PayPal often limits and closes accounts if it suspects foul play. PayPal, being the world’s most popular online payment system, seems to be on the cautious side to avoid any issues with forex transactions and money laundering. PayPal’s cautious approach means a lot of people are thrown out of their system on suspicion even when they are law-abiding people playing by the rules.
If you have not violated any law or PayPal rules, you can get your PayPal account back. My PayPal account was also closed recently but after some effort I got it back.
If you are kicked out of PayPal forever, you need to find some decent alternatives of PayPal. There are many ways of getting funds through online payment systems. However, I have not come across one that rivals PayPal. So try to play by the rules and keep your account in good standing.
During the brief period when my PayPal account was inactive, I did some research to find the options available for online payments. If you are in the US (as well as the UK), there are some great PayPal alternatives available. Some of them are so good that you can ditch PayPal and use the new online payment services.
Getting Pad without PayPal: Alternatives of PayPal
1. MoneyBookers (or Skrill): It is one of the most popular alternative of PayPal. MoneyBookers is a UK-based company which allows you to send and receive payments online. You can get your transaction limits increased by verifying your address and identity.
2. AlterPay: A Canada-based company, AlertPay is another popular alternative of PayPal. It can be used to send and receive money from individuals as well as sell products/services online using payment buttons.
3. CCNow: It allows you to sell products and services online. Once you apply, CCNow will process your application and analyse your business model before letting you in. Your online store will have to add a clearly outlines “Terms & Conditions” as well as “Policy for Return of Goods”. Even when you do not have a PayPal account, your customers will be able to use their PayPal account with CCNow.
4. Google Checkout: If you are in the US and UK, you can use Google Checkout for selling products and receiving payments. It is a good alternative of PayPal if you can access it.
5. Dwolla: Dwolla is a relatively new online payment system that allows users to transfer money and pay for items on their phones for a small fee. Though the company says it is committed to expand its network, it is currently available to US residents only.
6. Amazon WebPay: WebPay is like a free version of PayPal. It allows you to send and receive online payments with your email address without any charges. You can also pay using text messages on your cellphone. You can link your credit card or bank account with WebPay.
7. Square: A US start-up, Square is enabling freelancers and small entrepreneurs to accept payments via credit and debit cards using a free phone application. Square gives you a free card reader that connects with your phone and allows you to swipe cards of your customers and charge them.
8. PayDivvy: For Americans, PayDivvy allows you to send and receive payments, pay your bills and even split bills with your friends and partners. Using free PayDivvy services, you can send and receive payments using your bank account and credit or debit cards. Debit and credit card payments cost 3.5% per transaction.
9. OboPay: Obopay is a mobile payments company that enables businesses and individuals to can accept payments via debit and credit card and bank transfer. It’s reach is currently limited to the US and a few more countries.
10. Plimus: If you sell digital products and services, Plimus is a good alternative of PayPal. You can also sell your products through affiliates using the Plimus platform.
If none of these PayPal alternatives provide the kind of payment option that you want, you can get a merchant payment gateway account from a local bank or provider. You will have to pay a registration fee and an annual maintenance fee in addition to commissions on all transactions. It is a more complicated solution but you will have full control as the money will get credited to your bank account immediately. You will not have to worry about your online payment system closing your account or reversing the transaction.