How to delete your eBay account (full guide)

Closing your eBay account is a straightforward process, and initiating a deletion request shouldn’t take more than five minutes. However, there are certain measures to take to ensure a smooth account removal, which this guide will cover. We’ll also provide step-by-step instructions showing you how to delete your account on desktop and mobile.

What to know before you delete your eBay account

Before deleting your eBay account, learn what it means, if you can recover it, and what to check first. The section below covers all of this, but we also recommend reading about what happens after you close your account so you know exactly what to expect.

Risks and limitations of account deletion

Deleting your eBay account means you can’t use it to buy or sell items or use parts of the platform that require having an account. You also lose your feedback and transaction history, so your overall rating will be gone, and you won't be able to see past purchases and sales. In addition, the platform closes all eBay businesses associated with the terminated account, like those part of eBay's affiliate marketing program.

When you terminate your account, eBay will remove most of your personal data but not all of it. The platform removes information it’s legally obligated to delete, but it continues to store certain data needed for reasons such as fulfilling legal, contractual, or tax obligations.

There are also situations when you can’t directly close your eBay account. For instance, you can’t directly close your eBay account if it’s subject to active restrictions or fails to meet the platform's minimum seller performance standards. In that case, you have to contact eBay’s customer support team to initiate the account closure.

Can you recover your eBay account later?

Reactivating your eBay account isn’t possible if you opt to delete it, as this permanently removes it. To use eBay again, you have to create a new account. If you’re a seller and are unsure about deleting your account, use eBay’s Time Away feature instead.

Time Away allows you to freeze your account by scheduling a time-off period during which you can choose to pause fixed-price item sales and enable automatic responses. eBay allows you to pause sales for up to 30 days, which should provide enough time to decide if you want to continue using the platform.

Pre-deletion checklist

To avoid issues or complications, you should take certain measures before deleting your eBay account:

• Available funds: Check your account funds and withdraw all remaining money, as eBay will only let you delete your account once its balance is zero.
• Fees and selling costs: Make sure all fees and selling costs associated with your account are paid, including pending transactions.
• Open bids: Review and retract any open bids on items. If you’re unable to retract it, contact the seller, explain your situation, and ask them to cancel your bid.
• Listings and orders: Close open listings and remove active orders, as eBay doesn’t let you initiate an account closure request otherwise.
• Subscriptions: Sellers should cancel all active eBay Store subscriptions linked to their account.
• Transaction history: Download a copy of your transaction history, as closing your eBay account will remove this data. Sellers can download earnings reports from the Seller Hub, while buyers can access their purchase history in My eBay.
• Account details: Verify that your account information is accurate so that you can receive confirmation emails and important updates during the account closure process.

What to do if you experience any issues

If you have trouble closing your account, the best solution is to contact eBay’s customer support reps and ask for assistance. You can do so via live chat in eBay’s help section.

How to delete your eBay account on desktop

Deleting your eBay account on desktop is simple, and initiating the process doesn’t take more than five minutes. Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Access eBay’s sign-in page and enter your email address or username and password to log in.
2. Hover your cursor over the Hi [first name]! option, then select Account settings.
3. Under Account Preferences, select the Close account option, which takes you to eBay’s support article for closing your account.
4. Scroll down and click the Close account button.
5. Select your reason for closing your account, check the box next to I want to close my eBay account, and click Submit.
6. eBay will send you a confirmation email within 24 hours.

How to delete your eBay account using the mobile app

The account deletion process is different on the eBay mobile app because there’s no dedicated account closure button in your eBay account settings area. Here’s what you need to do instead:

1. Open the eBay app and log in.
2. Tap My eBay to access your profile options.
3. Scroll down and tap the Help option, which is located right under the Account heading.
4. Type in “close account” in the search bar, then select the Closing your account result. This takes you to the relevant support article that lets you start the account closure process.
5. Scroll through the support article, tap the Close account button, and follow the on-screen instructions to delete your eBay account.

How to close a seller eBay account

The same eBay account can be used for both buying and selling, so closing the seller account requires you to send a complete account closure request. But you have to take certain precautions before doing so, which we’ll detail below.

