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Why was my bank account payment declined (the bank has returned your recent payments)?

A recent payment was returned by your bank. As a result, your PayPal balance may have become negative. We can only approve another bank account payment once this issue has been resolved.

Here are the most common reasons why your bank can return bank account payments:

  • You don’t have enough money to cover the payment amount.
  • The bank account has been closed.
  • Bank details are incorrect or do not match bank records.

What to do

  • Resolve your negative balance by logging in to your PayPal account and clicking the "Resolve Negative Balance" link. You can choose how to bring your balance to zero.
  • If a negative balance hasn’t appeared yet or the payment is declined again, choose another way to pay. You can use a card or add money to your PayPal balance to complete the payment.
  • Make sure your bank account is active, confirmed, and accepts payments. If you have already tried to confirm your bank, it might take 2-3 business days.
  • Before making a payment, ensure you have enough money in your bank account to cover it.

To manage your payment methods and select a preferred way to pay, go to Wallet.

More ways we can help

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