How do I delete an account in Partner Center?

What is account deletion?

To delete an account in Partner Center, go to Accounts → Manage Accounts, open the account, click Edit Account, and click Delete Account at the bottom of the form. Deletion is permanent and removes all of the account's data.

Account deletion is the permanent removal of business accounts from your Business App system. This process removes all associated data including user access, product history, reporting data, and account settings.

Why consider account deletion?

Account deletion may be necessary for:

• Data Cleanup: Removing duplicate or test accounts that clutter your system
• Business Closure: Permanently removing accounts for businesses that have permanently closed
• Contract Termination: Removing accounts when service relationships end permanently
• Compliance Requirements: Meeting data retention and privacy regulations
• System Maintenance: Cleaning up obsolete or inactive accounts

warning

Account deletion is permanent and irreversible. All data associated with the account will be lost, including historical reporting data, user access records, and product configurations.

Do you actually need to delete the account?

Most requests to "remove" an account are not deletion requests. A customer who has cancelled is usually better handled by stopping their products and taking them out of your active lists — that stops the billing and clears your working view while keeping the history you may need later.

Find your situation before following any steps below:

What you want	What to do	Data kept?
A customer cancelled — stop billing them and get them out of my active list	Cancel their products, then remove the account from your active lists	Yes
Stop one product but keep the account running	Cancel that product only	Yes
Pause temporarily, expecting them back	Cancel products, leave the account in place	Yes
A duplicate or test account is cluttering the system	Delete the account	No
The business closed permanently and I have no retention obligation	Delete the account	No

• To cancel products, see Cancel products on the Manage products page.
• To take an account out of your working views, see Account Lists.

tip

Deleting is only the right answer when you actively want the data gone. If you are removing an account because a customer left, cancel the products instead — deletion does not stop commitment billing anyway (see Billing after deletion below).

What happens when you delete an account?

Data removal

• Complete business profile and contact information
• All user accounts and access credentials
• Product history and configuration settings
• Reporting data and analytics history
• Account notes and file attachments
• Integration connections and API access

System impact

• Account removed from all lists and groups
• Automated campaigns and communications stopped
• User access immediately revoked
• Active products are automatically cancelled and deactivated

Billing after deletion

Deleting an account does not cancel active billing commitments. If a product had a commitment period (for example, an annual contract), billing continues until the end of that commitment period even after the account and product are deleted. You will see charges on your bill through the end of the commitment.

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If you delete an account with products on active commitments, you will continue to be billed for those products until the commitment period ends. Cancel commitments before deleting the account if you want to stop billing immediately (subject to cancellation terms).

What happens to accounts under a deactivated market

If a market is deactivated, all accounts assigned to that market are automatically reassigned to the default market within the same Partner ID. The accounts themselves are not deleted.

How do I delete an individual account?

Pre-deletion checklist

Before deleting any account, complete these steps:

1. Verify deletion necessity: Confirm the account truly needs permanent removal
2. Export important data: Save any information you may need later
3. Notify stakeholders: Inform team members who work with this account
4. Check for dependencies: Review if other accounts or systems depend on this account
5. Document reason: Record why the account is being deleted

Account deletion process

To delete a single account:

1. Navigate to Accounts → Manage Accounts
2. Locate the target account using search or filters
3. Click on the account name to open account details
4. Click Edit Account
5. Scroll to the bottom of the edit form
6. Locate the deletion section
7. Read the deletion warning carefully
8. Confirm the deletion — if you are prompted to type the business name or account ID, enter it exactly as shown
9. Click Delete Account and confirm the action

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The confirmation prompt exists to prevent accidental deletion. Once confirmed, the account and its data cannot be recovered — see Recovery limitations.

Immediate post-deletion effects

After deletion:

• Account disappears from all account lists immediately
• Users lose access to Business App dashboards
• Automated services and integrations stop
• Account data becomes inaccessible
• Billing does not stop: products on active commitments keep billing until the commitment period ends

How do I handle account deletion requests?

Customer-requested deletions

When customers request account deletion:

1. Understand the reason for deletion request
2. Explain alternatives such as account deactivation or service pause
3. Review contract terms regarding data retention and deletion
4. Obtain written confirmation of deletion request
5. Set appropriate timeline for deletion (consider notice periods)
6. Complete data export if customer requests their data
7. Execute deletion following internal procedures

Internal deletion decisions

For business-initiated deletions:

1. Document business justification for deletion
2. Get appropriate approvals from management
3. Review legal and compliance requirements
4. Plan for data retention if required by regulations
5. Communicate with affected teams before deletion
6. Execute deletion during appropriate maintenance windows

What are the alternatives to deleting an account?

