Phone Number

[blank131]

Hi, I'm having an issue where I removed a old phone number, added a new primary but the old phone number still appears as verification. I don't have access to this number anymore, how can I remove it fully?

[sharpiemarker · Accepted solution]

@blank131 

Did you properly confirm the new number? New number won't take into effect until it is confirmed. You can add a phone number like you would an email address but in order for it to work, it has to be confirmed.

https://www.paypal.com/us/smarthelp/article/how-do-i-add,-edit-or-remove-a-phone-number-faq947

[blank131]

I did, but I'll do it once again to see if problem still occurs ***Edit: issue still stands 😕

[PayPal_Olivia]

Hi @blank131,

I'm sorry to hear that the old phone number is being used for verification. Please contact customer service for account-specific assistance.

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

Olivia

[RogeMoen]

Gee thanks. You want me to use the non working phone number to contact Customer service.

[OW10]

Very helpful

[hacdc]

I did all these things, and I still get prompted to receive texts on two old phone numbers.

I contacted PayPal help via email and chat, and they repeatedly said to do this, even though I told them I already had done it.

The last person said "There is no action that we can take to stop that. Over time, if our system gets used to the new device then it may replace that as an option for the one time security code."

How will the system get "used to the new device" if it's not even an option?  This response makes no sense at all.

[tompar]

I'm having this issue too. I switched my bank after moving back to Finland and obviously I have a new phone number too. I would need to add my new bank account to PayPal but only my previous phone numbers are shown on the bank account linking page. And yes, I've also added and confirmed my new phone number. Funny thing is that I can't remove any of my phone numbers from the system either. So, now I have 3 phone numbers on PayPal, none of them working I guess.

[RogeMoen]

Why would I need to confirm their phone number. If they can't put a working phone number on their own web site they shouldn't put anything.

[hacdc]

I finally figured this out after about a dozen calls, text chats, and emails to customer service.  The problem stems from the fact that PayPal maintains an internal record of past account phone numbers which is invisible to the account owner and uses those for the two factor authentication.  (The problem is also caused by PayPal erroneously using two factor authentication for business accounts which their own help files say doesn't happen.)  Anyway, after I managed to get luck and reach a customer service worker who knew these things, he was able to remove the old phone numbers from the TFA usage and get it turned off for my account.  Until that happened, I just used the security questions.  Good luck reaching a knowledgeable customer service worker.