Account Limitations: What You Need to Know

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PayPal Employee
PayPal Employee

 

Keeping your business and customers safer

To ensure PayPal remains a safer place for enabling payments, we regularly review all accounts. Sometimes, limitations may be placed on your PayPal account, which could restrict you from completing certain actions: such as withdrawing, spending, or receiving money. Limitations are in place to help protect all our customers, and in some cases to meet our regulatory obligations. Protecting your account and money is important to us.

 

Account Limitations: What might cause it, and how to help avoid it?

If your PayPal account is limited, you may be unable to withdraw, send or receive money. There are a number of reasons why your account could be limited:

 

Suspicious & unusual activity

  • We suspect someone could be using your account without your knowledge.
  • Your bank alerts us that someone has used your credit/debit card linked to your account without your permission.
  • There are unexpected changes to your selling activities such as a sudden increase in your typical sales volume.

In such cases, we do what it takes to protect you from potential fraud prompted by the unusual activity– through limiting your account, and investigating.

 

You can safeguard your personal information and help protect yourself against fraud through some simple measures.  For example, don’t enter your personal or financial details when describing items for sale or in response to emails, and log out of sites you’ve entered your personal information into.

 

Regulatory reasons or business is not compliant

Your account could be limited for regulatory reasons. For example, India PayPal sellers need to include additional information to be able to accept payments in their account. Also, reaching a certain transaction value in your account may trigger a limit, which can also be removed by providing information required to PayPal.

 

There are also restrictions on what a PayPal account can be used to accept (and make) payments for. For example, PayPal doesn't allow the sale of counterfeit goods or banned items. So, ensure that your business is compliant with PayPal’s Acceptable Use Policy .


Increased buyer issues

An increase of complaints, claims and chargebacks from buyers can lead to account limitations.

 

Following some simple guidelines can help you improve your performance and reduce the likelihood of limitations. Overall, communication is key. You should:

  • Provide detailed product descriptions and photos.
  • Be upfront about policies such as shipping and returns.
  • Ship orders promptly and track shipments.
  • Respond quickly to any messages from buyers.
  • Work to amicably resolve any problems.
  • Ship to the address provided in the transaction details page.
  • Use quality shipping materials to prevent damage.

 

Removing limitations

 If your PayPal account is limited, here’s what happens:

  1. We’ll email you to let you know –  we’ll ask you to log in to your PayPal account and go to the Resolution Centre for details on how to resolve the issue quickly, usually by providing information.
  2. Once you’ve submitted the information required, we’ll review and reply via email.
  3. We’ll remove the limitations once we have verified your account. At times, limitations can be removed by simply changing your security questions and password.

Here are the types of information and documents we may need from you:

- Supplier’s invoice with contact information

This helps us determine the inventory source and validate that you have the items that you’re selling in stock.

 

- Payment information

When an invoice is unavailable, we’ll review the following information about your payments:

  • The item or service that was sold
  • The buyer’s name and shipping address
  • Proof of shipment to verify that an order was delivered

- Shipping or Tracking information

This helps us to verify that customer orders are being fulfilled.

 

- Proof of business
This provides evidence of a valid business registration and business ownership.

 

- Information for India sellers
This is to comply with our India regulatory obligations. Provide a valid PAN, a local bank account and the purpose code in your PayPal account task board.

 

- Proof of address such as bank statement or utility bill, Proof of identity such as passport or driver’s license
This helps us verify your identity when there is unusual account activity or to comply with regulations.

 

Once you’ve submitted your information, look out for any more emails from us as we may need additional details. We’ll do our best to confirm your information and remove the limitation within 2 business days, but sometimes it can take a little longer.

 

Quick Tip: If your PayPal account is limited, don’t open a new account. It could be traced back to the limited account.  It’s always best to resolve the limitation. We will guide you through it and restore full access to your PayPal account as quickly as possible.

 

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1,050 REPLIES 1,050

josey218
Contributor
Contributor
Have you tried to call? I was permanently banned because of some activity on my account i have never used my account & found this out when I logged in today & they won't tell me what it was. They won't listen to me either. I'm banned. Permanently final decision.
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Anonymous_User
Not applicable

This is seriously crazy that they do this without anything. 

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nadyabf
Contributor
Contributor

Today 240nd days and you are not paid my money and take HOLD ON status! With email or phone or help form not turn anyone to me!!!

 

Paypal 18 sept. 2018 my account was blocked (Reference ID: PP-007-328-811-213), my account was close to 600 euros. 

On February 18, the account opened a balance of up to 349 euros. I put this money on my account. There is a balance of 173 euros left.

In the last 3 months, I'm sending an email to the paypala. They call us by email. I do not reply when I write e-mail you say contact us from your membership page. When I try to contact the form, I'm sending the form. It gives the message. Especially trying to send a friend a simple question from the membership page. So in short, Paypal is doing its best to usurp the money and not to respond. Paypal is try scam me?

 

Instead of stalling the money, I suggest you give me the money. In this way, instead of being a negative commenter, I think a user who stays neutral is good for you. Please open the balance in my account. Today is the 240th day! 180 days have already passed.

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PerrineV
New Community Member

My account has been limited for several months. I've made all the steps and the PayPal support tells me that my file is complete.

However, I don't get any unlock!
My money is blocked and I need it.
I do not understand why PayPal keeps it...

It only takes it back to my bank account and I could terminate this PayPal account!!!

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snsshopmart
Contributor
Contributor

my account has been limited almost 2 weeks. i already submit the document that paypal needed.but why its still cannot solve?

how many days the limited are resolve? how can i resolve and remove the limitation? i need my money

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birdslover
Contributor
Contributor

And is there really an example of the account being released? And if the amount is not released, what does PayPal do with it. Retain, donate or?

Thank you for your answer.

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V8Fiery
Contributor
Contributor

I'm a week into my limitation, I was not given any forewarning, I have supplied the requested information, have sent a message on a daily basis and attempted to make contact by phone, all efforts result in the same result, absolute silence. The limitation has effected serveral automatic debits including my Netflix subscription. I have been unable to complete some sales on eBay.

I have since set up new payment methods as, it is becoming apparent that, PayPal either has no customer service staff or does not give a sh#t about how they **bleep** with their customers. I'm 100% sure nobody from PayPal will be reading this or, in fact, anything I write.

I'm past frustration, my only solution now is to cancel my account and move to a more reliable company that actually cares.

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Lily009
Contributor
Contributor
Please help me. It says my account is temporarily limited. I cant link my bank. It keeps saying every time i try: "we're sorry we cant process your request right now please try again later"..
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Pandaren
Contributor
Contributor

I woke this morning. Account permanently limited for supposedly violating Acceptable Use Policy. I read the policy and I'm clearly NOT in violation of their rules. I have my Tax ID , supplier Invoices, and all documetation to show any entity/government agency that my business is legit. How do I open the lines of communication with Paypal?

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rypmil
Contributor
Contributor

Would PayPal give you even the slightest clue about why they are bullying you?

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