Can't see my payPal balance.

[Rob-F]

All I can see on my Paypal account page is an offer to click on a button that will allegedly get me a sum of money to spend. I don't want it, and can't get rid of it to get back to my usual account page that shows my balance.

But the main thing is, I can't find my Paypal Balance any more. I looked all over, clicked everything that seemed relevant. It's not there.

What are they up to now?

 

[Steve M.]

Have you tried calling them Rob? Here's their phone number. They're generally more responsive than eBay on things of this sort.

1 (888) 221-1161

It could be your browser too, so maybe try using another browser to log in to your paypal account. Personally, I never leave a penny in a paypal account longer than I have to, it immediately gets transferred to my bank.

Now that paypal and eBay have split up, I probably should just get rid of my paypal account. I don't like the idea of it being linked to my bank account if it's not being used. The last time I bought something on eBay the seller didn't even accept paypal as payment.

 

[jamesk8752]

(Snip)
Now that paypal and eBay have split up, I probably should just get rid of my paypal account. I don't like the idea of it being linked to my bank account if it's not being used. The last time I bought something on eBay the seller didn't even accept paypal as payment.

Steve, I was concerned also, so I removed my bank account from the payment source list on eBay and added one of my credit cards (with a low spending limit) in its place. I think that this will take care of the problem, and I still can use PayPal for the odd smal purchase I need to make.

Regards, Jim

 

[sepiareverb]

There have been recent changes to PayPal with something called a ‘Paypal cash account’. I called them about it and the woman I spoke to found it as confusing as I did. She’d just had a “training” on it but it didn’t help.

 

[Emile de Leon]

Paypal was off kilter today for some reason..couldn't make any $ transfers..
But now it is working again..

 

[seany65]

I've just logged into my paypal account and all seems normal on 01/05/19.

 

[Rob-F]

Here's the deal. From time to time PayPal asks for our social security number. I've never provided it, because it's non of their business. It says right on my Social Security card that it is to be used for social security purposes only. It's not for identification purposes. Social security number is no longer used on driver's licenses, for that reason. Insurance companies used to require it, and that has been discontinued.

I called the number Steve M provided (thanks, Steve) and was told they need just the last four of my SSN. That seemed OK, so I was about to go ahead with it, until he added that they demand the entire SSN ("But we only use the last four").

I refused. So here's what they do: they unfroze my balance, and transferred it to my bank account. I am no longer allowed to have a PayPal balance.

Any lawyers among us? Is this legal? Is it legal for them to sequester an account and hold it hostage unless we provide our SSN? I thought the US government had clamped down on non-Social Security related use of the SSN.

Should I report them to the California Attorney General? (I think the Federal AG could probably care less.) Federal Trade Commission?

 

[seany65]

Social Security number?

I presume that's the US equivalent of the British "National Insurance Number".

I've been on paypal for years and I don't remember ever being asked for it. If I have, I've certainly never been asked to provide it since.

 

[Austintatious]

I read that this is a new Federal regulation. If you have a balance you can have them send you a check for a fee or they will send it to your bank for no fee. (I won't give them my bank account number.) There may have been drug dealers using Paypal and so the need of the Fed to change the way PP is used.

 

[JoeLopez]

I believe this is a federal regulation. No issues with it here. Buying and selling via Paypal since 1999 issue-free.

 

[NY_Dan]

PayPal wants your SS#. That's why they pulled this crap. Imagine--you can no longer use your PP balance to pay for something! And they now try to herd you into paying 1 percent to have your balance transferred to your bank - you can do it for free, but it's really easy to check the wrong box and whamo they took 1 percent from you. And PayPal owns Venmo which is really awful and designed to siphon up all your contacts and personal info. They're not a bank! And using PayPal or Venmo is exposing yourself in many ways.

 

[Rob-F]

What is Venmo?

How is it ok for them to demand my SSN when it has to be removed from drivers licenses and other non-social security related things? As a health care professional, I can't use a patient's SSN for anything not related to social security (such as disability applications).

 

[bucs]

Happened to me too. Transferred all the money I had there to my bank account.