Help Center - Personal Account
  • Home
  • Payments and Transfers
  • Disputes and Limitations
  • My Account
  • My Wallet
  • Login & Security
  • Seller Tools

Why was my bank account payment declined (the payment amount might be over your spending limit)?

As a safety measure, PayPal limits the number of payments and the total amount that can be sent before any pending bank account payments are cleared by your bank. This can often take 2-5 business days, so this temporary limit helps our customers avoid bank account payments from being returned.

Here’s what can happen if the bank account payment is returned:

  • Your bank may charge a fee.
  • Your backup payment method might be used instead.
  • Your PayPal balance could go negative.

What to do

  • Wait 2-5 business days for the money to clear, then try the payment again. 

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

More ways we can help

We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. May we use marketing cookies to show you personalized ads? Manage all cookies