If you have successfully connected PayPal, but you or your customers are encountering errors during checkout, it is usually related to your PayPal account settings or restrictions.
In this article, we'll go through some of the most common PayPal errors and what they mean.
- The merchant account is restricted
- Invalid request
- We're not currently set up for transactions in India
- PayPal email address required, not PayPal.me link
- Transaction cannot be processed due to a possible compliance violation
- The merchant isn't able to accept PayPal payments at this time
- Error combination of payer and payee settings
- Payee does not have the appropriate consent
- This seller doesn't accept payments in your currency
Please note that Payhip does not process payments directly. Payments are handled by PayPal, so certain errors may need to be resolved and clarified with their support team.
Understanding PayPal error messages
The merchant account is restricted.
This error means your PayPal account currently has restrictions in place and cannot receive payments. These restrictions are applied directly by PayPal and can occur for several reasons, including account verification or security checks.
How to resolve:
- Please contact PayPal support directly so they can review your account and provide more information about the restriction.
Invalid request
This error typically occurs when there's an issue with how the payment request is being processed. In some cases, it can be caused by special formatting or unsupported characters in your product title.
How to resolve:
- Try removing any special formatting, such as italics, symbols, or unusual characters, from your product title, then attempt the purchase again.
- If the error continues, please contact our support team so we can take a closer look.
We're not currently set up for transactions in India
PayPal has limitations when it comes to domestic debit or credit card payments within India, which can prevent transactions from going through.
How to resolve:
- Unfortunately, this is a limitation on PayPal’s side. You may need to offer an alternative payment method for customers in India.
- If you're an Indian based seller, then you can connect RazorPay or PayU instead.
PayPal email address required, not PayPal.me link
This error may appear when you're trying to connect PayPal to Payhip using a PayPal.me link instead of the email address registered to your PayPal account.
In some cases, it may also occur if you're using a VPN or proxy during the connection process.
How to resolve:
- Please make sure that you're entering the email address associated with your PayPal account rather than your PayPal.me link.
- If you're already using the correct email address, try disabling any VPN or proxy and reconnecting using a different browser.
Transaction cannot be processed due to a possible compliance violation
This error means PayPal has flagged the transaction for a possible compliance issue and is unable to process the payment.
PayPal has its own security and compliance checks, and we don't have access to the specific reason why a transaction may have been flagged.
How to resolve:
-
Please contact PayPal Support directly about this. They need to review the transaction and clarify why the payment was blocked.
The merchant isn't able to accept PayPal payments at this time
This error means your PayPal account is currently unable to receive payments. It may be related to account restrictions, incomplete verification, or other requirements set by PayPal.
How to resolve:
- Please check your PayPal account for any notifications, limitations, or outstanding verification requirements.
- If everything looks correct but you're still unable to receive payments, please contact PayPal Support to find out what's preventing your account from accepting payments.
Error combination of payer and payee settings
This error usually indicates an issue with the payment settings or restrictions on either your connected PayPal account or the buyer's PayPal account.
It could also be related to currency settings or payment preferences. Unfortunately, we don't have access to the exact reason behind this error.
How to resolve:
- Check your PayPal account settings for any restrictions that might prevent you from receiving payments from this particular buyer
- If you're not sure what's causing the error, please contact PayPal Support with the error message so they can look into it.
- In the meantime, you can offer your customer an alternative payment method if you have another payment gateway connected.
Payee does not have the appropriate consent
This means PayPal hasn't granted the necessary permissions for Payhip to process payments through your connected PayPal account.
It may happen if the card details are incorrect, the card isn't supported, or PayPal is unable to authorize it. You may also encounter this error when making a test purchase using a card that's already linked to your own PayPal account.
How to resolve:
- Disconnect your PayPal account and then go to Account > Settings > Payment Details in your Payhip dashboard to reconnect it.
Seller doesn't accept payments in your currency
This error means your PayPal account may not be configured to accept payments in the currency being used for the purchase.
PayPal allows sellers to manage which currencies they accept, so certain payments may be declined depending on your account settings.
How to resolve:
- Check which currencies your PayPal account is set up to accept and make sure your Payhip store currency is supported.
- If you don't know how to accept additional currencies or the error continues, please contact PayPal Support for assistance.
Need more help?
If you're experiencing an issue that isn't covered in this article, we recommend contacting PayPal support for further assistance.
You can also refer to our Resolve PayPal Errors as a Buyer article if your customers are having trouble completing their purchases.