Account Limitations: What You Need to Know

[PayPal_Mark]

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.

[Rodney_williams]

If it didn’t take 180 day for my money to make it to pay pal, why in the hell do I have to wait 180 to get my money from my account. I was permanently kicked by pay pay. I just stared using pay pal, and they said I owe money to an email I don’t recognize. I can’t get in contact with anyone. I have a significant amount of money in the business account and can’t get help.

[PayPal_Olivia]

Hi @downliner,

I'm sorry to hear that your account limitation appeal is under review. If it has not yet been reviewed after several days, please reach out to customer service to inquire about the status of the review. I understand that the wait quoted for the phone line was not acceptable to you. There are a few other options for contact.

To contact customer service, please click Contact at the bottom of the PayPal website for available options, or reach out by PM on Facebook or DM on Twitter.

I hope this is resolved quickly!

Olivia

[armank]

I have just received a permanent ban for creating my paypal account when i was a minor, which was 7 years ago.

My Account is in perfect condition, never had any customer complaints.

At that time, i was not aware that you had to be an adult to use PayPal. It didn't state this information as clear as it does when you sign up today (at least in Germany), only in the imprint.

Although i do very much regret the decision of breaking PayPals ToS when i was a kid by setting up an account as a a minor,

i don't quite understand why that should be an issue 7 years later, as it wasn't before: I have had sent my ID to verify my account in when i was 16 and 17, phone support did never care that i was a minor, and believe me, i had a very squeaky voice. 

Is there anyway to appeal this ban?

If not, is there any way to remove my credentials (phone, credit card, email) from my account?

Because if not, this is effectively a lifetime ban for me, as i do not have another phone number or credit card.

Thanks in advance.

[PayPal_Schae]

@armank

Welcome to the PayPal Community! 

I'm sorry to hear you were blocked from using PayPal. Generally, Customer Service can help you see what options you may have. At times, if an account holder can prove they are of legal age, the account can be unblocked. Give them a call from our contact page to see what they can offer. 

I hope this information leads you to good news! Thank you.

-Schae

[armank]

hi @PayPal_Schae,

Thanks for your fast response!

I have done that now and they said the only thing i could do is open a new paypal account,

which would be useless, because i only have one credit card, which is banned aswell, just like my phone and email.

[PayPal_Olivia]

Hi @armank,

I'm sorry for the inconvenience that you've encountered. If you have been given permission to open a new account, please contact customer service and ask them to free up your financial credentials for use on the new account. They should also be able to allow the phone number to be able to be used. The email address will not be able to be released, however. You would have to obtain a new email address to use PayPal.

To contact customer service, please click Contact at the bottom of the PayPal website for available options, or reach out by PM on Facebook or DM on Twitter.

I hope this helps!

Olivia

[armank]

Hi @PayPal_Olivia, thanks for your reply!

 When i log into my account, i am prompted with this screen:

"You can no longer use PayPal. It is important to us to offer our customers a secure payment platform. In connection with your account, we have noticed activities that violate our terms of use. For this reason we can no longer offer you the PayPal services. You may not remove the bank account or credit card information stored in your PayPal account or use it to open a new account. You can still log in and view your account information, but you cannot send or receive money. Any remaining balance will be retained for 180 days. After this period we will inform you by e-mail how to withdraw your money."

Anyways, i'll give it a try and report back.

Thank you.

[PayPal_Olivia]

Hi @armank,

That's correct. Typically, a limitation means exactly what is said there, and you would not be allowed to open a new account or remove the financial credentials and use them as a guest. If you've received permission to open a new account, that is an atypical situation. While you would still be unable to do those things yourself, a representative may be able to facilitate it for you. This would only be the case if you had a situation where permission to open a new account could be granted.

I hope this helps!

Olivia

[armank]

Hi @PayPal_Olivia, thanks for your reply!

Your suggestion to contact the support again was very helpful, they did remove my credit card and bank account this time.

Now i am hoping to be able to convince them to remove my 2nd email and phone number.

Being unable to use my phone number would mean a huge security risk to me as i cannot receive 2 factor codes.

Thanks again!

Regards 

[PayPal_Olivia]

Hi @armank,

The email address would have to be removed before it could be used again, but the phone number may be able to be used on the new account even if it's still on the old one. 

I hope they're able to get that 2nd email address free for you!

Olivia