assign a nickname for bank accounts and credit cards?

[PNWgreen]

Hello, 

Is there a way to assign a nickname for different bank accounts and credit cards that are linked to the PayPal account?  

I searched help and forum first, but found no answers.  Thanks much for any help or advice.  

[Christian12]

Please readd this feature!

[DJ77]

Since there don't seem to be any answers, I'll offer my opinion based on being a paypal member for 17 years.

#1 - PayPal does NOT want you to use your credit card.  They want you to use your bank account transfer so they can pocket all the fees they would otherwise pay to VISA/AMEX/etc.   Therefore, making credit cards more convenient to use is not going to happen unless they start losing customers because of it.  

For the longest time, you couldn't even select your preferred payment to be a credit card - it always defaulted to your bank account.  That feature finally was added, so maybe there's hope.   I doubt it, though, because account nicknames would be a super-easy addition in terms of coding, and were there before, so if they don't exist it means they don't want them to.

This is not to say they are bad for doing this - they are trying to gently nudge you in a direction that makes them more profitable by souring the milk just a little.   It's annoying, but you'll have to deal with it.   The good news?  You have LOTS of room in that amazing brain of yours to remember a few numbers, because your smartphone has freed up all the space that memorizing phone numbers used to take.  😃

[SWLinPHX]

@DJ77 wrote:

Since there don't seem to be any answers, I'll offer my opinion based on being a paypal member for 17 years.

#1 - PayPal does NOT want you to use your credit card.  They want you to use your bank account transfer so they can pocket all the fees they would otherwise pay to VISA/AMEX/etc.   Therefore, making credit cards more convenient to use is not going to happen unless they start losing customers because of it.  

For the longest time, you couldn't even select your preferred payment to be a credit card - it always defaulted to your bank account.  That feature finally was added, so maybe there's hope.   I doubt it, though, because account nicknames would be a super-easy addition in terms of coding, and were there before, so if they don't exist it means they don't want them to.

This is not to say they are bad for doing this - they are trying to gently nudge you in a direction that makes them more profitable by souring the milk just a little.   It's annoying, but you'll have to deal with it.   The good news?  You have LOTS of room in that amazing brain of yours to remember a few numbers, because your smartphone has freed up all the space that memorizing phone numbers used to take.  😃

DJ77, while it's true PayPal encourages you to use your PayPal balance over a credit card it always allows you to choose the option of a card instead.  But your logic is flawed for two reasons:

1) It does not cost PayPal more to use your card.  They make a percentage of the fees that is collected on all credit card transactions in the deal they have with the credit card companies, so if anything there would be an incentive for you to use it.  But at any rate, using credit cards does not cost them money.

2) Most importantly, PayPal took away the ability to nickname all funding sources including bank accounts, not just credit or debit cards.  I Have eight bank accounts attached to my PayPal account and that would really be helpful but they stopped allowing nicknaming them years ago (my first ones still hold their nicknames from then).  And, there is another topic right here just like this asking about that issue, nicknaming bank accounts:  Click here to see

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[SWLinPHX]

@DJ77 wrote:

Since there don't seem to be any answers, I'll offer my opinion based on being a paypal member for 17 years.

#1 - PayPal does NOT want you to use your credit card.  They want you to use your bank account transfer so they can pocket all the fees they would otherwise pay to VISA/AMEX/etc.   Therefore, making credit cards more convenient to use is not going to happen unless they start losing customers because of it.  

For the longest time, you couldn't even select your preferred payment to be a credit card - it always defaulted to your bank account.  That feature finally was added, so maybe there's hope.   I doubt it, though, because account nicknames would be a super-easy addition in terms of coding, and were there before, so if they don't exist it means they don't want them to.

