← Back to all guidesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
PayPal has three exports and most people know about one of them. The Activity CSV is the transaction history and downloads instantly. The data request covers your profile, login history, devices and support correspondence, and takes a week or more. PDF statements are the third, and they matter when a landlord, a visa office or an accountant wants bank-style proof of your account. This guide covers all three, their limits, and what to do with the files afterwards. It is record-keeping guidance, not tax advice. For anything that goes on a return, check with your accountant or your tax authority first.
Written by Charles
Export at a glance
Request method
Multiple paths available
Archive format
CSV, JSON, HTML, PDF, ZIP
Sensitivity
High: health, biometric, financial, precise location
Primary use
Backup: preserve a copy for yourself
Archive file map
Top-level structure of the export. Each entry is a file or directory with its format badge and what it contains.
transactions.csvCSVFull transaction history: date, time, type, status, counterparty, gross/fee/net, transaction ID, balance
profile.csvCSVName on file (including historical variants), addresses, phone, email, account-creation date, KYC data
logins.jsonJSONLogin history: timestamps, IP addresses, device fingerprints, browsers, derived geolocation
devices.jsonJSONDevices that have accessed the account
funding_sources.csvCSVLinked cards and bank accounts, last four digits only, never a full card number
subscriptions.jsonJSONRecurring payments and billing agreements
disputes.jsonJSONClaim and dispute history
messages.htmlHTMLCorrespondence with PayPal support and with counterparties
marketing.jsonJSONMarketing preferences and consent records
What PayPal stores about you
The Activity CSV is the financial side: every transaction with the counterparty, date, amount, fee and reference. The data request is the account side: profile, login history, devices, funding sources, subscriptions, disputes and your correspondence with PayPal support. Together they are the whole picture.
- Transactions: date, time, type, status, counterparty, currency, gross, fee, net, transaction ID, reference ID, and balance after the transaction
- Account profile: name on file (including historical variants), addresses, phone numbers, emails, account-creation date, account ID, KYC data
- Login history: timestamps, IP addresses, device fingerprints, browsers, geolocation derived from IP, session metadata
- Devices that have accessed the account
- Linked funding sources: cards and bank accounts (last-4 only, never full card numbers)
- Subscriptions, billing agreements, and recurring payments
- Pre-approved payments and merchant authorisations
- Disputes, claims, and Resolution Center history
- Messages and correspondence with PayPal support and with counterparties
- Marketing preferences and consent records
Path 1: the Activity CSV (instant, self-serve)
This is the one most people actually want. It produces a spreadsheet of every transaction in a date range, ready to open in Excel or Google Sheets. No waiting, no approval.
The catch is that one download covers one year. For your full history, run several back to back, year after year. It is tedious and it works.
- Sign in to paypal.com.
- Click "Activity" in the top navigation.
- Click Download, at the top right of the transactions table. PayPal has labelled it Download, Download history and Statements at different points, but it sits in the same place.
- In the date range, set From and To. Keep each download to a year or less.
- Choose a format. CSV is the portable one. Some accounts also offer PDF, Quicken, QuickBooks or Excel.
- Click Download. Short ranges come straight away; longer ones arrive by email.
- Repeat for additional one-year chunks until your full history is covered.
What is in the Activity CSV
The CSV is plain text and opens in any spreadsheet. The columns have shifted a few times in the last few years, but the useful ones have been stable: Date, Type, Status, Name, Gross, Fee, Net and Transaction ID.
- Date, time and time zone, as PayPal recorded them
- Name: the counterparty as PayPal has it on file
- Type: Payment, Refund, Currency Conversion, Bank Withdrawal, Withdrawal to Card
- Status: Completed, Pending, Denied, Reversed or On Hold
- Subject: the invoice subject or memo
- Currency: the 3-letter ISO code
- Gross, fee and net, in the transaction currency
- Transaction ID, which is what you match against when disputing something
- Reference Txn ID, which points back at the original for refunds and reversals
- From and To email addresses, so payer and recipient
- Balance after the transaction, though PayPal has dropped or half-populated this column in several recent exports
- Item title, quantity and cost per item, only on goods invoiced through PayPal
- Bank name and account or IBAN, on bank-funded payments, usually masked
- Buyer country, which matters if you need to track VAT or import duty
Path 2: the data request (a week or so, fuller archive)
This is everything the Activity CSV leaves out: profile, login history, devices, funding sources, subscriptions, disputes, support correspondence. It is PayPal's answer to a data subject access request, and it is what you want when you want an archive rather than a transaction log.
Unlike the CSV, this one goes through submission and verification. PayPal confirms, may send a code to your registered email or phone, and emails a link when the archive is ready. Expect 7 to 14 days, with 30 as the legal ceiling.
PayPal retired the public request form in 2025. It all happens in your account now, under Privacy. There is no web form to submit.
- Sign in to paypal.com.
- Open your profile icon, then Privacy. The exact label varies by country.
- Find the request section. It has been called Data Subject Rights Request, Download a copy of my data and Right of access at different times.
- Choose what to include. It defaults to All, and you can untick what you do not need.
