Set up and maintain your account

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Last updated: Aug 15th, 6:15am

Before you take your first payment on your PayPal account, there are a few things to consider. For example:

  • How do you want your name to appear on buyers' credit card statements?
  • Will you accept payments from buyers in other countries?
  • Do you want to grant account access to other users in your organization?
  • Which currencies will you accept?

Use your PayPal account profile to set and edit these options.

Read the following topics to learn about the profile settings:

Add your credit card statement name

When PayPal members pay with credit cards on file with their PayPal accounts, the transaction descriptions appear on their credit card statements in the following format:

PAYPAL*Merchant-Name

By default, Merchant-Name is:

  • For premiere accounts, the mailbox name of the email address that you specified when you signed up your account.
  • For business accounts, the business name that you specified when you signed up for your account.

The value you specified is converted to all upper-case letters, spaces are removed, and the result is truncated to eleven characters. The result is stored in your PayPal account profile as your Credit Card Statement Name.

The default value for your credit card statement name may be difficult for payers to understand. To reduce chargebacks and payer confusion, replace the default credit card statement name with one that accurately reflects your business or legal name. Use the Payment Receiving Preferences page to make this change.

To specify your credit card statement name:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

    Click My selling tools.

  3. Click My selling tools.

  4. Click Update next to Credit card statement name in the Selling online section. The Payment Receiving Preferences page opens.

    You have the option to modify the following fields:

    SettingAction
    Credit Card Statement NameEnter up to 11 characters and spaces. Do not include special characters, such as "&", "#", or "_". The value is converted to all capital letters and might be truncated by some credit card processors.
    Extended Credit Card Statement NameEnter up to 19 characters and spaces. Do not include special characters, such as "&", "#", or "_".The value is converted to all capital letters and might be truncated by some credit card processors.

  5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save.

Block certain kinds of payments

Use the Payment Receiving Preferences page to block payments from certain payers, currencies, or funding sources. For example, if you want your account to only maintain currency balances for U.S. dollars and Euros, you can block payments that are in other currencies.

The Payment Receiving Preferences page contains several options that you can set to block payments in certain situations.

Read the following topics to learn more about blocking payments:

Block payments from payers without a confirmed address

You can better manage your risk by blocking payments where the payer chooses not to share his Confirmed Address with you. PayPal provides Confirmed Addresses to help you make informed decisions when shipping goods. To be eligible for PayPal's Seller Protection Policy (SPP), and to help reduce your risk of dealing with fraudulent buyers, ship to a buyer’s Confirmed Address.

To set the options for blocking this type of payment:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

    Click My selling tools.

  3. Click Update next to Block payments in the Getting paid and managing my risk section.

  4. In the setting For the items not sold on eBay, only allow payments from the users with confirmed address, select one of the following options:

    • Yes – Block all payments from payers without a confirmed address. This option requires that all payers provide a confirmed address.
    • No – Accept all payments. To maximize your sales, select this option.
    • Ask Me – Choose whether to accept or deny payment without a confirmed address on a transaction-by-transaction basis. This option lets you decide whether to take on the risk of not having the payer’s confirmed address for each transaction. If you accept the payment, it becomes a completed transaction. If you deny a particular payment, PayPal notifies the payment sender that their payment was denied and credits the sender with the payment amount. PayPal does not charge fees for denied payments.

  5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save.

Block payments in currencies that you do not hold

When you receive a payment in a currency you do not hold, PayPal prompts you to open a balance for that currency, convert it to your primary balance, or deny the payment. Payments in currencies for which you hold a balance are applied to the appropriate balance. You see a summary of each currency balance in your Account Overview page.

For more information about currencies associated with your account, see Manage currency balances.

To set the options for blocking this type of payment:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

    Click My selling tools.

