To unblock someone on PayPal, go to your Settings, find the block list, and remove the person you previously blocked. The exact path depends on whether you’re using the PayPal website or the mobile app, and the steps have shifted slightly over time as PayPal updates its interface. Here’s how to do it on each platform.
Unblock Someone on the PayPal Website
Log in to your PayPal account at paypal.com. Click the gear icon in the top-right corner to open your account settings. Look for a “Payments” or “Payment preferences” section, then find the option labeled “Block payments” or “Manage block list.” From there, you’ll see a list of email addresses or users you’ve previously blocked. Select the person you want to unblock and confirm the removal.
Once you remove someone from your block list, they can send you money, payment requests, and invoices again. The change takes effect immediately.
Unblock Someone in the PayPal App
Open the PayPal app and tap the profile or settings icon (usually a gear or your profile picture). Navigate to your payment settings or privacy settings and look for a blocked contacts or block list option. Tap on the person you want to unblock, then confirm. Not every version of the PayPal app surfaces the block list in the same place, so if you can’t find it in the app, use the full desktop website instead. The desktop site consistently gives you access to all account settings.
What Blocking and Unblocking Actually Does
When you block someone on PayPal, you prevent that person from sending you payments or payment requests. It does not remove them from your contact list or erase past transaction history. Unblocking reverses this restriction. The person won’t receive a notification that you blocked or unblocked them.
Keep in mind that blocking on PayPal is tied to the person’s email address or account. If someone created a new PayPal account with a different email, blocking the old account wouldn’t stop payments from the new one.
If You Can’t Find the Block List
PayPal periodically redesigns its settings layout, which can make the block list harder to locate. If you don’t see a clear “block payments” option in your settings, try searching “block” in PayPal’s Help Center from within your account. You can also contact PayPal’s customer support through the “Help” or “Contact Us” link at the bottom of the page and ask them to remove a specific user from your block list directly.
For business accounts, the settings menu is more complex because it includes options for managing employee users, permissions, and payment preferences. The block list for business accounts is still found under payment settings, not under the “Manage users” section (which controls employee access to your account). If you run a business account and can’t locate it, customer support can walk you through the current menu path or make the change on their end.
Re-blocking Someone Later
If you unblock someone and later decide you want to block them again, you can do so at any time. Go back to the same block payments section in your settings and add their email address. There’s no limit on how many times you can block or unblock the same person, and no waiting period between changes.