How to block someone on PayPal
You can block someone on PayPal through your account settings in under a minute. The blocked person cannot send you money requests, see your profile, or contact you through PayPal's messaging system. They can still see past transactions if they were involved in them, but they cannot initiate new ones with you.
Blocking is permanent until you manually unblock the person. PayPal does not notify the blocked user that you have blocked them, and there is no way for them to know unless they try to contact you and the message fails to send. The block takes effect immediately across all PayPal services tied to your account.
Key Takeaways
- You can block someone from your PayPal account settings on desktop or mobile in about one minute using their email address or username.
- A blocked person cannot send you money requests, see your profile, or message you, but can still view past transactions they were part of.
- PayPal does not tell the blocked person they have been blocked, and blocking does not delete any transaction history between you.
- You can unblock someone at any time by returning to your blocked users list and removing them, with no waiting period required.
- If someone is harassing or defrauding you, report them to PayPal's fraud team in addition to blocking them for investigation.
Blocking someone on PayPal desktop
Open PayPal in a web browser and sign into your account. Click the gear icon in the top right corner, then select Settings. This takes you to your account dashboard where all privacy and security options are located.
In the left menu, click Privacy. Scroll down to the section labeled Blocked Users and click Manage. Type the email address or username of the person you want to block, then click Block. PayPal will confirm the block is complete with a message on the screen. You can block multiple people by repeating this process for each person.
Blocking someone on the PayPal mobile app
Open the PayPal app and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right of the screen. Tap Settings, then scroll down and tap Privacy. This menu contains all the privacy controls for your mobile account.
Scroll to Blocked Users and tap Manage. Enter the email address or username of the person you want to block and tap Block. The app will show a confirmation message once the block takes effect. The process is identical whether you are using an iPhone or Android device.
What happens when you block someone
A blocked person cannot send you a money request through PayPal. If they try, they will see an error message saying the request could not be sent. They also cannot view your PayPal profile, which means they cannot see your name, profile picture, or any public information you have shared. They cannot send you messages through PayPal's messaging feature either.
The blocked person can still see any transactions they were directly involved in before the block — for example, if they sent you money in the past, that transaction remains visible to them in their own account history. However, they cannot initiate new transactions with you. If you had a shared transaction history, that does not disappear, and both of you retain access to records of money that already changed hands.
Unblocking someone on PayPal
You can unblock someone at any time by returning to the Blocked Users section in your Privacy settings. On desktop, click or tap Manage, find the person's name in the list, and click or tap Unblock. The unblock takes effect immediately with no waiting period.
Once you unblock someone, they regain the ability to send you money requests and messages. PayPal does not notify them that you have unblocked them, so they will only know if they try to contact you again and the message goes through. You can block and unblock the same person as many times as you need to.
When to block versus report
Blocking is the right choice if you simply do not want contact with someone — a person you know personally, a former business partner, or someone who keeps sending unwanted requests. Blocking stops their direct contact with you but does not involve PayPal's investigation team. It is a private action that only affects your account.
If someone is harassing you, threatening you, or attempting fraud, report them to PayPal instead of (or in addition to) blocking. Go to Resolution Center in your account, select the relevant transaction, and choose Report a Problem. PayPal's fraud team can take action against accounts that violate their terms of service, including suspension or permanent closure. You can block and report the same person — blocking prevents contact while reporting triggers an investigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell if I blocked them on PayPal?
No. PayPal does not send a notification to the blocked person. They may figure it out if they try to send you a money request and see an error message, but PayPal does not explicitly tell them they have been blocked by you.
Will blocking someone delete our transaction history?
No. All past transactions remain in both accounts. Blocking only prevents future contact and new transactions. If you need to remove a transaction record for a different reason, you would need to contact PayPal support about a separate dispute or issue.
What if someone creates a new account to contact me after I block them?
You can block the new account the same way you blocked the first one. If the person is harassing you across multiple accounts, report the behavior to PayPal's support team — they can investigate patterns of abuse and take action against repeat offenders.
Can I block someone who sent me money?
Yes. Blocking does not reverse or cancel a transaction that already happened. The money stays in your account, and the transaction record remains visible to both of you, but they cannot send you future requests or messages.
Does blocking someone on PayPal affect other payment apps?
No. Blocking on PayPal only affects that account. If the person also has your contact information for Venmo, Zelle, or another payment service, they can still reach you through those apps. You would need to block them separately on each platform.