Account deactivation

Instead of deletion, consider deactivation:

Benefits of deactivation:

• Preserves historical data for reporting
• Allows reactivation if circumstances change
• Maintains compliance with data retention requirements
• Reduces risk of accidental data loss

How to deactivate accounts:

There is no single "deactivate account" switch. Deactivation is the combination of these steps:

1. Cancel the account's active products — see Cancel products. This is what stops the services and the billing.
2. Remove the account from your active lists — see Account Lists, so it no longer appears in your day-to-day views.
3. Remove user access if required — see Manage users.

The account and its history remain intact and can be brought back into use at any time by reactivating products.

Account archiving

For long-term inactive accounts:

1. Move accounts to archive lists
2. Remove from active workflows
3. Maintain basic account information
4. Preserve reporting data
5. Document archive reason and date

Service suspension

For temporary issues:

1. Pause active services without deleting data
2. Suspend user access temporarily
3. Maintain account structure for easy reactivation
4. Set suspension duration and review dates

How do I clean up duplicate accounts?

Identifying duplicate accounts

Common signs of duplicate accounts:

• Similar business names with slight variations
• Same address but different business names
• Identical phone numbers or contact information
• Same business owner with multiple account variations

Duplicate resolution process

1. Identify the primary account with the most complete information
2. Export data from duplicate accounts before deletion
3. Merge important information into the primary account
4. Transfer any active users to the primary account
5. Move product history and important notes
6. Delete duplicate accounts after data consolidation

Preventing future duplicates

• Implement thorough search procedures during account creation
• Train team members on duplicate detection
• Use consistent naming conventions
• Regular data audits to identify potential duplicates

What should I back up before deleting an account?

Pre-deletion data backup

Before deleting important accounts:

1. Export complete account data including contact information and settings
2. Save user lists and access information
3. Download important files and documents
4. Export reporting data for historical records
5. Document product configurations for reference

Recovery limitations

After account deletion:

• Data cannot be recovered from the system
• User access cannot be restored
• Product history is permanently lost
• Integration connections must be recreated

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

A customer cancelled with us. How do I remove them from my customer list?

You do not need to delete the account. Cancel their active products to stop the billing and the services, then remove the account from your active lists so it no longer appears in your working views. The account and its history stay intact in case they return or you need the records later. See Do you actually need to delete the account? for the full comparison.

Can I recover an account after deletion?

No, account deletion is permanent and irreversible. Once deleted, all account data is permanently removed from the system and cannot be recovered.

What's the difference between deleting and deactivating an account?

Deletion permanently removes all account data, while deactivation preserves the account data but makes it inactive. Deactivated accounts can be reactivated later if needed.

How long should I wait before deleting an inactive account?

This depends on your business policies and legal requirements. Many organizations wait 6-12 months after service termination before considering deletion, allowing time for potential reactivation.

What happens to user access when I delete an account?

All user access is immediately revoked when an account is deleted. Users will no longer be able to log into their Business App dashboard or access any account-related services.

Should I delete accounts for businesses that have closed?

Consider business closure type: temporary closures may warrant deactivation, while permanent closures after appropriate waiting periods may justify deletion. Always check legal and compliance requirements first.

Can I bulk delete multiple accounts at once?

No. Because deletion is permanent, each account must be deleted individually with its own confirmation. If you are trying to clear out a batch of former customers, cancel their products and remove them from your active lists instead — see Do you actually need to delete the account?

What should I do with accounts that have outstanding billing issues?

Resolve billing matters before account deletion. Deletion may complicate billing disputes or collections processes. Deactivation may be more appropriate until financial matters are resolved.

How do I handle deletion requests from former employees?

Only current authorized users or account administrators should be able to request account deletions. Verify authorization and follow your organization's approval procedures for deletion requests.

Will deleting the associated company also delete the account?

No, deleting the associated company will not also delete the account. However, deleting an account will delete the associated company.

I deleted my account but I'm still being billed: why?

If a product on that account had an active commitment (such as an annual contract), billing continues through the end of the commitment period even after the account is deleted. Deletion cancels product access but does not terminate commitment billing early. Contact support if you believe the commitment has already expired and billing should have stopped.

What if I want to stop products but keep the account?

You can cancel or deactivate individual products from the account's product management page without deleting the account. This preserves the account data and history while stopping the product services.