Cancel active subscriptions

Verify if you have active selling tool subscriptions and cancel them to avoid unwanted charges after you initiate the account closure. You can do this through the subscriptions tab in your eBay account.

Resolve pending orders or disputes

You can cancel pending orders if the buyer hasn't paid for them yet. But if the order is pending due to fund processing, you may need to finish it before closing your account.

As for pending disputes, you can either accept or challenge them. If you need further assistance with resolving a dispute, read eBay’s support guide on this topic or reach out to the platform’s customer support reps.

Steps to close a seller profile

The steps for closing an eBay account are the same as if you were closing a regular profile. Read the guides above to see how to do this on desktop or mobile.

It’s also possible to close your seller profile and continue using your account to buy items on the platform. To achieve that, eBay recommends removing your preferred payment method, closing all listings, paying any outstanding seller fees, and cancelling active selling tool subscriptions.

What happens after you delete your eBay account?

Initiating the account removal process doesn’t prevent you from using eBay or creating a new account. It takes up to 30 days for eBay to process your account deletion request, though some accounts will require up to 60 days to settle recent transactions, disputes, payments, or claims. You also have 14 days to cancel the request if you decide to keep your account active.

The section below outlines what to expect after sending a deletion request.

Immediate effects on your access and listings

You don’t immediately lose access to your eBay account after initiating the closure process. You can still log in and use it to browse the platform, but you can’t buy or sell items. However, once eBay finishes closing your account, you won’t be able to access your profile.

Closing your account doesn’t have an immediate effect on your listings because you shouldn’t have any at this point. That’s because eBay requires you to close open listings before initiating an account closure request.

Data retention and eBay’s privacy policy

According to the service’s privacy policy, eBay logs personal information provided when you create an account or use the service. Collected data may include your full name, address, telephone number, email address, username, government-issued IDs, tax identification numbers, transaction-related information, and location data (including your IP address).

However, eBay deletes most of the collected data when it finalizes the account closure process. After deletion, the platform stores a copy of your account termination request alongside some personal data it’s legally allowed or required to retain for various reasons, such as:

• Protecting against fraudulent or illegal activity.
• Notifying users about public health issues.
• Providing tax-related information.
• Defending against legal claims.
• Settling outstanding balances.

eBay only uses this data to fulfill such purposes and removes it once the information is no longer needed.

What happens to your linked PayPal account?

If you added PayPal as a payment method to your eBay account, the platform will automatically remove it once it closes your account. You can also manually unlink PayPal from eBay by following these steps:

1. Select the Payments option in your eBay account settings area.
2. Next to your linked PayPal account, click Delete.
3. Click the blue Delete button to confirm your decision.

Can you create a new account after deletion?

Yes, once eBay permanently closes your account, you can create a new one using the same information, including your full name and email address. You can also set up a new eBay account during the termination process using the same full name, but you must use a different email address.

Using a VPN when deleting your eBay account

A VPN is a cybersecurity tool that changes your IP address and encrypts your internet traffic, making it difficult to intercept or monitor. VPNs provide enhanced digital security and privacy when using sites and online services. Some also offer additional features like malicious site blocking and identity theft protection, which can play a role in protecting your data from certain eBay scams.

While eBay doesn’t specifically prohibit VPN usage, it could flag VPN connections and suspend or restrict accounts that use them for security reasons. This could potentially interfere with the account deletion process.

Should I turn off my VPN before deleting my account?

Yes, this is the safest approach. eBay might detect the VPN connection and consider it suspicious, potentially restricting your account access. You would then have to get your account reinstated to be able to close it, which might require you to wait for the suspension to end or provide eBay with more information.

Can VPN use trigger account verification or suspension?

This can happen if the platform detects and flags the VPN’s IP address. It could think the VPN connection is an unauthorized user trying to access your account, which can result in eBay temporarily suspending it for safety reasons. VPN usage could also trigger an account verification or ask you to solve CAPTCHA requests before logging in.

Does eBay keep logs of my IP address after deletion?

While eBay collects your IP address, it shouldn’t store it after it permanently deletes your account. The service might still retain information that it’s legally required or allowed to, but this is more likely to include transaction data or tax details than user IP addresses.