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PayPal debit card declined. Any ideas?

by A. Green
8 replies
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Hello,

I'm just wondering if anyone here might know if something's going on with PayPal or maybe it's just me.

Yesterday, I tried to use my PayPal Debit card at two different ATMs and both were "unable to process this transaction." I went to a third and the transaction went through. Today, I tried again at a fourth ATM and my card was declined. There is money in the account and the account isn't "limited" or otherwise restricted.

Does anyone know if there's another glitch going on? I'm really hoping so. Otherwise, any idea on what could cause the decline? I've read that if you enter your code more than once, the card becomes permanently unusable. Well, the 1 button on the second ATM I tried was stuck and I had to press it about three times to get it to register. That one could not be processed, but the one after it could.

I'm afraid to contact PayPal because they could limit/close my account just to get rid of me. My biggest client pays through PP, so that worries me.

I've read both that when your card's been decline, you have to reapply for a new one and that you can't get a new one, you have to open a whole new PayPal account. No wonder people love PayPal so much. Hello,

Just to note, I may leave in a couple hours, but I will check this thread and appreciate any advice or ideas. Thanks!
  • Profile picture of the author ThomM
    Why would paypal want to get rid of a customer that makes them money?
    Over a year ago we had a problem here where a supermarkets computer system was hacked and a bunch of c.c. numbers where taken.
    Paypal notified me by mail that they where aware of what happened and canceled my card. All I had to do was go into my pp account and apply for a new card.

    I'd say you are better off not listening to rumors and should contact pp to see what the problem is.
    It sounds to me like the atm machines where the problem, though pp may have looked at all the attempts and figured your card was stolen.
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  • Profile picture of the author pjCheviot
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    Got to agree with ThomM - contact Paypal - with all due respect, how can anyone here really help?

    I would certainly think the ATM fault would trigger something - but further than that would be guessing. Therefore - no help to you.

    Contact them - just as you would your normal Bank or Credit Card Company to see what they say.

    My 2 cents
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  • Profile picture of the author A. Green
    Thanks for your replies. All right, well, I'll write PayPal then.

    Thom:

    >>Why would paypal want to get rid of a customer that makes them money?
    They do seem to like to dump people for minor reasons. Also, I could be considered high risk since I sell only digital products.

    I didn't get any notifications that anything was out of the ordinary. All I got was the confirmation email from the one transaction that did go through, which happened after I got the faulty ATM. I check the debit card page in my account and the status is still "activated." Strange.

    PJ:
    >>how can anyone here really help?
    I see what you're saying, but I was thinking it might be another glitch like the one last year (I think it was) that caused declined transactions and that it might be happening to other people here, too.
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  • Profile picture of the author KenThompson
    I've had that happen to me with my PP card as well as others. When I
    asked about it the usual explanation was that particular ATM's connection
    was not stable, or it took too long and timed out, or even that there
    were insufficient funds in that particular ATM. Sometimes when that has
    happened, I tried it again and it worked.

    So I would not worry about it. Also, I agree with the others - contact PP
    if you're sufficiently concerned about it. But if it works at any ATM, and
    you have cash in your account, then I wouldn't worry about it.
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    MOST debit cards have a limit. If you use yours a LOT, like maybe over $400/day for cash, or maybe over $2000 for credit, THAT may be the problem.

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author A. Green
    Thanks for your replies Ken and Seasoned,

    Ken
    That's good to hear. I did think it was strange that the first two ATMs said "cannot be processed" or something like that, the third worked fine, then today at yet another ATM, the card was declined.

    Seasoned
    I thought about that, too, but it's only the 7th and know I didn't take out that much cash or make more than 3 withdrawals max.
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  • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
    There are a number of smaller payment networks out there who just plain don't process PayPal for various reasons; I've found roughly five to ten percent of smaller companies can't process them as debit, and won't process them as credit without human involvement.

    So if I go to the local Arco gas station, I can't use my card as debit at all, and I can only use it as credit at the register - not at the pump - because they don't do any processing of a PayPal card without a signature. Full stop.
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  • Profile picture of the author A. Green
    CDarklock,
    Thanks, I didn't know that. I know the first two ATMs I tried have accepted the card before, but those only said "cannot process." I'm not sure if the fourth one has accepted it or not before, though. Maybe not. The bank may have changed their policies, too, I suppose.

    I haven't heard back yet and was too busy to try the card again today, so it's still a mystery.
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