Encrypted on your device with your own passphrase — we never see your answers
- Sign in with your email and a one-time code · 12 months’ access
This guide is general information only, not legal, financial or tax advice. Providers change their processes, so always confirm the current steps on the linked official page. For advice on a specific estate, speak with a solicitor, accountant or licensed financial adviser.