Charged fee for requesting money although it's supposed to be free

[niwenwen]

I requested £10 from 'friends and family' from personal account to personal account to test, and when I received the money there was a fee of £0.79 leaving only £10. Although it says clearly here:

"No cost to request

No cost when requesting money from friends and family online with PayPal, making it easier than ever to get paid back. "

I also thought it quite strange to request £10 and not receive that amount...if there was a fee despite their claims to the contrary, surely it should be added on top when the money is sent to make sure I actually receive the amount I requested.

[kernowlass]

@niwenwen 

You say you ''requested'' it, so did you send a money request?

If so that is not a friends/family payment a money request is a goods/services payment.

Goods/Services Payments.

1. Invoice or Money Request.
2. Send money > Goods/Services.
3. Paypal.me link (if its a personal account then there should be the option to tick a box to make it a goods/services payment before you submit payment).

Friends/Family Payments.

1. Send money > friends / family (or trusted person).
2. Paypal.me link from a personal account where you don't select the option to make it a goods/services payment.

[niwenwen]

You didn't read the quote I made from the paypal help page, I'll quote it again:

"No cost when requesting money from friends and family online with PayPal"

https://www.paypal.com/merchantapps/appcenter/acceptpayments/requestmoney

Also there is no option "Send money > friends / family" The only options I have are:

Send money Pay someone, buy something, or give a gift.

Request money Ask a friend to pay you back—the friendly way.

The first option if I select it there are no further options, just send money and then there is a fee with that too. There's a fee with every option.

[kernowlass]

@niwenwen 

And I repeat and will state it again, a MONEY REQUEST is a goods/services payment.

They do not mean a money request, they mean when you ask your friends to send you money there is not charge from a paypal balance OR bank account (there is to the sender if they use a credit card).

https://www.paypal.com/uk/smarthelp/article/how-do-i-send-money-as-a-gift-faq3352

So if you used a MONEY REQUEST and not a request via a PAYPAL.ME PERSONAL ACCOUNT LINK then you will pay a fee..........WHICH YOU WERE.

If you are using the APP and not the WEBSITE then the friends/family option will show slightly differently. 

So.........you're welcome !!! 

[niwenwen]

>And I repeat and will state it again, a MONEY REQUEST is a goods/services payment.

It literally says in my paypal account: "Request money Ask a friend to pay you back—the friendly way." on the request money button, how in the world is that for a goods/service payment??

It says 'family and friends' on the 'request' button only. So far I've tried a request for family and friends and also to directly have the money sent, both methods resulted in a fee. So basically it's impossible to send to a friend without incurring a fee?

[kernowlass]

@niwenwen 

I am in the UK, I have a UK personal account, and I REGULARLY send friends/family payments to family and friends with birthday gifts or money I owe them.

I use the send/request > send money > put in the email address + amount and then select the SEND TO FRIENDS/FAMILY below the goods/services option.

I fund it via my bank account or balance and NEVER PAY A FEE. My family sometimes send me a personal paypal.me link instead and I click to pay it and again NO FEE. In 15 years on Paypal I have NEVER paid a fee for a friends/family payment.

You have because you did NOT use the friends/family option you used the GOODS/SERVICES option as you sent a MONEY REQUEST.

FROM THE FEES PAGE.

When you send money (initiated from the “Friends and Family” tab of the “Send Money” flow) to, or receive money into your PayPal account from, friends and family without making an underlying commercial transaction (that is, the payment is not for the purchase of goods or services or for making any other commercial transaction), we call that a “personal transaction”.

(initiated from the “Friends and Family” tab of the “Send Money” flow)......that is not using a money request. You send it that way OR you send it using a paypal.me link but ONLY from a personal account.

[niwenwen]

From the sender's account, they click 'send and request' at the top of the page, then input an email address, then they get this. Where is this 'friend/family' option?

[kernowlass]

@niwenwen 

Are they in the UK as well?

If so then input the amount you want to send and then click next and its on the next page, as I have already told you above.

>>>>>

I use the send/request > send money > put in the email address + amount and then select the SEND TO FRIENDS/FAMILY below the goods/services option.

[niwenwen]

>Are they in the UK as well?

My account is UK but theirs is not. Friends and family payment is only for payments between UK and other UK accounts? Or you mean it's only for non international payments? Any documentation about that?

>I use the send/request > send money > put in the email address + amount and then select the SEND TO FRIENDS/FAMILY below the goods/services option.

You can't see the image I posted above? Those are the options they have. There's a continue button and that just makes the payment. No friends, family, goods, service etc or anything like that.

[kernowlass]

@niwenwen 

ok after I enter the amount i get 2 options goods/services OR friends and family.

HOWEVER as you have now said the other person is not in the UK then in some countries they do not have the friends/family option so to have saved time always best to cite countries involved. Also do they have a business account? If yes then new rules state they can't accept friends/family payments.

We may be nearly there? Hope so I'm off for a swim in a moment so will be logging off.