- Verify your identity with a code sent to your registered email or phone.
- Submit. PayPal emails a confirmation with an estimate.
- When it is ready, usually 7 to 14 days, PayPal emails a link. It expires. Download it.
- Unzip and review the contents.
What is in the Data Protection Request archive
A ZIP, one file per category. The file names vary by country, the categories do not.
- transactions.csv: the full history, same shape as the Activity CSV but with no date range limit
- profile.csv: name on file, addresses, phone, email, account creation date, account ID, identity verification data
- logins.json: timestamps, IP addresses, device fingerprints, browsers and the location derived from the IP
- devices.json: every device that has reached the account
- funding_sources.csv: linked cards and accounts, last four digits only, never a full card number
- subscriptions.json: recurring payments and billing agreements
- disputes.json: claims and disputes
- messages.html: your correspondence with PayPal and with counterparties
- marketing.json: marketing preferences and consent history
- A readme in some countries explaining what each file holds
Path 3: PDF statements (proof of account for someone else)
When a landlord, visa office or accountant asks for proof of your PayPal account, a monthly PDF statement is the artefact that lands. It looks like a bank statement: PayPal branding, a running balance, the period covered. A raw CSV does not convince anyone.
The PDF summarises rather than itemising, so it will not have every fee or reversal. Tax work wants the CSV. Third parties want the PDF.
- Sign in to paypal.com.
- Go to Activity, then Statements.
- Pick the month you need.
- Click "Download". The PDF is generated immediately.
Common pitfalls
These are the ones that catch people. Worth skimming before you start.
- The Activity CSV covers one year per download, so full history means several
- Refunds are separate rows, not negative edits to the original. Match on Reference Txn ID
- Currency conversions split across several rows. Filter on Type
- Pending transactions are in there with Status Pending, and they can complete or vanish later. The CSV is a snapshot of one moment, not a settled record
- Ranges over 90 days sometimes ask you to re-authenticate with a code
- Personal and business accounts are separate. Download each one
- The request has to come from the email on the account. If you have lost access to it, fix that with support first
- The archive link expires, commonly after 7 days
- Identity verification fails on some old or closed accounts. Support can sort it
Tax and record-keeping notes
PayPal transactions turn up in tax filings regularly: self-employment income, marketplace sales, business expenses, non-resident forms. A few things worth knowing.
Record-keeping notes, not tax advice. For a specific filing, ask your accountant. I am not one.
- Download the Activity CSV at least once a year, at year end. Because it is not a settled record, take a fresh one near filing time
- PayPal keeps transaction history for the life of the account and for years after, for regulatory reasons. The one-year cap is on the download, not on their retention
- In the US, PayPal issues a 1099-K above certain thresholds. That is a separate document and is not in either export
- Elsewhere the forms are country-specific and live in your Tax Documents section
- Keep the CSVs with your other tax records. A name like paypal-2025-transactions.csv makes them findable when you need them
Where to store it
- Activity CSVs are small. One labelled file per year is plenty
- The full archive can run to hundreds of megabytes. It wants a real drive
- PDF statements are a page or three each. Keep them with whatever they support
- These are sensitive files: names, amounts, and for the full request, login IPs
- Off-site and encrypted: ProtonDrive for the login and profile data, pCloud for the CSVs and statements
Quick version
If you want the short checklist instead of the full guide, use the service page.
FAQ
What is the difference between the Activity CSV and the Data Protection Request?
The Activity CSV downloads your transactions straight from your account. No waiting, no approval, one year at a time. The data request takes a week or more and returns the rest as well: profile, login history, devices, funding sources, subscriptions, disputes and support messages.
How far back does the Activity CSV go?
As far back as the account goes. There is no limit on how old a date you can pick. The limit is on the range of a single download, which is one year. Run several for the full history.
How long does the Data Protection Request take?
Typically 7 to 14 calendar days. PayPal's GDPR SLA is 30 days maximum, extendable to 90 days for complex requests.
Does the Activity CSV include pending transactions?
Yes, marked as Pending. They can complete or disappear later, so the CSV is a snapshot rather than a settled record. Take a fresh one near filing time if it matters.
Are refunds shown as negative amounts in the CSV?
No. Refunds are their own rows rather than negative edits to the original. Match on the Reference Txn ID column to pair them up.
Does the export include login history and IP addresses?
Only the Data Protection Request includes login history and IP addresses. The Activity CSV is transactions only.
Can I get a PDF statement for a year instead of a month?
Some accounts offer a yearly PDF statement as well as monthly. The Activity > Statements page is where to check; the option set varies by locale.
Does downloading delete my PayPal data?
No. Exporting creates a copy. Your transactions, profile, and login history stay on PayPal's servers unless you separately close the account and request deletion.
Can I use this data for taxes?
The Activity CSV is what most people use for self-employment income, marketplace sales and expenses. This is not tax or financial advice, so check specifics with your accountant. PayPal's own tax forms, such as a 1099-K in the US, are separate documents and are not in either export.
Where do I find the Data Protection Request?
Sign in, open your profile icon, and choose Privacy. PayPal retired the public request form in 2025, so everything happens inside your account now.
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