Negative Balance and charged twice.

danicaannev
Contributor
Contributor

Hello, I have  a problem. So like a week ago I bought something online for $18.22. I used my PayPal funds and the remaining is my bank account funds which was $8.59. However there wasn't enough money so I was charged with NFS fees. The next day I got an email from PayPal saying that my bank account had insufficient amount and ended up getting -$8.59 negative balance. When I added funds it automatically took out the negative balance which means I don't owe money anymore to paypal. Yesterday, my bank account got charged again by paypal for $8.59. Why did I get charged again when I had already paid all of it.

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3 REPLIES 3

sharpiemarker
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@danicaannev 

 

Because PayPal makes up to 2 more attempts to try to get paid when a bank payment comes back unpaid.

 

In such cases, the best thing to do is add funds to your bank account only, not add funds to your PayPal balance because doing that won't stop the attempts PayPal makes to your bank because the bank payment transaction has to go through the motions to it's conclusion, which is to get paid. Only after 2nd attempt fails do PayPal charge your back up card for the difference, leaving you with NSFs in the aftermath.

 

The lesson and point is to have/put money in the bank. Not so much in your PayPal balance because PayPal don't charge NSFs, your bank does. Just add funds to your bank account. Treat it as adding the $8.59 to your PayPal balance since you've already zeroed the PayPal balance out. Then you can either keep it in your PayPal balance when the $8.59 arrives there or transfer it back to your bank account.


Kudos & Solved are greatly appreciated. 🙂
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danicaannev
Contributor
Contributor
It happened again yesterday where I had insufficient funds. I was charged $20 by paypal and it was reversed. Would you say it would charge me $20 again in the future like the problem I had with $8.59?
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sharpiemarker
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@danicaannev 

 

OK. If you made a transaction with a bank account, PayPal will first try to get payment from your bank, right? But if the bank account is insufficient on the initial main attempt a) the bank will charge a NSF, b) PayPal will try again (attempt #1) and c) make another again (attempt #2) in the space of 6 days or so before PayPal finally taps your back up card. So add money to the bank account ASAP before attempt #1 happens as you do not want any more NSFs! Do not add money to the PayPal balance because doing that won't stop PayPal making these attempts on your bank account! You want the funds to be available in the bank account for PayPal to get their money from there.

 


Kudos & Solved are greatly appreciated. 🙂
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