I can't send a payment to my son, but I can transfer money to my bank

[maddieg]

I have been trying for two days to send money to my son as a birthday gift. I keep getting the message that paypal cannot complete my transaction. I called customer service, but could barely understand the Indian woman who answered, and she kept trying to get me to link a card to my account. I don't want to do that. 

What could be keeping me from sending the money? I paid bills from this account just recently, so I know I've been able to send money in the past month.

[kernowlass]

@maddieg

1. Are the funds in your balance cleared and not pending?

2. Are they in the correct currency?

3. Have you done this...

Click on the profile tab (icon next to log out) > Click on payments third option along on the thick blue band top of page > second down click on update next to your prefered way to pay and put a dot in one of the options listed.

4. Do you have a back up funding source linked to your Paypal account ie card?

5. Is your sons Paypal account fully verified?

6. Have you double checked the email addy you are sending the payment to so there are no spelling mistakes?

[maddieg]

1. Are the funds in your balance cleared and not pending? Yes. If they weren't, I wouldn't be able to transfer to my bank.

2. Are they in the correct currency? Yes

3. Have you done this...

Click on the profile tab (icon next to log out) > Click on payments third option along on the thick blue band top of page > second down click on update next to your prefered way to pay and put a dot in one of the options listed. My preferred email works, and gets emails from PayPal daily. 

4. Do you have a back up funding source linked to your Paypal account ie card?  Yes, my bank account. I don't have a credit card and don't wish to list my bank debit card, and shouldn't have to since the bank is verified as the back up funding source.

5. Is your sons Paypal account fully verified? Yes. He has sent me money through his account within the last couple of months.

6. Have you double checked the email addy you are sending the payment to so there are no spelling mistakes? Yes, in fact I copied it from the payment he sent to me.

[kernowlass]

@maddieg

3. Has nothing to do with emails, 3 is selecting balance as your prefered funding option.

4. Unfortunately sometimes paypal require you to add a card to act as a back up funding source to reduce risk to them. A bank account doesn't have the same security as a debit / credit card as they work in different ways.

[maddieg]

I fixed #3.  I don't know how that got unchecked, because I had it done before. I don't know why that is a problem, though, because I had plenty in my account to pay the $100, and I've never had a problem before. I pay at least one of my bills through PayPal every month ( have to pay utilities through the bank) without a problem.  

I don't have a credit card, and have explained that to PayPal many times, and told them that my bank debit card would be pointless, because they'd just be taking the money out of my bank account, since I only have one bank account. They said a bank account was fine, because if there wasn't enough money in the bank account, they simply wouldn't approve the payment. 

I work online and have no choice but to be paid through PP, but if they insist I link a card, I'll just transfer my daily balances to my bank and not use PP for sending money anymore. It's convenient, but it's not necessary to my life. 

My son and I send money back and forth a lot. He loans me money when I need it, and I pay him back. We also send each other money for birthdays and holidays through PP.  They know this.  Nobody has notified him that his account has been limited, nor have they notified me that mine has been, but just to be on the safe side, I'll go ahead and transfer all my money out to my bank now, because I live on very little, and I can't afford to not be able to access it.