You can remove a bank account from PayPal in your account settings, and it takes about two minutes
Go to your PayPal account, click the gear icon (Settings), then select Wallet from the left menu. Find the bank account you want to remove, click the three dots next to it, and select Remove. PayPal will ask you to confirm. Once you confirm, the account is disconnected from your PayPal profile immediately — you won't be able to send money from that bank account or receive transfers to it through PayPal anymore.
If you have a pending transfer to or from that bank account, you'll need to wait for it to complete before you can remove it. PayPal won't let you disconnect an account while money is in transit. Transfers typically take one to three business days, depending on your bank.
Removing a bank account does not close your PayPal account or affect any other payment methods you have on file. If you have a debit card or credit card linked to PayPal, those stay active. You can add a different bank account later if you need to.
Key Takeaways
- Bank accounts are removed through Settings > Wallet, and the disconnection happens immediately after you confirm.
- You cannot remove a bank account while a transfer to or from it is pending — wait for the transfer to finish first.
- Removing a bank account does not close your PayPal account or affect credit cards or debit cards you have linked.
- Once removed, you can add a new bank account to your PayPal profile at any time through the same Wallet menu.
Why you might need to remove a bank account
The most common reason is switching banks. If you've opened a new account at a different bank or moved to a new institution, you'll want to remove the old account and add the new one so PayPal sends transfers to the right place.
You might also remove an account if you're closing it. Leaving a closed account linked to PayPal won't cause immediate problems, but if PayPal tries to send a refund or transfer to that account later, it will fail and bounce back. Removing it first prevents that confusion.
Some people remove bank accounts for security reasons — if you think your account information has been compromised, disconnecting it from PayPal stops PayPal from being a route for unauthorized transfers. You should also change your PayPal password and check your bank account for suspicious activity.
What happens to pending transfers when you remove an account
If you have money on its way to a bank account you're about to remove, PayPal will block the removal until the transfer completes. The system won't let you disconnect an account with money in flight.
If you have initiated a transfer from your bank account to PayPal (funding your PayPal balance), the same rule applies — you have to wait for that deposit to clear before you can remove the account. This usually takes one to three business days depending on your bank.
Once the transfer is done, the account is free to remove. If you remove an account and then realize you need it back, you can re-add it through the Wallet menu — PayPal will treat it as a new connection and may ask you to verify it again.
How to verify you removed the right account
After you confirm the removal, go back to Settings > Wallet and look at your list of bank accounts. The one you removed should no longer appear. If it's still there, the removal didn't go through — this usually means a transfer was still pending. Wait a day and try again.
You can also check your PayPal transaction history to see if any recent transfers were sent to that account. If the last transfer to that account is marked as complete, it's safe to remove.
If you removed an account by mistake, you can add it back immediately by clicking Link a Bank Account in the Wallet section. PayPal may ask you to verify the account again by confirming two small deposits your bank makes to it — this takes a few days.
Adding a new bank account after removal
Once you've removed an old account, you can add a new one right away. Go to Settings > Wallet, click Link a Bank Account, and enter your new routing number and account number. You can find both on a check or by logging into your bank's website.
PayPal will verify the account by making two small test deposits (usually under $1 each) to your bank account. Your bank will show these deposits within one to two business days. Once you see them, go back to PayPal and enter the exact amounts to confirm the account is yours.
Until you verify the account, you can receive money to PayPal but cannot transfer it out to that bank account. Verification usually takes three to five business days total. After that, the account works the same way as any other linked bank account.
What to do if you can't remove an account
The most common reason removal fails is a pending transfer. Check your PayPal activity to see if money is still moving to or from that account. If there's a transfer listed as "pending" or "processing," wait for it to complete and try removing the account again.
If you see no pending transfers but removal still won't work, try logging out of PayPal completely, waiting a few minutes, and logging back in. Sometimes a page refresh or browser cache issue prevents the removal button from working.
If the problem persists, contact PayPal's support team through the Help Center. Go to Settings > Help & Contact, describe the issue, and PayPal can investigate whether something is blocking the removal on their end. They can also remove the account for you if there's a technical problem.
Removing a bank account does not affect your PayPal balance or other payment methods
Your PayPal balance (money sitting in your PayPal account) stays exactly where it is. Removing a bank account only disconnects the link between PayPal and that specific bank — it doesn't touch the money you have in PayPal itself.
If you have a credit card or debit card linked to PayPal, those remain active and usable. You can still send money from PayPal using those cards, and you can still receive transfers to PayPal. The removal only affects the bank account you chose to disconnect.
If the removed account was your only way to transfer money out of PayPal, you'll need to add a new bank account or use a different payment method (like a debit card) to move money out. Without a linked bank account or card, you can receive money to PayPal but can't send it anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does removing a bank account close my PayPal account?
No. Removing a bank account only disconnects that one bank from your PayPal profile. Your PayPal account, your balance, and any other linked payment methods stay active. You can still use PayPal to send and receive money through other methods.
Can I remove a bank account if I have a pending transfer?
No. PayPal blocks removal while a transfer is in progress. Wait for the transfer to complete (usually one to three business days), then try removing the account again. You can check your activity history to see if any transfers are still pending.
What if I remove an account by mistake?
You can add it back immediately by going to Settings > Wallet and clicking Link a Bank Account. PayPal will ask you to verify it again with two small test deposits, which takes three to five business days. Until then, you can receive money to PayPal but can't transfer it to that account.
Will PayPal refund money if it tries to send it to an account I removed?
If PayPal attempts a transfer to a removed account (for example, a refund from a seller), the transfer will fail and bounce back to PayPal. The money will stay in your PayPal account or go back to the sender. You won't lose it, but you'll need to add a new bank account if you want to move it out.
Can I remove a bank account on the PayPal mobile app?
Yes. Open the app, tap the menu icon, go to Wallet, find the bank account, tap the three dots, and select Remove. The process is the same as on the website, and the removal happens immediately after you confirm.