geekhack Community > Other Geeky Stuff

PayPal's email address policy: does anyone have a firm grasp of this?

(1/1)

Stupidface:
Hello,

I would like to donate money to a group via PayPal.  The problem?  I have no way of knowing what, exactly, happens to my email address once I do so. 

(And, yes: I am convinced that the group is trustworthy.  However, I can easily recall groups I have dealt with who decided, overnight, to trade their trustworthiness for money.  I am sure you can, too.)

The impression I am under is: When I donate via PayPal, PayPal includes my primary email address along with the donation (i.e. there is no "do not reveal my email address" option for anyone sending money).

My questions are:

1) Is the above impression correct?

2) If I change my primary email address, is there a limit to how many times I can do so before PayPal either locks me out of my account and/or invites me to fax them a copy of my passport (or some other "security measure" that is going to involve me turning over personal information I am not particularly eager to give them).

If anyone reading this has experience with how this sort of thing works and would be willing to share their know-how, I would be grateful.  I do not use PayPal any more than I have to, but in this case, it cannot be helped and cryptocurrencies are not an option.

Leslieann:
Yes they see your address and depending on the transaction they even get your name and other info such as address.

Don't change your primary address, add a secondary address and use that, though I'm not sure how easy it is to send from the secondary, I only know how you receive through them. Never had a need but I don't see why it can't be done.

Coreda:
If you wanted more anonymity and it was a payment option you could look at prepaid gift debit cards.

Stupidface:

--- Quote from: Leslieann on Fri, 29 October 2021, 01:37:30 ---Don't change your primary address, add a secondary address and use that, though I'm not sure how easy it is to send from the secondary

--- End quote ---

Thank you for the reply.

My understanding (far from complete) is that adding a secondary email address and sending money from the secondary email address still results in your primary email address being displayed to the receiver.

(I know how that sounds, but judging from their so-called "help" section, PayPal appears to be under the impression that account holders only add email addresses in order to receive funds, not to send them.)

With any luck, I am completely mistaken about this.

Stupidface:

--- Quote from: Coreda on Fri, 29 October 2021, 02:04:17 ---If you wanted more anonymity and it was a payment option you could look at prepaid gift debit cards.

--- End quote ---

Unfortunately, PayPal is my only choice in this case.  Otherwise, yes, this would be a good way to go.

(I appreciate the idea nonetheless.)

Navigation

[0] Message Index