How to delete a PSN account

The following information was sourced from Sony’s (US/America) official “Knowledge Centre” FAQ.

When I contacted my local Australian PSN Support they flat out told me they could not delete PSN accounts. I will chase them up because it seems that someone somewhere has the power to “terminate” accounts!

Be careful though — it is not clear if an account termination would free up the sign-in email address or online ID (probably not).

Master account termination

FAQ #220 (updated 2008-03-10)

If your PLAYSTATION Network Master Account is terminated, you will not able to access your account on the PLAYSTATION®Network. This means all of the following:

  1. You will not have access to your master account. If you have sub accounts associated with your master account, then your sub account holders will also not be able to access their sub accounts.
  2. Any remaining funds in your wallet will not be returned to you.
  3. Any content or services you or your sub accounts may have purchased that may be accessible on the PLAYSTATION Network will not be available to you or your sub accounts, including any content that may have been downloaded to your PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system(s). Other content that may be accessible offline may be available for use after termination of your PLAYSTATION Network account if permitted under the specific terms and conditions for the content.
  4. Any ranking or scores, or game related information will not be retained or accessible by you or your sub accounts.
  5. You will not receive any refunds, or fees as a result of termination of your account. If you subsequently sign up for another PLAYSTATION Network account, your prior Online ID and the prior Online ID of your sub accounts may not be available to you or your sub accounts.

Sub account termination

FAQ #221 (updated 2008-03-10)

If your PLAYSTATION Network Sub Account is terminated, you will not able to access your account on the PLAYSTATION®Network. This means all of the following:

  1. Any content or services you may have purchased that may be accessible on the PLAYSTATION®Network will not be available to you, including any content that may have been downloaded to your PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system(s). Other content that may be accessible offline may be available for use after termination of your account if permitted under the specific terms and conditions for the content.
  2. You will not receive any refunds, or fees as a result of termination of your account. If you subsequently sign up for another PLAYSTATION Network account, your prior Online ID may not be available to you.
  3. Any ranking or scores, or game related information will not be retained or accessible.

Can I delete a PLAYSTATION®Network account?

FAQ #342 (updated 2007-11-21)

Once a PLAYSTATION Network account is created, it cannot be deleted. If you would like to use a new (different) account, you will have to create an entirely new PLAYSTATION Network account.

Note: Purchased content cannot be transferred between different PLAYSTATION Network accounts. We apologize for any inconvenience.

How do I terminate my PLAYSTATION®Network account?

FAQ #222 (updated 2008-03-24)

Once a PLAYSTATION Network account is created, you can not delete it, although it can be terminated. To terminate a PLAYSTATION Network account, please contact Sony Computer Entertainment America’s (SCEA) Consumer Services’ Accounts and Billing line at 1-877-971-7669.

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  • Jiggzisyodaddy

    Ok, so, I made a psn account and bought a couple things on the psn store. After awhile I got sick of my awful username so I created a new user and account. I want to delete my old account but keep the map packs and junk on all my other users on my ps3. Is there any way I can do this? PLZ REPLY

    • http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

      If you delete the account then you will no longer own the purchased content. However if you’ve downloaded the content already then it should remain on the hard-drive for your other users.

  • max

    Like Jiggzi here, i hate my username and i haven’t really used my PSN for anything. i have no online obligations, no trophies or DLC or anything. I want to get  rid of it and make a new account, so i can clear mpsychosocial15 from the world of PSN forever. how can i do this?

    • http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

      I think the only way to fully delete it is to contact Sony and ask them to remove it. 

  • Cnwillow

    I created an account and i tried logging in with my old psn acc  but it said password failure or something so i want to create and entirely new acc but it wont let me.. it just keeps showing the sign in button but when i try logging in with a psn acc i made it says i cant log in to others peoples psn… any ideas? 

    • http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

      If you want to make or use a new PSN account you need to make a new User on your PS3 and then sign them into that new account.

  • Fwglessner

    ok i got one for you. how do i change my email cause the one i got on the psn is an old one and when i got my new email account i forgot to change it on the ps3

  • Peeved Pete

     this is bang out of order, My two childern use the ps3 with their own psn accounts, now the other cant sign in because it says you cant use another account so basically one account to a ps3. This cant be right.

