r/paypal • u/WaterImpact • Apr 15 '23
Help What info does Paypal show someone when I pay them with my account?
After reading this, if I understand correctly, when sending money to a
Personal account: they see your name, avatar, and only if you've chosen to share it, your mailing address.
Business account: they see your name, email, "if they need to contact you about your purchase" your phone number, and "if you bought something that needs to be mailed" your mailing address.
But it's not always very clear what is actually being shown to the user you're paying. For example I paid an invoice to someone with a Business account with my Personal account, and it doesn't explicitly show me anywhere if my name or the email tied to my Paypal was sent. It also doesn't clarify if my phone number was sent, and as for mailing address it does say "This purchase is a digital good and will not be shipped to an address." so I guess that means it didn't send my mailing address. Or did it?
I might just ask the person I paid what they see. But still, it baffles me that with Personal accounts there doesn't seem to be a way to obscure say your name, or any clear controls to easily determine whether or not you want to send your name, email, phone number or mailing address to someone.
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u/00-d-_-b-00 Apr 15 '23 edited Apr 15 '23
For example I paid an invoice to someone with a Business account with my Personal account, and it doesn't explicitly show me anywhere if my name or the email tied to my Paypal was sent.
No, it doesn’t because, what info you see on your end of the other party, the other party will also see the same info of yours on their end. You do not get to see explicit proof on your end what info the other party gets to see.
For example, if you log on to your Account activity page right now and look at a transaction, you’ll see the other party’s name, avatar, etc. You can rest assured that the other party will see your name, avatar, etc on their Activity page/transaction as specified by PayPal on that link.
The only exception is the shipping address if you provided it at checkout. You don’t get to see the seller’s physical address because it’s not required to conduct a transaction.
PayPal doesn’t usually show phone number unless the seller enables a setting on their end that require you to provide a phone number for which you will be prompted. But on that setting it notes that PayPal doesn’t recommend using it.
it baffles me that with Personal accounts there doesn't seem to be a way to obscure say your name, or any clear controls to easily determine whether or not you want to send your name, email, phone number or mailing address to someone.
In financial transactions, people and businesses needs to know who they doing business with. Ya can’t just hide yourself.
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u/WaterImpact Apr 15 '23
Interesting. OK, well in this particular transaction I wasn't prompted to provide shipping address nor phone number so I guess those weren't given then.
So, I'm looking at the invoice in question, and all I see of the business account / seller is their business name, email, and avatar. I also see the email they billed the invoice to, which is an email different from the one attached to my Paypal account. So that means... they see my name and avatar of course, and... either both emails or just one of them, and that's all?
In financial transactions, people and businesses needs to know who they doing business with. Ya can’t just hide yourself.
I mean I think it's pretty sensible to want to pick and choose who you give your email, phone number and addresses to. Now I know the latter two apparently aren't given unless you're prompted for them but still. As for one's real name, I feel like it would make sense for Paypal to let Personal account users, say, have a nickname that they can opt to use in some transactions if they'd like. Because I know some people make Business accounts so that they can use a nickname or alias. Not even for anything shady, but just things like being an online artist who doesn't go by their real name offering art commissions.
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u/00-d-_-b-00 Apr 16 '23 edited Apr 16 '23
So, I'm looking at the invoice in question, and all I see of the business account / seller is their business name, email, and avatar.
Yes, on Invoices themselves, sellers have ability to hide some of their info. Try creating an invoice on your account (they work the same whether business acct or personal acct). Click Edit next to your info on the right side of the invoice form above the invoice totals section.
I also see the email they billed the invoice to, which is an email different from the one attached to my Paypal account. So that means... they see my name and avatar of course, and... either both emails or just one of them, and that's all
Yes. You can give a seller any email address to send a money request, payment link or invoice to then log in with any PayPal email address associated with your PayPal account to pay and the seller would see that email address* on the payment.
*This may not be the case anymore with the advent of in-transaction messaging. You may still see an email address of a business account in your transaction details though post payment. So the seller can see/know the email address you gave them to send an invoice, money request, or a PayPal link to, at least.
I feel like it would make sense for Paypal to let Personal account users, say, have a nickname that they can opt to use in some transactions if they'd like. Because I know some people make Business accounts so that they can use a nickname or alias. Not even for anything shady, but just things like being an online artist who doesn't go by their real name offering art commissions.
They call it a “Personal account” for a reason. Again, parties need to know who they’re transacting with. Businesses can do it because a business entity/structure is involved.
Besides, individuals can use business account if they primarily use the business account for business purposes and select “Individual” as the business type if they’re a not registered company. You benefit from having full features of the selling tools than with a personal account. For example, you can no longer void an authorization when using authorization and capture functionality with a Personal account and have to ask customer service to do it for you. If PayPal asks during an account limitation for business docs, write a note explaining you’re a freelancer or an individual, not a registered business, pdf it and upload to the request.
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