  3. Click Update next to Block payments in the Getting paid and managing my risk section.

  4. Scroll down the page to the Allow payments sent to me in a currency I do not hold setting and select one of the following options:

    • Yes – Accept the payments and convert them to U.S. Dollars. (Additional charges apply.)
    • No – Deny all payments not made in U.S. Dollars.
    • Ask Me – Decide whether to accept each individual payment.

  5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save.

Block accidental payments

You can choose whether to accept payments with the same Invoice ID or to block payments when the Invoice ID was already used.

When you receive payments from buyers, you can include an optional Invoice ID field to track payments; buyers will not see this ID. A buyer's Invoice ID must be unique for each transaction. If PayPal receives a payment with an Invoice ID that was used for another payment, PayPal will assume this was an accidental payment and will not accept the transaction.

To set the options for blocking this type of payment:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

    Click My selling tools.

  3. Click Update next to Block payments in the Getting paid and managing my risk section.

  4. Scroll down the page to the Block accidental payments setting, and select one of the following options:

    • Yes, block multiple payments per invoice ID – Do not accept more than one payment per invoice. This option prevents duplicate payments that you must refund.
    • No, allow multiple payments per invoice ID – Do not limit the number of payments received for an invoice. Choosing this option might result in duplicate payments that require a refund.

  5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save.

Block payments from payers with non-U.S. PayPal accounts

Because many international addresses cannot be confirmed, you may choose to block payments from users with non-U.S. PayPal accounts in order to qualify for the Seller Protection Policy.

To set the options for blocking this type of payment:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

    Click My selling tools.

  3. Click Update next to Block payments in the Getting paid and managing my risk section.

  4. Scroll down to the Block payments from users who setting.

  5. Select Have non-U.S. PayPal accounts.

  6. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save.

Block payments initiated through the Send Money feature

You can choose whether to receive payments initiated via the Send Money feature on the PayPal website. If you block these payments, you accept only payments initiated from Buy Now, PayPal Shopping Cart, Subscription, and Donate buttons, as well as Winning Buyer Notification, Mass Payments, Money Requests, Smart Logos, or eBay Checkout Payments. As a result, you limit payments you receive to those associated with a specific item or transaction that you defined and selecting this option might help you manage your account.

To set the options for blocking this type of payment:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

    Click My selling tools.

  3. Click Update next to Block payments in the Getting paid and managing my risk section.

  4. Scroll down to the Block payments from users who setting.

  5. Select Initiate payments from the Pay Anyone subtab of the Send Money tab.

  6. Optionally provide a URL in the Alternate Payment URL text box to display an alternate payment URL to those users who attempt to pay you using PayPal's Send Money feature.

  7. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save.

Block payments funded with echecks

You can receive eCheck payments through PayPal Website Payments or Auction Logos. eCheck payments are listed as Pending and are not credited to your PayPal account for three to four business days.

You can block payments from PayPal members who pay with eChecks. Because eCheck payments take three to four business days to clear, you might want to block them for your Instant Purchase and Buy Now buttons.

If you choose to block these payments, users who attempt to pay via eCheck are prompted to add a credit card to their account before completing the transaction.

To block payments funded with eChecks:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

    Click My selling tools.

  3. Click Update next to Block payments in the Getting paid and managing my risk section.

  4. Scroll down to the Block the following payments setting and select the Pay with eCheck or German bank transfer for all website payments except eBay option.

  5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save.

Block payments from student account holders under 18 years old

You can block payments from PayPal members with student accounts who are under 18 years of age. This feature may be useful if some of the merchandise or products you offer are age sensitive or prohibited for minors under the age of 18.

To block payments from student account holders under the age of 18:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

    Click My selling tools.

  3. Click Update next to Block payments in the Getting paid and managing my risk section.

  4. Scroll down to the Block payments from Student account users under 18 years old setting, and select the Yes option.

  5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save.

Manage users of your PayPal account

As the holder of a PayPal Business account, you have all available account permissions. One of those permissions allows you to add additional users to your account so other people in your organization can use the account to complete work-related tasks. For example, you can add your accountant as a user, along with the permissions they'll need to manage the funds in your account.

