How to Change PayPal Password in 6 Steps (With Photos)

A strong password is your first line of defense against hackers, and it is the best way to keep your accounts safe. It’s especially important for online payment portals like PayPal, where you can log in to multiple sites with a single click. If you want to update or change PayPal passwords, our guide will show you how.

PayPal Password Protection

PayPal is closely associated with smartphones and is one of the more popular payment portals online. That means security is key for the platform. You can set up biometric security on any tablet or smartphone with the PayPal app to keep people out of your accounts, but you still need a strong password.

Using personal details and pet names in passwords is a recipe for disaster and one of the more common mistakes people with password selection. It’s something you can easily fix by resetting or changing your PayPal password, however.

Whether you’ve forgotten your password or want to improve it, PayPal allows users to change their password from any mobile device or PC. While the process is simple, you will need to make sure you have access to the email account linked to PayPal before changing your password.

If you don’t know the email used to create your PayPal account, the company can try to find a match with this tool. Otherwise, you simply need access to the web and a few free minutes of your time.

How to Change PayPal Password from the Web

The process to reset and recover passwords can vary slightly between the web and the app depending on how your account was set up. You can change your PayPal password through the web portal by following these steps.

1. Forgot Password

PayPal can temporarily lock an account with too many missed attempts, so instead of trying to log in, go straight to Forgot Password and click the link.

2. Enter Your Email

From this screen, you’ll need to enter the email address associated with the PayPal account. Enter your email address into the field and choose next to have PayPal send out a password reset link to that email address.

3. Security Check

Now you’ll need to pass a security check. This prevents a random person with your email address from trying to reset your password and access your PayPal account. Make a selection based on how you want the company to confirm your identity.

4. Confirm Identity

What you see here will vary depending on the method you chose. In this case, we received an email confirmation code which needs to be entered to confirm our identity as shown in the screenshot below.

5. Reset Password

After you confirm your identity, you’re taken to a screen where you can create a new password for your PayPal account. Enter a new password, and check the box that says “log out of all devices” before proceeding.

6. Save Password

When you’re satisfied with your new password, click on save and you’ll be redirected to PayPal and logged into the website.

How to Change PayPal Password on PayPal App

Using the PayPal app to change your password follows the same general process, but is generally easier for mobile users. It’s also the quickest way to change your password if it has been compromised when you’re out and about and don’t have access to a PC.

There are no screenshots of these steps because of the PayPal app’s security features, but the process is faster and only takes a few minutes from any smartphone running Android or iOS. Open the PayPal app and choose Forgot Password from the login screen and then follow the prompts until you get to the security check.

This time, the main option is through SMS as you’re using the mobile app. Copy and paste the text code that appears on the screen into the box. Now, set a new password and check the box for “log out of all devices” if you have the PayPal app on more than one smartphone or tablet.

How to Reset PayPal Security Questions

Resetting your password can bring you peace of mind, but there’s another area you’ll want to visit if you want to improve security. If you believe someone accessed your account, you will definitely want to change your security questions.

Accessing your security questions is simple from the app or the web. Log in to your account and look for the settings icon. It’s a Gear on the website located at the top near logout and found under your profile icon on the mobile app. After selecting settings, you need to choose the section called Security or Login and Security.

From this area, you can change your password, mobile PIN, and automatic logins. You can also set up 2FA (which we’ll touch on below) or change your security questions. If you haven’t created security questions, you can do so now by clicking create. Otherwise, choose Update to pull up a list of your current security questions.

Select a question and fill out an answer for each of the fields, and put some thought into what you choose. Where you were born and your first school or pet are things people could potentially figure out. The name of your favorite childhood toy or your first roommate could more challenging to the casual sleuth, however.

PayPal Two-Factor Authorization

Now that you’ve reset your password, you may be thinking about additional protection if your account was compromised. Even if you simply forgot your password, adding 2FA provides an extra layer of protection through PayPal.

When you turn 2FA or two-factor authorization on, you’ll need to enter a code along with your password each time you access the app or site. You’ll need to download an authenticator app like Google’s Authenticator to accomplish this.

To set up 2FA with PayPal, go to the settings menu and look for a section called Security. Click on that section and scroll until you see an option labeled 2-step verification. Choose set up and then follow the steps to link your phone to an authenticator app. PayPal will walk you through the process step-by-step, and you can turn it off just as easily as enabling it if 2FA becomes a nuisance.

The Wrap-Up

Whether you use PayPal occasionally to shop or for business, keeping your password updated and secure should be high on your list of priorities. If you’re interested in adding extra security to your account through two-factor authorization, check out our comparison of Authy vs. Google Authenticator, two of the most popular 2FA apps.

For a visual representation of the steps in this post check out the video below which also walks you through the process.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©rarrarorro/Shutterstock.com.