How to Change Your PayPal Password

Or learn how to reset a forgotten password

by
Saikat Basu
Saikat Basu
Writer
Saikat has been a technology writer for 12+ years. His writing has appeared at MakeUseOf, OnlineTechTips, GoSkills, and many others.
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Saikat Basu
Updated on March 23, 2021
reviewed by
Jon Fisher headshot
Jon Fisher
Lifewire Technology Review Board Member
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
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Article reviewed on Jan 29, 2021
Jon Fisher

What to Know:

  • Go to Settings > Security > Password to change the password from PayPal’s Security section.
  • If you forget your password, click Having trouble logging in? > enter email > Next > confirm your identity > create a new password.
  • You cannot change your password from the mobile app.

This article covers how to change your PayPal password, including how to reset the password when you've forgotten it using the PayPal website.

How to Change Your PayPal Password

Do you have an unsecured PayPal password? Do you use the same password on other sites? If the answer to either is yes, then go to the PayPal website in your browser and follow the steps below to change the PayPal password.

Tip:

When creating a secure password it should have at least eight characters with a mix of upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols.

  1. Log into PayPal and enter your Summary page.

  2. Select the Settings gear icon on the top right (next to the Log Out option) to display PayPal’s account and settings pages.

    PayPal Summary page with Settings gear icon called out.

  3. Select the Security tab from the options at the top. 

    The Security tab in a PayPal account.

  4. Choose Password from the list of security options on the screen (or select Update).

    The password option in a PayPal account.

  5. The Change your password dialog box appears. Enter your current password in the first form field, and then type your new password in the other two password fields. When you're finished, select Change Password.

    Change your passord fields in PayPal

Reset Your PayPal Password When You've Forgotten It

You can easily forget your password if you don’t use a password manager to store your log-in information. When that happens, fall back on the PayPal feature that helps you reset your password. Remember, you can't recover your old password with this feature but only change your password to a new one. 

  1. Open the PayPal sign-in page.

  2. Don’t enter your username and password. Select the Having trouble logging in? link.

    Having Trouble Logging In link in PayPal

  3. PayPal displays a Need help with your password? page. Enter the email address that you use for PayPal and click Next.

    Need help with Your password field in PayPal

  4. PayPal uses four options to confirm your identity: receive a text, receive an email, answer security questions, or confirm your credit card number.

    If you choose to receive a text or receive an email, PayPal sends a six-digit code. Enter this in the confirmation field that appears. Select Continue.

  5. Use the form provided to create a new password and then confirm it again. When you're done, click Save. Then, considering saving the password somewhere secure so that you don’t lose it again, or using a password manager that can keep up with the password and keep it safe.

    Create a new password in PayPal

When you have multiple email accounts, pick the right one to get the verification code. If you forget your PayPal email, use the Forgot your email? link from the log-in screen. PayPal allows you to enter up to three email addresses you might have used with the account while signing up. Select Next to get a reset email with all the instructions to get back into your account.

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