GravityHow to Cancel Subscriptions Through PayPal (2026)
Gravity automatically finds unused subscriptions and cancels them for you — for free.
Download Free →Why PayPal Subscriptions Are Easy to Miss
PayPal allows merchants to set up "automatic payments" — recurring charges authorized through your PayPal account. These are functionally subscriptions, but they don't show up in typical subscription management tools because they're PayPal-billed, not credit card or Apple-billed.
Many people have multiple PayPal automatic payments running without realizing it. Here's how to find and cancel all of them.
How to Find All Your PayPal Subscriptions
On iPhone (PayPal App)
- Open the PayPal app
- Tap the menu icon (three lines) in the top left
- Tap Settings → Payments
- Tap Manage Automatic Payments
- This shows every active automatic payment authorized through PayPal
On Desktop (Browser)
- Sign in at paypal.com
- Click your profile → Account Settings
- Click Payments in the left menu
- Click Manage Automatic Payments
How to Cancel a PayPal Automatic Payment
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From the Manage Automatic Payments screen:
- Tap the subscription/merchant you want to cancel
- Tap Cancel or Cancel Automatic Payments
- Confirm the cancellation
PayPal will send a cancellation confirmation email.
Important: Canceling through PayPal removes PayPal as the payment method for the merchant — but if the merchant has your credit card details separately, they may attempt to charge you directly. Always check whether you've given your card details to the merchant independently.
What Canceling Through PayPal Doesn't Do
Canceling the PayPal automatic payment is NOT the same as canceling your account with the merchant. If a subscription service has PayPal as the payment method but manages accounts independently (like a streaming service or software tool), they may:
- Switch your payment to a saved card
- Suspend your account rather than cancel it
- Continue billing if they have a fallback payment on file
For complete cancellation, you should also log into the merchant's website directly and cancel the subscription there.
Common Services Billed Through PayPal
Services that commonly use PayPal billing include:
- eBay sellers and stores
- Small SaaS tools and indie apps
- Some game platforms
- Certain subscription boxes and e-commerce subscriptions
PayPal is less commonly used for major streaming services (which use card billing directly), but it's worth checking your PayPal automatic payments list if you use PayPal for online shopping.
After Reviewing Your PayPal Subscriptions
Log any newly discovered subscriptions — or newly canceled ones — in Gravity. PayPal automatic payments are one of the three places to check during a comprehensive subscription audit (alongside bank statements and Apple Subscriptions), and they're frequently the most surprising.
