Zip code error when trying to sign up for a PayPal business account

Ebergrund
Contributor
Contributor

I try to sign up for a PayPal business account from a European country where I reside and from where I conduct my business. I have a business registered in Wyoming, with a Wyoming address as principal office and mailing address. When I try to sign up for a PayPal business account I enter the US address and zip code of my business but I can't sign up. I get the 'Check your zip code' error.

 

Probably PayPal thinks my business is located in Europe and expects an European zip code, while my business' zip code is American. I can't enter the zip code of my European town since the official address of my business as it appears in the Articles of Organization is in Wyoming. Also I'm not 'engaged in a trade or business' in the USA, as I don't have any office or employees or physical presence in the US, so I don't think changing the country to USA in the first step of the sign up process is the correct solution. I'm a foreigner living outside the USA and I don't want to open a US PayPal business account, since all my activities and residence are located in Europe. Also the debit card that I will link to this PayPal account is a European debit card.

 

So, my question is how can I get over the zip code error and sign up for a PayPal business account as a European resident with a business registered in the USA ?

 

Any help will be appreciated. Thank you!

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13 REPLIES 13

DPCreations
Frequent Advisor
Frequent Advisor

You  business and your PayPal account must be in the same country.

 

So, you move to U.S. to establish your PayPal busienss acocunt or you move your businnes to your current country where you have your PayPal account.

 

The other option is to find a differnt payment processing system as PayPal will not work for your current situation.

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lancelotme
Frequent Contributor
Frequent Contributor

@DPCreations wrote:

You  business and your PayPal account must be in the same country.

 

So, you move to U.S. to establish your PayPal busienss acocunt or you move your businnes to your current country where you have your PayPal account.

 

The other option is to find a differnt payment processing system as PayPal will not work for your current situation.


he wants to get around this problem by opening an account with country of residence = France,a company registered in USA which operates in France and its prinicipal address in France. 

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DPCreations
Frequent Advisor
Frequent Advisor

I realize he wants to circumvent PayPal cross-border policies and regulations.  I guess he can just keep on trying until the account is limited for suspcious activity.

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Ebergrund
Contributor
Contributor

@DPCreations & @lancelotme

 

Thank you for your detailed answers. The situation is clear:  to open a PayPal business account the owner of the business must be a resident of the country in which the business is registered.

 

I want to point out that to own a company registered in a different country than your country of residence is perfectly legal. So, my situation, although uncommon, is legal and justified by my business objectives. The only problem is that PayPal doesn't accept these kind of situations. So, when I opened this topic I wasn't interested to circumvent the rules or to trick PayPal. I was only interested to know which are their requirements, so as to avoid being limited or suspended after opening the account. Now I know I can't open the account and I won't open it. I'll try to look to other payment processors.

Cheers!

 

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