How to Delete Your eBay Account (Step by Step)

To delete your eBay account, sign in on the eBay website, go to My eBay, then Account, and select Close account. Before you do, make sure you have no money owed to eBay, no open orders, and no active listings or bids. After you submit your request, eBay emails you, and the account is closed after a waiting period, often around 30 days.

Once an account is closed, you usually cannot get it back. So it is worth taking a few minutes to get ready first. This guide walks you through everything.

Before you close your account

eBay will not close your account until everything is settled. Check these first.

Save anything you need

Once your account is closed, you lose access to it. Before closing:

• Download or screenshot your order history if you need it for taxes, warranties, or records.
• Save seller payment reports if you sold items, especially for tax time.
• Write down contact info for any sellers you may need to reach later.
• Leave feedback on recent orders if you want to.

How to delete your eBay account

The steps are easiest on the eBay website. On a phone, open ebay.com in your web browser.

1. Go to ebay.com and sign in.
2. Select My eBay at the top of the page.
3. Select the Account tab.
4. Under Account preferences or Account settings, select Close account.
5. Read the information on the page and select Close account again if asked.
6. Pick a reason from the Tell us why you're leaving menu.
7. Read the details about what happens when you close your account.
8. Check the box next to I want to close my eBay account.
9. Select Submit.

eBay changes its menus from time to time. If you cannot find the option, search for "close account" in the eBay Help center.

What happens next

• You get an email. eBay usually emails you within about 24 hours. It may ask for more information, so check your inbox and spam folder.
• There is a waiting period. eBay keeps the account open for a while, often around 30 days, to make sure all transactions are finished. It can be longer if you had recent sales or purchases.
• The account is closed. After that, you can no longer sign in, buy, or sell with that account.

If you change your mind during the waiting period, contact eBay customer service as soon as possible.

Why eBay will not let you close your account

If eBay shows an error or will not let you continue, one of these is usually the reason:

• You still owe seller fees.
• You have an open return, case, or dispute.
• An item you bought or sold has not been delivered.
• You have an active listing or an open bid.
• You have an eBay Store subscription.
• Your account has a hold or restriction.

Fix the item eBay points out, wait a day, and try again.

Other options instead of deleting

Closing your account is permanent. If you are not sure, you could:

• Turn off emails in your communication preferences to stop marketing messages.
• Remove saved payment methods if you are worried about security.
• Change your password and turn on two-step verification if you think someone else used your account.
• Just stop using it. An inactive account does not cost anything.

Keep your other accounts clean too

If you are cleaning up your online life, you might also want to clear your YouTube search history or review what you have saved on Facebook. And if you are closing eBay because of a bad delivery experience, our guide on missing packages that say delivered has tips that work for most online stores.

TimeToNote is not connected to eBay. For account-specific help, contact eBay directly.

How to close a seller or business account

Sellers have a few extra steps before eBay will let them close an account.

1. End all active listings. Go to My eBay, then Selling, and end every listing.
2. Ship and finish all orders. Wait until buyers receive their items.
3. Wait for the return window to pass. Returns and disputes can reopen after a sale.
4. Pay your final seller fees. Check Payments in Seller Hub and pay any balance.
5. Cancel your eBay Store subscription if you have one.
6. Download your sales and tax records. You may need them for taxes, including any 1099-K forms eBay sends.
7. Then close the account using the steps above.

If you are a business seller, keep your records for as long as your accountant or tax rules require.

Close vs pause vs make a new account

What happens to your data?

When you close your account:

• You can no longer sign in or see your order history.
• Your feedback and user ID are no longer active.
• eBay may keep some information for legal, tax, and fraud-prevention reasons.

If you want to learn what eBay keeps, look for the privacy center or privacy notice on eBay's site.

Protect your account if you think it was hacked

If you want to close your account because of strange activity, secure it first:

1. Change your eBay password right away.
2. Turn on two-step verification in your account settings.
3. Check your saved addresses and payment methods for anything you do not recognize.
4. Review recent purchases and messages.
5. Contact eBay customer service to report unauthorized activity.
6. Check your email account security, since hackers often get in through email.

Closing the account without reporting the problem may leave unpaid charges or open cases in your name.

Common problems when closing an eBay account

Want your data deleted too?

Closing your account and deleting your data are not always the same thing. eBay has a separate data deletion request in its help center.

• eBay says it usually deletes your personal data within about 14 days of the request.
• It can take up to 60 days if you had transactions, payments, claims, or disputes in the last 30 days.
• eBay still keeps some data it must hold for legal, tax, and fraud reasons, plus a record of your request.

The same rules apply as for closing: no open orders, balances, listings, or disputes. If your account has a restriction, you must contact eBay instead of using the form.

Account suspended or restricted?

You usually cannot close a suspended or restricted account yourself. eBay wants open issues settled first. Here is what to do:

1. Read any email from eBay about the suspension. It usually explains why.
2. Pay any money owed and finish open orders and cases.
3. Contact eBay customer service and ask them to review the account.
4. Once the issue is cleared, try the close account steps again.

The bottom line

To delete your eBay account, first pay any fees, finish all orders and returns, end listings, and cancel subscriptions. Then sign in on ebay.com, go to My eBay, Account, and Close account, and follow the steps. eBay will email you, and your account will close after a waiting period. Save your order history before you close it, because you usually cannot reopen it later.