PayPal suddenly holding my payments (after years with no problems)

[LizFranklin]

I've been on PayPal for years with no problems, ever.  Suddenly most (not all) payments coming to me, plus one TINY ($4.25) payment I tried to make (to Office Depot) using PayPal are showing as "Pending" for random periods of time.

There have been no changes to my bank accounts or cards on file with PayPal.  There have been no buyer complaints or claims.  (I have a small online Wix store.)  My store business is seasonal and is up some right now, but not dramatically so.

Unfortunately, incoming payments put in "pending" status results in the orders not showing up in the online "store," so that's quite a problem -- especially considering that I aim to provide same-day order fulfillment!  It's a real pain to have to keep logging into PayPal all day to look for orders that are being held back because payment is still "pending."  And, after that business with the "hold" on the little $4.25 payment, I'm trying not to use PayPal to actually pay any expenses, either.

Does anyone have any light to shed?  Is this suddenly happening to other people the last few days?

[_Joseph_]

@LizFranklin 

Thank you for raising this matter to us. Delaying funds availability is a common industry practice we implement to help ensure the secure use of PayPal by both buyers and sellers. By placing your payment on hold, we’re trying to make sure that there’s enough money in your PayPal account to resolve any issues that may arise with your account such as chargebacks or disputes. When subject to a hold, the money is temporarily not available to use.

If there aren’t any issues with your transaction or account, the payment will typically be released within 21 days after receipt. After your hold is released, it may take until midnight (but it's usually sooner) for the money to appear in your PayPal account.

Here are some reasons your funds may be temporarily on hold or unavailable:

1. You’re a new seller with PayPal or you’re an established seller but have opened a new account.
When you’re a new PayPal seller, it takes time to build up enough history to demonstrate a pattern of positive buyer-seller transactions. The good news is you can usually move out of this status by confirming your identity and building up a history of positive selling activity.
If you’re an established PayPal seller, but opened a new account, that account will be eligible for holds until a good history is established.

2. You haven’t sold in a while.
When your selling activity has been dormant for a long time, it will also take time to rebuild a history of positive buyer-seller transactions.

3. Multiple customers filed for a refund, dispute, or chargeback.
If multiple customers file for a refund, dispute, or chargeback, or if you receive a large number of refunds, disputes or chargebacks in a short period of time, it can delay the availability of your funds. The best way to resolve this is to work directly with your customers to prevent, or solve, disputes and chargebacks.
Sometimes it’s possible that your customer filed for a refund, dispute, or chargeback because someone illegally used their PayPal account to buy something. We ask that you hold off on shipping any items when this happens.

4. Your selling pattern appears unusual or has changed.
Unusual sales activity includes: an increase in sales or a change in average selling price, business platform, or type of item being sold.

5. You’re selling higher risk items.
Higher risk items can include tickets, gift cards, consumer electronics, computers, and travel packages.


How do I get my money sooner for a transaction on hold? provides information on how you may be able to get your funds released early.
Why is my payment from a sale on eBay on hold? provides information on eBay holds and how to contact eBay.