How do I stop buyers seeing my personal information when I send them an invoice?

PayPal_Jamie
Moderator
Moderator

If you are selling and you don’t want your personal information to show on invoices you send to your buyers you can switch to a business account (which is free). You can update/change your business info. Tools> Invoicing > Settings > Business Information. This will change what customers see when they receive the invoice.

 

Jamie

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19 REPLIES 19

joobles
Contributor
Contributor

Help please .... I want customers to NOT see my personal name when they receive an invoice from me via ebay.  I read on here that if you change your personal paypal account to a business account and put a new  'business' name in then that is all the customer will see on their invoice. But will I also have to then change my bank account because that is still in my personal name. The two won't match up if one's a business name and the other is a personal name. The address will still be the same of course. I really don't want to change my bank account to a business because it's only for selling the odd items on ebay and is not an actual 'business' making lots of money so i don't want tax people or whoever it is that deals with business accounts poking around !!  I just want to keep my personal name private from buyers. Thanks. 

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distraught
Contributor
Contributor

I am having exactly the same problem paypal  agents do not understand this at all and are unable to solve this - dozens fo emails for help

I have been trying over about two long years to solve this I,ve had various suggestions from paypal but none of them work-trying this forum to try an get an answer --I cant find any response to the person who originally asked the same question

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PayPal_david
Moderator
Moderator

Hey guys,

 

This can easily be updated on your PayPal accounts if you wish.

 

You decide how your name appears on your customers’ credit card statements when they make a purchase from you.


Here’s how to change your name that will appear on your buyers statements:

 

  1. Go to www.paypal.co.uk and log in to your account.
  2. Click ‘Profile’ near the top of the page.
  3. Click ‘My selling preferences’.
  4. Click ‘Update’ beside ‘Card statement name’ in the 'Selling my items' section.
  5. Enter your name next to ‘Credit Card Statement Name'.
  6. Click ‘Save’. 

If you send an invoice to your buyers, they will always see the name of the person sending them an invoice. The only way that they won't see your name is if you upgrade your account to a business account. Once you have done this, you can then put the business name as the name you would like your buyers to see.

 

To add a business name, you need to upgrade to a Business account. You can upgrade your account in just a few clicks! All we need is a few extra details to comply with European Union Anti-Money Laundering regulations.

 

Simply follow the steps below:

 

  1. Go to www.paypal.co.uk and log in to your account.
  2. Click ‘Profile’ near the top of the page.
  3. Click ‘Update’ in the ‘Business Information’ section.
  4. Click ‘Upgrade’.
  5. Enter your business information and click ‘Submit’.

With immediate effect you can manage your PayPal account under your company's name, add additional users with separate login information and access rights, and take advantage of the wide range of other benefits of a PayPal business account.

 

Note:

 

  • You need to include a contact name on your Business account.
  • Your business name appears on all PayPal transactions and emails.
  • Your Business account retains all of the transaction records and history from your previous account. 

I hope this helps answer your questions.

 

David.

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distraught
Contributor
Contributor

Hi David - thanks for your help - Paypal agents  asked me to use the section where it says name change, but didnt say or know not to try the name change at this stage -this sets out on the road of sending photo ID,s etc

At later various stages (after many exchanges of emails) - I was told to upgrade to a business account then the name change would be easy - did this but when I tried to change my name again it set me off on the ID route again-

I eventually phoned a paypal agent who told me there was absolutely no other way of getting the name changed other than submitting  photo ID etc qouting Security /European laws etc etc--

In desparation I did this - only to get a phone call from a knowledgable chap in the US asking why I,ve done this ??  He told me that by changing to a business account my paypal invoice would autumatically be in the company name-(something all previous agents said was not possible ) and in line with the steps you gave-

I,m OK now but all this hastle was caused by misinformation given by paypal agents - had they given me the same sort of answer as yours life would have been less stressfull

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Zoerose
New Community Member

When I PURCHASE something-

(like a downloadable game code)-

Can I set up my PayPal so that 

the seller ONLY sees my first initial-

instead of my full first name?

 

Also - on some sites- they have asked for my info

such as address and full name.

I don't like giving out this information-

but sale does not go through without it.

 

Thanks

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PayPal_Dian
Moderator
Moderator

Hi Zoerose, 

 

I would like to provide some information that might help :). 

I am sorry to inform you that it is not possible to set up your personal details so that he seller does not see your name. I am afraid that a PayPal account has to be on your own name and we will provide your name to the seller when you buy items. As there might be financials added to your account your name has to match these. 

 

As for the seller asking for your details. We do not advise sellers to do this. Some sellers are asking this because there is a higher risk on chargebacks when selling virtual items. To make the risk less the seller ask for a bit more personal details. This makes their risk a little smaller. This is however not advised or recommended by PayPal as we can understand that some buyer do not want to give this to the sellers or it can create a bad buyer experience. 

So you always have a choice to provide this information to the seller or not. 

 

I hope this helped.

 

Dian

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pinkfloyd5709
Member
Member
There's got to be a safer way.
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IntervalHD
New Community Member

Yeah, why can't we remove our city and just add our State? My state is very large and it is unlikely someone will track me unless my City is listed.

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gmsparky
New Community Member

Hi 

 

Clarification on your post please   - from your note in the bottom of your post

----------------

 

1. Reffering to       

                           You need to include a contact name on your Business account.

 

Q.  Its not clear whether the customer will see your contact name or only the business name?

 

                                  Or is the contact name seen only by pay pal?

----------------

 2. referring to

                            Your business name appears on all PayPal transactions and emails

 

(This may be answered from the first question. But it does depend on the answer)

 

Q.  If the contact name appears as part of the business name does contact name appear on all emails, reciepts, statements 

             etc. with the business name?

     

     

Thanks

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