Changing your name with PayPal
What PayPal requires, transcribed from its own help page and last checked on 25 July 2026.
PayPal allows one free correction of up to two characters through Settings. A full legal name change needs ID uploaded for review.
PayPal handles this online or in its mobile app.
You will need: photos of the front and back of a valid, unexpired government ID, with all four corners visible and no blur or glare.
Do the government agencies first — most companies ask for photo ID in your new name, which means your license has to be done already.
What PayPal asks for
| What | Value | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| How | Online · Mobile app | How do I change the name on my PayPal account? | |
| Documents | Photos of the front and back of a valid, unexpired government ID, with all four corners visible and no blur or glare | How do I change the name on my PayPal account? |
What to have ready
- Photos of the front and back of a valid, unexpired government ID, with all four corners visible and no blur or glare
How to do it
- Open Settings and choose Change name.
- Select the type of name change you need.
- Follow the instructions on screen.
- For a legal or major name change, upload clear photos of the front and back of a valid, unexpired ID.
The details that catch people out
- PayPal will not change an account into another person's name.
- The two-character correction can be used only once after the account is created.
Check us
Everything on this page comes from PayPal’s own published guidance. Company policies change without notice, so the link below is the authority and this page is a transcription of it.
How do I change the name on my PayPal account?
Last checked .
PayPal is one bank, card or brokerage account on the list. See every company we have verified, or the full checklist of who needs telling.
Everything above is free. Writing to every one of them is the work.
You can do all of this yourself with the links on this page — every underlying form is free. What we sell is the evening back: the official forms filled in from your answers, the steps in the order that works, and a written letter for every bank, employer and insurer you have to tell.
Two questions about your situation first, because there is one answer that means we can’t help — and we would rather tell you that before you pay than after.
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