The Manage users page lets you add and remove users, add and edit permissions granted to users, and change users' passwords. To access the Manage users page complete the following steps:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

  3. Click My settings.
  4. Click Get started or Update next to Manage users to display the Manage users page.

Learn more about the ways you can manage users on your PayPal account:

Add a user to your account

To add a user to your PayPal Business account:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

  3. Click My settings.

  4. Click Get started or Update next to Manage users.

  5. On the Manage users page, click Add User.

  6. Enter the following information in the Add User form:

    FieldDescription
    User IDFrom 8 to 16 characters. Special characters are not allowed.
    Note: Do not use an email address for the user ID. User IDs cannot include special characters such as the @ character.
    PasswordFrom 8 to 20 letters, numbers, and special characters. You must include one special character.
    Note: Letters in the password are case-sensitive.
    Confirm passwordThe same combination of characters and special characters that you entered for Password.
    User’s first and last nameThe first and last name of the person to whom you want to give access to your account.

  7. Click Continue.

  8. Select permissions for the new user. Learn more about user permissions in the User permissions section.

  9. Click Continue.

  10. Click Done if you have no additional users to add. If you have additional users you want to add, click Add Another User and repeat the previous steps.

User permissions

When you add a user to your account, you'll select account permissions to grant them. The permissions you give users defines what they can and can't do when using your account. For example, you might grant your developers the API activation & authorization permission so they can help complete your account’s implementation, but you wouldn't grant that permission to your bookkeeper.

Before adding a new user to your account, determine which permissions they'll need to do the account tasks they're assigned. By granting access only to the information or features they need, you can maintain better control of your account. You can update a user's permissions later, if necessary.

Edit permissions for a user

When a user’s responsibilities in your organization change, you can add or remove permissions to reflect the user’s adjusted role.

Learn more about user permissions in the User permissions section.

To edit the permissions of a user:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

  3. Click My settings.
  4. Click Update next to Manage users.
  5. Click View for the user profile you want to edit.
  6. Click Edit in the Permissions section.
  7. Add or remove permissions for the user.
  8. Click Continue.
  9. Click Done.

Reset the password for a user

If users forget their passwords, you can reset them.

To reset the password for a user:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

  3. Click My settings.

  4. Click Update next to Manage users.

  5. Click View for the user whose password you want to change.

  6. Click Edit in the Personal information section.

  7. Click Change password and enter a new password for the user in the following fields:

    FieldDescription
    New passwordFrom 8 to 20 letters, numbers, and special characters. You must include one special character.
    Note: Letters in the password are case-sensitive.
    Confirm passwordThe same combination of characters and special characters that you entered for New password.

  8. Click Continue.

  9. Click Done.

Remove a user

When people leave your organization or change to roles that do not require account access, you should remove them from your account.

To remove a user from your PayPal Business account:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

  3. Click My settings.
  4. Click Update next to Manage users.
  5. Click View for the user you want to delete.
  6. Click Edit in the Personal information section.
  7. Click Remove this user.
  8. Click Yes to confirm that you want to remove the user from your account.
  9. Click Done.

Handle multiple currencies

PayPal helps you handle multiple currencies in the following ways:

Manage currency balances

You see a summary of each currency balance in your account Summary or Overview page. Use the My Money section of your account profile to manage your currency balances, including the following:

People can pay you in the following currencies; you maintain PayPal balances only in those currencies that you specify.

Holding currencies and currency codes in PayPal accounts
CurrencyCurrency Code
Australian DollarAUD
British PoundsGBP
Canadian DollarCAD
Czech KorunaCZK
Danish KroneDKK
EuroEUR
Hong Kong DollarHKD
Hungarian ForintHUF
Israeli New SheqelILS
Japanese YenJPY
Mexican PesoMXN
New Taiwan DollarTWD
New Zealand DollarNZD
Norwegian KroneNOK
Philippine PesoPHP
Polish ZlotyPLN
Russian RubleRUB
Singapore DollarSGD
Swedish KronaSEK
Swiss FrancCHF
Thai BahtTHB
U.S. DollarUSD

Select your primary currency

Your primary currency is the default currency for sending and requesting payments. If your account has multiple currency balances, you can change which currency is the primary.