    • http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

      Please read up on our article Users, Accounts and Sub Accounts. You can one PSN account per User on the PS3. 

    • Super Simon

       You can!
      Make a new user on the ps3, choose the “sign up for playstation network”.
      Select “Use an existing account” or if you don’t have another account, just make a new one and you can have two accounts :)

  • Clemente Dias

     Need help,

    my hot mail got hacked, now i cannot sign in on the PlayStation, i got a new gmail.I want to change my hot mail for my gmail how i do it ???Please miss my Ps3…

  • Josemnz44

     im trying to sigh in to my playstation and since they restore the network they said u need to create a new account but i dont know how to do that….how cant i do it? 

  • Feut0-34ut

    just restore it :( sucks tho

  • Markbailey81

    i have a pre owned ps3. i have just had broadband fitted and want to start playing online. the person who had my ps3 before me has an account and i cant change it or add my own can anyone suggest anything for me? 

    • http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

      You need to create a new User on your PS3 then you can sign that User up with a PSN account.

    • Hellhound-KNZKU

       reformat your ps3… then you can start from new.

  • del-design

    My son is having the problem of the master account Online ID (mine) showing up even though he’s logging in under the sub account. All his trophies and badges and whatnot are showing up correctly under the sub account, so not like he’s been playing as me the last six months and just now noticed. Anyone seen this before?

  • Bigman

    i fuckin hate this
     

  • Jkorn_1

    I have a ps3 and they are my friends account….but i want to create my own so i can have my NBA 2K11 down loaded and up loaded everytime i play….so how do i go about that?

  • DAZMAN

    My ps3 has ylod AGAIN so im gonna get a new one,will i be able to keep my ID as i dont fancy starting all over again.

  • Gusrob

    I WANT TO CHANGE MY OLD EMAIL ADDRESS TO MY NEW EMAIL ADDRESS ON MY PS3 ………….HOW ?????????????????

  • Empire

    FED UP! I just need my e-mail account to be as it is with the username change all is cocked up..

  • Colinbrooks

    hey so i just got my ps3 monday and i went to sign in to my psn account and it says i have to change my password and it sent a link to my email to do that. but when i clicked the link, that particular part of playstation online is under maitenence. what do i do?????

    • Richkidtiba

      same thing with me,i checked mine this morning and it said the same thing

      • Colinbrooks

        have you figured it out?

      • http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

        You may need to wait a couple of days because Sony are working on bringing the Playstation Store back online.

      • Tcouk

        yeah same thing and with me… i am really pissed of…

  • Superalexh1

    dis s**T is messed up i cant get online cause of my email

  • ghost man883

    they should make xbox 360 free and more people would go to it

  • Anonymous

    same problem. try to change my password. site is down for maintenence

    • kit-katPUG

      exactly my problem! i want to delete it or something and replace it cause i dont think i can use that same email address for it and make another account.

      • Sauevo

        Hi. I just remembered my password. Although it won’t allow changes, if you try to sign in, it will tell you to change passwords and send you an e-mail confirming changes.

  • Honda9235

    How do I delete other accounts I gave out but want to keep mine ?

  • Kleach219

    I created a new account because I was unable to get to my old one. I finally figured out how to retreive my old one, and changed my password like I should have. But, everytime I try to sign in, it says that I am unable to sign in using someone elses email address. Is there anyway that I can solve this?

    • http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

      You can only log onto one PSN account per User on your PS3. To use another PSN account, create a new User and “sign in with existing details”.

  • Teflon-john

    i restored my ps3 cant play tiger woods online anymore when i redeem the code on the game that i bought at the store it wont accept it is says may not be correct bla bla bla    help pls

    • Mark-E-Mark

      The code should have been already downloaded in your previous bought/downloaded folder, Playstation Store lets you download it multiple times for this reason.  Hopefully, your not restoring your PS3 every other week and you should be able to download that code and play ONLINE again.

  • Jeff

    i restored my ps3 and cant get my psn back now

  • Yspan

    ugh im so mad when is the website going to be back up >,>

  • Alex_hermanns

    hey flame!

