How to spend money on a limited PayPal account

So what are account limitations?

Account limitations prevent you from completing certain actions with your account, such as sending, spending and withdrawing money and, in some instances, receiving it. When we limit your ability to manage your own money, it’s either because we’re concerned about your financial safety or we’re legally required to do so.

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We need to comply with laws such as the Australian Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing laws, or the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).

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Your bank has notified us that someone has used your card without your permission, or that there have been unauthorised transfers between your bank and PayPal accounts.

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You’re engaging in high-risk buying or selling activities, like selling high-value items or in an industry that is more susceptible to disputes and chargebacks.

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Removing limitations.

To remove your limitation, you’ll generally need to confirm some information in your account, provide some documentation, or tell us more about some of your recent business activities. To do this, just log in to your account and follow the notification. We’ll confirm your information and usually remove the limitation within 2 business days, and email you if there are any delays or concerns.

What information does PayPal need?

What we need depends on the kind of account you have and why your account has been limited. In most cases, we’ll need:

• Your name, date or birth and address
• Information about your business, such as legal entity documents and information about related parties
• The names, dates of birth and addresses of the beneficial owners of your business

See documents we need to confirm identities
Download the Letter of Authorisation

How do I know the request for identification documents is really from PayPal?

If you receive an email asking for documents, log in to your PayPal account. If it’s from us, you’ll see a notification that you can follow to upload the documents.

Never send proof of identity documents to anyone by email, and don’t click on links in emails to provide this information. Learn more about staying safe online

Do you have any tips for making the process easier?

Firstly and most importantly, keep your account information up to date. If we need to verify your identity or your business information, we’re looking for documents that match the information we already have about you. If, for example, you upload a drivers licence with a different address to the one on your PayPal account, our review will take a bit more time.

Other than that, just act quickly. If law and your financial safety allows it, we’ll give you time to provide information before limiting your account and removing your ability to send or withdraw your money. Make sure you act by the dates we advise as we can’t extend them.

I’ve already provided documents to PayPal. Why is PayPal asking for more information?

We may need more documents or information for a number of reasons, including

• Documents previously provided were illegible, out of date, or did not meet the requirements.
• There are additional regulations around political organisations, charities, associations and non-profit organisations, or financial service organisations, and businesses that receive donations or have complex organisational or ownership structures, for example.
• Regulations and laws have changed.
• You’ve added new users to your business account.
• You have new beneficial owners, or their ownership has increased.
• Your account activity has changed.

Will my documents and information be kept secure?

Absolutely! Keeping your information safe and secure is always our top priority. For details on how we collect and store your information, check out our Privacy Policy.

I’ve submitted documents or provided information. Why is my account still limited?

It can take a couple of days for our team to verify the information and documents you’ve provided, so your account will usually be back to normal within 2 business days. But sometimes, during our review, we’ll find that we need more information or documents from you than we initially thought. If we do, we’ll email you and update the notification in your PayPal account.

Who can I speak to if I need help?

If you're having difficulty uploading your documents or just have a question or two contact us via the Help Centre.

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