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

amoresdave
Contributor
Contributor
Same here. Where you able to withdraw? If so, please let me know how you did it. Thanks
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Swagby77
Contributor
Contributor
Im sorry they will probably keep it they say you may or may not get it back and ive heard if you do they take a ton out in fees I wish I had better news but it may work out
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urbaknight
Contributor
Contributor

Did you file for conciliation or a trial directly? I am taking legal action soon but just need to know which is the best path to take. 

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Arif24
Member
Member
I think after 180 days we should contacts with Paypal for withdrawal
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leshayna
Contributor
Contributor
Does anyone know how I can’t get my account back PayPal won’t help me I need to use PayPal but my account is permanently blocked😩
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Mattlofland
Contributor
Contributor

i WAS ABLE TO REOPEN MY ACCOUNT BUT IT TOOK EFFORT. YOU NEED TO CONTINUE TO MESSAGE THEM DAILY, ALSO FIND YOUR BBB AND ATTY GENERAL AND FILE COMPLAINTS. LOOK FOR CFPB CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU AND YOUR SENATORS GOVERNERS ETC. BE SURE TO UPLOAD EACH COMPLAINT TO PAYPAL AND SHOW YOU THAT YOU ARE SERIOUS........GIVE IT 2-3 BUSINESS DAYS AND LOOKOUT FOR A 402 AREA CODE NMBER, IT WIL BE A VERY NICE LADY WHO WILL EITHER SOLVE THE PROBLEM OR THOUROUGHLY EXPLAIN IT

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Bibobello
Contributor
Contributor
Hi @Mattlofland, can you please tell us who you called with the area code 402? I have been messaging and emailing their office of escalations for a month, they are holding my lifetime savings, leaving me penniless, at risk of losing everything I have and not being able to go back to my family again! This is a nightmare! If you were successful in getting the limitation lifted, can you please tell me who to call and talk to? Thank you
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Silvanayoussef
Contributor
Contributor

Please help me to get this money, I really in need of it. 

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Hailsphoenix
Contributor
Contributor

my suggestion would be to set up a new one

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Temp20230525GV
Contributor
Contributor

lies theyre making excuses to steal your money

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