    I have a question for you. When i reset my entire ps3, i know i will lose all my data etc (got them all saved on usb and pc ;) ), but will i also lose my psn account? i mean, will i lose my username or will i be able to continue on the same ? Bcuz some games  can not be coppied without the original account. You understand what i mean? :p

    tyvm,
    you can always contact me if you want ;)

    • http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

      Hi Alex.  If you have an external hard-drive (FAT32 formatted) you can actually do a full backup and restore — the option is in the System menu on the PS3.  That might not be what you want though.

      When you perform a reset you do lose the data but the PSN accounts are stored online, so just recreate your PS3 User then you can sign into your PSN account (Sign up for Playstation Network -> Use existing account details) and sync your trophies back on, and re-download items from the Playstation Store.  Just remember to run a trophy sync before you do a reset otherwise you may lose some.

  • CullChartier5

    so i created a new account that i have been playing on and now when i try to sign on my old account it says it doest allow another user sign in allowed???? hellppppppp

    • http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

      You can only attach one PSN account to each User on your PS3. Make a new User first.

  • CullChartier5

    flame,
     So i signed on to my account and changed my password and have all the welcome back stuff but my online name is not my same one and all my trophies are gone and friendslist is gone???? help plzzz

  • dayveon

    i want my old accout its dayveon11

  • John

    hi i had a user gaming profile onn my m8s PS3 and he has deleted the user but my account is still active on it how do i deactivate it

  • james

    heyy i made to many accouts on my ps3 and it wont let me make any more , why is this>?

  • TungstenSandwhich

    If anyone wants to free up their email for use with another account they can swap their PSN Username to another address by taking the following steps.

    #1 Create a new E-mail account.
    #2 Sign in to the PSN account which you no longer wish to use your old E-mail for.
    #3 At the home menu go to PlayStation Network.
    ->Account management ->Account information ->Sign in ID (Email address)#4 Enter your old password (This will remain as the password despite E-mail address change)
    #5 Enter your new E-mail address.#6 Hit ‘Confirm’.Your old E-mail address will be free to use with a new PSN account and you will still have Your old PSN account, albeit registered with a new E-mail address.

  • narutosensa310

    my mom made an account for the play station network and i want to switch users to have my own account and don’t have to log in with her account how do i do that with out deleting my account on the ps3

  • Bradleymcfarlin

    my account is linked to 4 other playstations besides mine. is it possible to unregister their accounts so i can gameshare with other people?

  • Levi4477

    I havent used may ps3 slm for about a year now, i just come to go back on it and waint let me acces the internet mode because my password is inavid but i dnt use the old email address to get a new 1! so how do i reset my email and password ????????????

    • Kash

      i wanna kno the saaaamething -_- let me kno when ufind  out

  • K4mr4n__1

    Hi, I have recently come back from holiday and I can’t remember my password; i’ve tried a couple that I can remember but it keeps on saying my email or password is incorrect. I don’t want to lose all of my trophy data, because I know if I make a new account and user all my data will be lost or some data will not be transferable. I want to make a new account but still have all my trophies etc. there plus my saved game data; how can I do this? 

    • http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

      Have you tried the “Forgot my password” option when you sign in??

      • K4mr4n_999_king

        Hi again, I tried that aswell and then typed in, correctly my DOB, but the ps3 replies ‘invalid information entered’  so I don’t know what to do. How can I make a new account and profile and transfer all my old data to the new one. I also read somewhere you can back up everything, including Trophy ans saved data, onto a hardrive and then when you make a new account you can transfer it over. If this is true can you write down the steps to do this.

  • Sonysucks

    Fuck playstation! Xbox 360 rules!

  • jdm

    can you terminated an account without a password

  • Metalfreek617

    I got a question.. I want to make a new user name on psn but will my download content (black ops map packs) be on my new account since I’m using the same ps3?

    • Magehealer

      I think with the same cd it’ll be the same dlc with your new account. But I want to know if we can with another cd and another system with same account using activate system method maybe.

    • Magehealer

      I think with the same cd it’ll be the same dlc with your new account. But I want to know if we can with another cd and another system with same account using activate system method maybe.

  • Te Man

    Sony and PSN should make a tab were you can change your online name.

    • Matt237119

      I agree

  • CaptainGlory

    Hi, I currently have two psn accounts and I was wondering if I deactivated one psn account, can I log the other one in the User where I deactivated said account?

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