PayPal wants my ssn...

[13Gigatons]

There is one item on eBay that I can't buy anywhere else. I thought I could just buy a PayPal load card at a local store for $30 and be done with it. However PayPal wants to verify my Profile and requires my ssn to do so....I DO NOT WANT PAYPAL TO HAVE MY SSN.

Any clever ways around this BS?

 

[Imp]

I have a working PayPal account... I had to attach a real bank account to it, don't remember if I gave them my SSN.

 

[MrSquished]

I'm pretty sure I didn't have to give Paypal my SSN for a regular Paypal account, just attach it to a bank account. I'd contact them.

 

[Murloc]

you shouldn't need to

https://www.paypal.com/us/selfhelp/article/paypal’s-customer-identification-program-(cip)-and-its-benefits-faq734

 

[13Gigatons]

The PayPal account is from 2008. I used it on and off when I first opened it. Then not for a long while. The SSN seems to be required if you want to add money to your PayPal balance.

 

[brianmanahan]

i had to add my SSN to sell stuff

honestly it's not a big deal

 

[13Gigatons]

Since there is a $4 fee to use one of "their" load cards I might as well just buy any random visa gift card and use that instead.

 

[Imp]

Those Visa gift cards... the ones I've seen have a ~$7 "activation fee" which is annoying.

 

[13Gigatons]

Those Visa gift cards... the ones I've seen have a ~$7 "activation fee" which is annoying.

They range from $3.95 to $5.95 which does suck and makes buying things a bit more expensive. However the $4 fee and SSN is also pretty annoying. I wish the item was sold on Amazon...no fees with Amazon Gift cards.

 

[John Connor]

I had to provide NotmyPal my SSN as well, and I think that was due to me opening a Biz account. I did that so when I sell something they see my Biz name and not my actual name and then when I send the item I use my eBay user ID as the sender name.

 

[lxskllr]

*Best deal for a prepaid visa is vanilla from walmart(probably elsewhere also). You can load up to $500(recommended), and the purchase price is $4.95 with no extra fees

edit:
*that I've found

 

[Imp]

They range from $3.95 to $5.95 which does suck and makes buying things a bit more expensive. However the $4 fee and SSN is also pretty annoying. I wish the item was sold on Amazon...no fees with Amazon Gift cards.

Ya, I've been "laundering" my cash into Amazon gift cards -- it's clean money, just feels that way because it makes no logical sense why I do it. I don't want to deposit my cash into a bank account, transfer it to my primary account, and then pay my credit card with it.

 

[Sonikku]

Fees are lame.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Give them your Facebook ID. Everyone knows that legit.

 

[MrSquished]

Paypal doesn't just want your SSN, they want your soul

 

[MongGrel]

I ran away from PayPal long ago I guess, just too many other ways to do things.

That and just some of their policies suck in general, IMHO.

 

[pcgeek11]

If you use a "good" Bank or Credit Union they may provide prepaid Visa Cards with no charge at all. I know for a fact that the Navy Federal Credit Union does. No charges and no fees.

 

[Pulsar]

I continue to do business with paypal, but I'll be damned if I'm going to link anything to my bank account. In all seriousness, that's like handing a serial rapist the key to your house. You know they're going to fuck you. You just don't know the exact day and time. Verify a credit card with them and use that to make the purchase, then delete the card.

 

[Ns1]

paypal will send you a 1099 if you receive > a certain amount every year. possibly why they want the SSN.

 

[pcgeek11]

I continue to do business with paypal, but I'll be damned if I'm going to link anything to my bank account. In all seriousness, that's like handing a serial rapist the key to your house. You know they're going to fuck you. You just don't know the exact day and time. Verify a credit card with them and use that to make the purchase, then delete the card.

I agree. I wouldn't give pay pal my information either. Or allow them into my bank account.

 

[MtnMan]

I agree. I wouldn't give pay pal my information either. Or allow them into my bank account.

+1
Paypal and I parted ways years ago when they demanded access to my checking account. NFW-MF.

In retrospect, it has never prevented me from purchasing anything I needed or wanted online.

 

[WHAMPOM]

There is one item on eBay that I can't buy anywhere else. I thought I could just buy a PayPal load card at a local store for $30 and be done with it. However PayPal wants to verify my Profile and requires my ssn to do so....I DO NOT WANT PAYPAL TO HAVE MY SSN.

Any clever ways around this BS?

Think it is an IRS anti money laundering requirement.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I hear all the horror stories about Paypal but can't say I ever experienced any. Maybe I really should not link my bank account but I always had it linked and even if I took it off and they were indeed doing shady things, they have it already anyway.

The one thing I don't like about Paypal is the chargeback process though. I don't sell stuff so it's not something I have to worry about, but I really hate the fact that someone can just do a chargeback and Paypal does not even question it. A lot of sellers get screwed over because of that. If I was selling stuff I'd probably setup my own credit card processor for that reason. But then a lot of people trust Paypal more than some random site's credit card system. Especially with all the leaks now days.

 

[NesuD]

You aren't legally required to provide your SSN to businesses unless one of the following is true:

• You'll be engaging in a transaction that requires notification to the Internal Revenue Service; or

• You're initiating a financial transaction subject to federal Customer Identification Program rules.

 

[Red Squirrel]

You aren't legally required to provide your SSN to businesses unless one of the following is true:

• You'll be engaging in a transaction that requires notification to the Internal Revenue Service; or

• You're initiating a financial transaction subject to federal Customer Identification Program rules.

Reality is, Paypal or any company, can require whatever the hell they want. If you don't agree then you can't get the service. And considering you pretty much NEED a paypal account to make any kind of online transaction these days that could be a bad thing if they start adding all sorts of crazy requirements. A lot of places like ebay only accept paypal.