To select the primary currency for your account:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

    Click My Money.

  3. Mouse over More next to PayPal balance, then select Currencies. The Manage Currencies page opens.

  4. Click the radio button next to one of the currencies that you already hold a PayPal balance in and click Make Primary. The Manage Currencies page confirms that you changed your primary currency by displaying (Primary) after the currency name.

Add currency balances

If you want to accept payments in a particular currency, you must add that currency to your account. When you add the new currency, all future payments that you receive in this currency are automatically credited to this balance.

To open a balance in a new currency:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

    Click My Money.

  3. Mouse over More next to PayPal balance, then select Currencies. The Manage Currencies page opens.

  4. Select a currency name from the Select new currency dropdown menu and click the Add Currency button. The Manage Currencies page confirms that you added a currency balance and displays it in the Currency list.

Transfer amounts between currency balances

Use the Manage Currencies page to move amounts from one currency balance to another. Before confirming the transfer, you can see the currency exchange rate that PayPal will use.

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

    Click My Money.

  3. Mouse over More next to PayPal balance, then select Currencies. The Manage Currencies page opens.

  4. In the Currency Exchange section of the page, enter the amount that you want to transfer in the From field, then select the type of currency you want to transfer from in the dropdown list under the From heading.

  5. Select the currency that you want to transfer the funds to from the To dropdown list.

  6. Click Calculate to see the amount in the new currency that will be transferred and the exchange rate used to calculate that amount.

  7. Click Continue to see the details of your pending transfer. The Review currency exchange page opens.

  8. Click the Exchange Currency button to complete the transfer. The Manage Currencies page displays the updated balances.

Close currency balances

You can close a currency only if there are no funds in that balance. If you still have available funds in that currency, you must transfer those funds to a different currency before you continue. If you receive any future payments in a closed currency, you will be given an option to accept or deny each payment.

To close a currency balance:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.

  2. Click your profile name in the top right corner of your account and then click Account Settings.

    Click My Money.

  3. Mouse over More next to PayPal balance, then select Currencies. The Manage Currencies page opens.

  4. Click the radio button next to the currency that you want to close.

  5. Click the Close Currency button. The Manage Currencies page confirms that the currency balance was closed and the closed currency is no longer displayed on the this page.

Accept or deny cross-currency payments

You choose which currencies you accept and how you want to accept them.

When you receive a payment in a currency for which you hold a balance, the payment is applied to the appropriate balance.

If you receive a payment in a currency that you do not hold, you can block or accept such payments. See block payments in currencies that you do not hold. If you have not blocked such payments, when you receive a payment in a currency for which you do not hold a balance, PayPal prompts you to do one of the following things:

  • Accept the payment and open a balance for that currency.
  • Accept the payment and convert the payment to your primary balance.
  • Deny the payment.

Receiving fees are assessed in the currency in which the funds were sent. Payments converted to your primary currency are converted at a competitive exchange rate.

To accept or deny a payment:

  1. Log into your PayPal business account on paypal.com.
  2. Click Activity at the top of the page. If you do not see an Activity link at the top, go to the My Account > Overview page. Payments made in currencies you do not hold display an Accept dropdown menu.
  3. Select Accept or Deny from the dropdown list. The Accept or Deny this Payment page opens.
  4. Click the radio button next to one of the options. Your choices are:
    • Accept the payment and convert it to your primary currency.
    • Accept the payment and create a balance in the other currency.
    • Deny the payment.
  5. Click the Submit button to apply your choice. OR Click the Decide Later button to leave the transaction unchanged.

For more information about currencies associated with your account, see Manage currency balances.

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