This is not to say they are bad for doing this - they are trying to gently nudge you in a direction that makes them more profitable by souring the milk just a little.   It's annoying, but you'll have to deal with it.   The good news?  You have LOTS of room in that amazing brain of yours to remember a few numbers, because your smartphone has freed up all the space that memorizing phone numbers used to take.  😃

DJ77, while it's true PayPal encourages you to use your PayPal balance over a credit card it always allows you to choose the option of a card instead.  But your logica is flawed for two reasons:

1) It does not cost PayPal more to use your card.  They make a percentage of the fees that is collected on all credit card transactions in the deal they have with the credit card companies, so if anything there would be an incentive for you to use it.  But at any rate, using credit cards does not cost them money.

2) Most importantly, PayPal tooke away to nickname all funding sources including bank accounts, not just credit or debit cards.  I Have eight bank accounts attached to my PayPal account and that would really be helpful but they stopped allowing nicknaming them years ago (my first ones still hold their nicknames from then).  And, there is another topic right here just like this asking about that issue, nicknaming bank accounts:  Click here to see

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[Nkolet]

Nicknames on cards is a must. Please add this ASAP. Such a pain.

[HREFGirl]

(BEGIN RANT) Even with the bank account vs credit card argument, one can STILL have multiple accounts. I think that all we are asking for is the ability to add an identifier to ANY account so that we don't have to open our wallets to check the last 4 digits. Defeats the ease-of-use purpose when selecting PayPal as a check-out option.

If we have to dig out our wallet to confirm the last 4 digits, we might just as well enter the other digits on the card, no?

There may be a sound reason for not doing this though. Articulating this to your clients would be respectful is all we're saying.

Thanks for listening! (END RANT)

[froggles]

This has been requested multiple times for last few years. I've once again found myself searching for the answer (because I'm sure it was a feature once upon a time) and there's so many threads on here asking how / why PayPal don't do it.

So PayPal moderators, correct me if I'm wrong:

You are intentionally ignoring / not implementing this feature because you want to only offer easy recognition of PayPal Credit Cards, not ones from other banks.

This lack of easy naming/recognition (combined with the lack of ability to set a default credit card for payment) are the reasons I don't use paypal for everything I buy online. You've not lost my business entirely, and I won't pretend I'm quitting over this feature, but instead of about $1000/month for all my online purchases, I only make a few here and there using PayPal. Why? because I've been stung with charging things to the wrong card several times because all I get to see is the last 4 digits of 4 different cards. So I just use my password manager to remember my credit cards now (which DOES let me nickname them!) instead of paypal for most purchases.

[SWLinPHX]

They're not going to bring back the feature because they had it years ago and deliberately removed it.  And it wasn't for the reason you said as I first noticed it when they took away the ability to nickname bank accounts, so it's not just credit cards.  As much as I liked it because I have eight bank accounts linked to PayPal, you just have to go by the bank name and acct. number.

How many credit cards do you have linked to PayPal that you can't tell by the type of card (i.e., Visa, MasterCard) and the last four numbers, which both show?

[rav2532]

I agree with all of the above. I have just sent an email asking about the nickname feature then came here to find it definitely isn't available so I am interested to hear what they say, if they reply. I have 1 bank account and 3 visa debit cards linked to my Paypal (mine, my husbands, and our joint card) because we are in the long process of restructuring our finances... it makes identifying them pretty hard! The convenience of online shopping on your phone on the couch is completely lost if you have to get up mid-transaction to find your wallet. That sounds pretty lazy but I'm a mum so when my kid is in bed and I get to sit down I really would prefer to stay there and finish what I want to do. I have cancelled transactions because I couldn't be bothered getting up or can't remember where my handbag is, I'm sure I'm not the only one, so they actually are losing money from not adding this feature.

[SWLinPHX]

Well they're not bringing this feature back but why not do what I do and keep a file on your computer (password protected/locked if necessary) that contains all your credit cards with card number, name on card, expiration, CVC's and anything else you might need to purchase with.  Heck, even built-in browser apps like Last Pass store all that for you.  You only need to find your wallet/update your list when you get a new card.