No Mobile Phone

[Choreo]

I keep getting emails from PayPal asking me to add/verify my Mobile Phone Number (sending me a code). I do not own a Mobile Phone. I have had the same land-line phone number for over 45 years, but I guess they "assume" that everyone now has a digital ball & chain connected to them.

Do I really need to go out and buy a mobile phone and sign a service contract to have a PayPal account now???

[kernowlass]

@Choreo 

Just buy a cheap pay as you go phone.

I think the 'ball and chain' phones are landlines which are rendered pretty unneccessary these days.

[roicarl]

Everyone seems to make the assumption that everyone has cell service. Well everyone doesn't!

[kernowlass]

@roicarl 

No but most have a router and computer so you can do wifi phoning, i have no signal and use wifi instead.

[jimiL]

You still need a cell phone for wifi calling, not all providers allow it and not all cell phone are capable of it !

[kernowlass]

@jimiL 

Yep but i was replying to the person saying that they had no 'signal' so a wifi phone would fix that.

And if you don't have a cell phone then you can easily buy cheap one that allows those features.

[jimiL]

His mobile network may not offer wifi caliing, if it does it may it may not be offered on his contract/deal and his handset may not be compatible.

In the UK there are only 4 mobile networks & approx 55 MVNO's, out of those only 7 offer wifi calling, those that do offer it have various conditions and limitations on compatible handsets. Many of them won't work unless the phone is bought from the provider, good luck with finding a "cheap" compatible handset.

[kernowlass]

@jimiL 

Seems quite a lot offer it and i wouldn't think it was hard to pick up one on these networks that is reasonably priced.

Table of Contents

• BT Mobile
• EE
• FreedomPop
• iD Mobile
• O2
• Three
• Vodafone
• Sky Mobile
• Virgin Mobile

[jimiL]

Ah, I was wrong, it was 9 out of 59 not 7!  Most of the ones listed only guarantee wifi calling will work if you buy the phone from them, all are restricted in the handsets that will work. None of this bears any particular relevence to the Original Post which is about people who do not have (or want) a mobile phone. Doesn't change the fact that Paypal are not offering any alternative to mobile phone verification, the FCA's position on this is is quite clear

"We expect firms to develop SCA solutions that work for all groups of consumers. This means that you may need to provide several different methods of authentication for your customers. This includes methods that do not rely on mobile phones to cater for consumers who will not have or won’t want to use a mobile phone. If this is not the case, or where firms are facing difficulties, we expect them to discuss with us as priority"

Paypal are totally ignoring this and in my opinion will suffer for it, customers will find alternative payment methods and walk away.

[CHUCK85]

I only use PayPal because i use E/Bay once i have sold what i want too its bye bye PayPal a company that has no respect for its customers or goverment rulings