PayPal.Me link not working or 'isn't available'? Why people can't pay you, and the fix

Cause 1: The link is turned off

PayPal lets you hide your PayPal.Me link without deleting it. Its FAQ says that when you log in to PayPal.Me and choose 'turn off My Link', people can no longer send you money, but the link stays attached to your account and isn't available for anyone else to take. To a payer, that looks like a link that has stopped working, and it is easy to forget you switched it off.

PayPal also says the link never expires once you create it, and that you can turn it off and on as often as you like. So an old link hasn't timed out.

• Log in to PayPal.Me (or find the link in the 'Profile' section of your PayPal 'Account settings').
• Check whether 'My Link' is turned off, and turn it back on.
• Open your link in a private or incognito window where you are not logged in. If your profile and the 'Send' button appear there, it will work for other people.
• If the link is on and still shows nothing, check whether your account has a limitation. That has its own fix, covered in our post on a PayPal account that's limited.

Cause 2: The link is mistyped, or you tried to rename it

PayPal's rules for link names make a mistyped link easy to spot. A PayPal.Me name can only contain letters A to Z and numbers 0 to 9, with no symbols, dashes or spaces, and it is limited to 20 characters. It is not case sensitive, so capital letters only help readability. That means if the link you shared contains a dash, an underscore, a dot or a space after 'paypal.me/', it is not your link. Autocorrect can add these, and some chat apps cut links short.

The other trap is trying to rename. PayPal says a PayPal.Me link cannot be changed once it's created, you can't delete it yourself, and you can only have one per PayPal account. If you have been telling people a new name you would prefer, it won't work, because only the original exists. You can contact PayPal if you need it changed or deleted.

• Find your exact link: PayPal says it is shown in your 'Account Settings'.
• Copy it from there rather than typing it from memory, and paste it everywhere you share it.
• If the name you wanted was taken, PayPal says links go on a first-come, first-served basis, so whoever is at that address is someone else.

Cause 3: PayPal.Me isn't offered in your country or theirs

PayPal.Me is not available everywhere PayPal is. PayPal publishes a separate list of countries and regions where you can get your own PayPal.Me link, grouped into Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe, with the note 'Don't see your country or region? Check back soon.' If your country isn't on it, you can't get a PayPal.Me link of your own.

The list matters for the payer too. PayPal's FAQ says anyone can send you money through your link 'as long as PayPal.Me is available in their country and region'. A link that works for your local customers can fail for someone abroad.

Separately, PayPal's US help page on payment types says it is currently unable to allow personal payments to or from India, so a 'Sending to a friend' payment involving India won't go through. Rules like this differ by country, so check PayPal's help for your region before promising a client they can pay this way.

Cause 4: The payer doesn't have a PayPal account

This one surprises a lot of sellers. PayPal's help article on paying through PayPal.Me starts with one sentence: 'You must have a PayPal account to pay via PayPal.Me.' The same line appears on PayPal's US, UK, Australian and Indian help pages. PayPal's help describes no way to pay a PayPal.Me link as a guest, so someone who only wants to type in a card number has to make an account first.

The payer can sign up for free and pay straight away. Once they have an account, PayPal's steps are:

• Click the PayPal.Me link or type it into the browser.
• Click 'Send'.
• Enter the amount, add a note if they want to, and click 'Continue'.
• If it's offered, choose 'Sending to a friend' or 'Paying for an item or service'.
• Choose a payment method and click 'Next'.
• Review the details and click 'Send Payment Now'.

Cause 5: The payment is declined on the payer's side

If the payer reaches 'Send Payment Now' and it fails, your link is working; the problem is their card or account. PayPal says the card issuer doesn't tell PayPal why a card was declined, so the bank is the place to ask. The common reasons PayPal lists are:

• The bank or card issuer declined it. The payment may be over their available credit, spending limit or balance.
• The card details are out of date: the card has expired or been closed, or the billing address in PayPal doesn't match the card statement.
• A 'Confirm Card' link is showing next to the card, which means the card has to be confirmed before it can be used with PayPal.
• They haven't confirmed the email address on their PayPal account, or haven't confirmed the bank account they are trying to pay from.
• PayPal is asking them to pass a security check and confirm their identity.
• Their own PayPal account is limited.
• Still failing? PayPal suggests adding a different card or a bank account, and checking that the recipient's details are correct.

Wrong payment type, a surprise fee, or the wrong currency

PayPal's steps say the payer chooses between the two 'if available', and the choice changes fees and protection. PayPal describes 'Sending to a friend' as a personal payment for things like gifts, splitting a bill or shared living costs. Personal payments aren't covered by PayPal Purchase Protection. In the US, PayPal says a personal payment is free from a bank account or PayPal balance, with a small charge when it's paid by debit or credit card. 'Paying for an item or service' is for purchases. Eligible payments are covered by Purchase Protection, and the seller pays a small fee to receive the money. Fees vary by country; check PayPal's Fees page for yours.

Two rules catch people out. PayPal says business accounts can only accept goods and services payments through PayPal.Me, and since July 28, 2022 US business accounts can't receive friends and family payments from US senders. That is one reason a payer may not be offered the choice. And once a payment has been tagged as a purchase, PayPal says there isn't a way to un-tag or recategorize it, though its support team may be able to return the fee if it was tagged by mistake.

For the amount and currency, you can build them into the link. PayPal's example is adding '/25' to the end to request 25 in your default currency, which you can change in your account settings. To ask for a specific currency, add its code to the amount, such as '/25AUD' for Australian dollars. PayPal adds a warning: some countries and regions limit the currencies they can transfer, so check with the sender that they can pay in the currency you're asking for.

On the receiving side, PayPal's US help says a payment in a different currency is accepted automatically and a new currency balance is opened, which you can change in your 'Wallet'. Money that seems to be missing may be sitting in that second balance.

Prevent it next time

• Copy your link from 'Account Settings' rather than typing it, and test it in a private window wherever you post it.
• If you turn 'My Link' off for a break, set a reminder to turn it back on before you share it again.
• Tell payers before they click that they will need a PayPal account.
• If you sell abroad, check PayPal's country list for where your buyers are, not just where you are.
• For fixed prices, share a link with the amount and currency built in, such as '/25AUD'.
• If you are selling something, ask for 'Paying for an item or service' and budget for the seller fee.

If you need buyers to pay by card for a specific product

If you sell something with a set price, OneSol lets you put a proper checkout on your page instead of a PayPal.Me link: you connect your own PayPal, Stripe, Razorpay or Square account, and buyers pay by card for that specific product or amount, with the money going to your own account. This is on the Pro plan.