Has Paypal changed or is it just me?

September 5, 2010 3:10 PM

I used to be able to make a PayPal transaction just by giving it a credit card to handle the charges. I don't seem to have that option anymore. What happened or changed? Or am I doing something incorrectly?

I have used PayPal on occasion but not anytime in the last year or two. I just found cause to use it again and had to start over with a new account because the site couldn't give me my password for the old account (trimmed due to inactivity?).

So, with a new account created I tried to send some money using my credit card (which was the only method I ever used in the previous 3 or 4 times I'd used the service). I received the generic error message "Sorry, your payment won't go through. To make it work, you'll need to add money to your account and pay with your PayPal balance."

Now, I the credit card has been added for it to use but I only have ONE option for adding money to my PayPal balance - linking it to my bank account. However, I am not interested in linking it to my bank account (especially when it never demanded this before), I just want it to use my credit card.

Two possibly relevant things.... Having no bank account linked to it means that I am, I gather, "unverified". Also, the transaction is looking to transfer USD using a Canadian credit card.

[Interested in a perspective other than what I can find or would get from PayPal support]

posted by gspm to computers & internet (6 answers total)

In your old account, did you have more than one credit card linked to your account? In my experience, Paypal always wants a back up source when using a credit card. If you don't have a backup source (another card or your bank account) then I can see why they would want you to deposit money into your account first.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 3:18 PM on September 5, 2010

They want a backup payment method as MaryDellamorte said, because they have protections and such that should they need to give someone a refund, they can.

They don't close accounts due to inactivity. My account there was hacked once and I refused to use it for years, but it was there when I needed to sell something on eBay.

What are you trying to pay for? If it's another person, then you can often check out without an account if they send you an invoice from within PayPal.
posted by cmgonzalez at 4:48 PM on September 5, 2010

If it's another person or a business, actually.
posted by cmgonzalez at 4:48 PM on September 5, 2010

I don't recall having more than one credit card associated with my previously used account which is why I am confused a bit about why it is not working now. The logic of having a backup makes sense though.

It would be a transaction to another person so I will see about trying the end-around to make the payment.
posted by gspm at 5:42 PM on September 5, 2010

Swing and a miss. Still seem to need a PayPal account to pay a PayPal-served invoice. First try at verifying my account is proving a struggle so the whole exercise has been a bit of a failure. Older and non-technical payment alternatives being pursued.
posted by gspm at 12:03 PM on September 6, 2010

I think this depends on the account you are sending to:
the professional sellers on ebay tend to have paypal accounts that will take credit cards.
the 'ordinary' paypal accounts used by joe public will only accept paypal.
posted by Lanark at 12:37 PM on September 6, 2010