How to change Primary email adrdess

Dnusha
New Community Member

Hello alll,

I have changed my email address and need to edit my old one.   I tried and paypal does not allow me to do so.  How can I edit it to apply my new email address?

 

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107 REPLIES 107

bianchiman
Member
Member

I cnnot believe how the primary email address is not editable. I've tried adding a new one then gone to try remove the 'old' one, and yes it does not even work. Absolute rubbish

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BostonCompany
New Community Member

I see some people are not sure if the Plus sign is present. It is to the right above the Email header across from the link, "Back to Profile." Click the plus to add a new email and change it to primary. Perhaps there are different flavors of this screen for different types of accounts, but I get there as follows:

  1. Profile
  2. Profile and Settings
  3. Go to Email row and click Update.

 

OR 

 

Go to the side and in Quicklinks and click Update email

 

 

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jdtate
New Community Member

The instructions for update do not work. I do not have any place where update is listed. I only have edit/remove. so I cant change my primary email

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FlyingFish73
Contributor
Contributor
I've tried this and it does NOT work at all. I've added two new email addresses and when I go to select either of them to make them the primary I get an error message saying that my primary email has already been selected. Plus I can delete the email currently set as my primary, because it is the primary
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Sally-Seller
New Community Member

I have attempted to change my primary email address three times.  I don't have that email anymore.  I added my new email, then tried to "remove" the primary one and I keep getting a message that the primary email cannot be removed.  HELP please!

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Raju_Anand
Contributor
Contributor
But when I entered my new email address it pops up saying "Account is highly restricted". What I do next?
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Lord_Lucan
Member
Member

I have only just succeeded in changing my email address after an infuriating hour, I must say with the (partial) help of this forum.  Whoever designed this aspect of the site should be shot.  Didn't help that Kernolass gave some sketchy advice and then left the discussion in a huff because someone said the advice did not work.  Well it did not work for me either  - there is no " Update next to Email.", (I am looking at that page right now in another tab).

 

There is however an "Edit" by the Email, but if you click on it, it tells you you cannot edit it as it is your primary email (how many people need more than one?).  It also has a "Remove" by it which if you click says you cannot remove but asks if you want to edit - so rinse and repeat.  What an idiotic design;  I would be ashamed of such nonsense on my amateur websites.

 

What is not made entirely clear is that you need to add the new email address as a sort of secondary while the old one is still there as your primary.  PP sends you a "confirming" email to you old address that says (I am pasting this) "This is just to confirm that you added a new email address".  That is BS because if you go back to you account it shows the new address as still unconfirmed.  They are using the word loosley which does not help when computers are so fussy.

 

But separately PP send another email (to the new address) that gives a link to confirm the new address, and alternatively a button to click.  The link does not work.  The button does work, but it tries to launch a further instance of your browser, which my browser (Firefox) does not tolerate, so I had to shut everything down first, including  this pageof advice.

 

Only then is the new email marked as confirmed, and you can then make it the primary, and then delete the old one.  And sorry, I never saw a pencil icon the entire time.

 

Though marked "Solved", this issue is not.  It will be solved when a competent web designer is employed to rewrite this area.

 

 

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Ropar
Contributor
Contributor

I needed an email address that matches the one a survey company uses to pay me. I also spent an hour trying to add a secondary email, till I found the solution here. This is such an important site and such a huge global company, that you'd think they would have a better Help area. 

 

I suggest everyone who had a problem in this thread should send them an email here:

https://www.paypal.com/selfhelp/contact/email/t_s

 

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LiborioP
New Community Member

To Lord_Lucan, thank you.  I am experiencing the exact same problems you have described.  I created the second email address and the PayPal system still wouldn't let me change.  You've helped sort this form me hopefully.  PayPal system is very clunky.

 

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sherylnew
New Community Member

I sold my home and moved.  I added my new address but how can I change it to my primary one?  I will need a new Paypal card down the road and want it sent to my new address.  This website says I cannot.  Fix this problem please?

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