Can't purchase from iTunes because PayPal has to send an SMS, which I can't receive

Just_Asking1
Contributor
Contributor

Trying to make a purchase from iTunes while traveling. But it gets blocked, saying that Paypal has to verify my ID by sending an SMS to my phone. Well, I don't have phone service where I am. I AM on wifi with my phone, but apparently Paypal can't send a text message that I can receive, so I'm locked out.

 

This is so frustrating! Is there any way I can access my own iTunes account? I'm away for several weeks still.

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2 REPLIES 2

PayPal_Olivia
Moderator
Moderator

Hi @Just_Asking1,

 

I'm sorry to hear about the inconvenience caused by the identity validation step. When the security system detects factors that look like there's a possibility that someone else is using your account, additional security measures are required, such as the account validation you're experiencing. If the only option being offered is SMS and you can't complete that, the only other option would be to call PayPal customer service. To find the number to call, please visit PayPal.com and click Help& Contact, then contact us, then call as a guest to find the best number to call for the region that you're in.

 

I hope this helps!

 

Olivia

 

 

 

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Just_Asking1
Contributor
Contributor

But the reason I can't receive an SMS is because I'm out of the country! So no, I can't call PayPal either. If I could call them, I could also receive an SMS.

I did send PayPal an email, but just got back a generic cut-and-paste response that wasn't any help.

In the end, since I'm locked out of my own account, essentially, I disabled PayPal as a payment method and used a credit card instead. Not ideal for me, but since I travel a lot, it's the only way, since PayPal can't be accessed outside the US (for iTunes. I think it can still be used for some other things).

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