My PayPal account is old. Created in 2006, used privately ever since: Online shopping, sending money to friends, small amounts back and forth here and there. And yes: a few sales, for example at flea markets, where people have paid by PayPal QR code – not as “friends”, but as a normal payment including fees. Everything was legal. But then came that Monday evening in January 2026, almost twenty years after the account was first used. Out of nowhere, the subject line in my inbox read: “You can no longer use PayPal”.

Not a hoax: I was blocked by PayPal

Nice fake, I thought to myself. At nextpit, we consistently warn our readers never to click on such email links. So I didn’t, I opened the PayPal app on my smartphone and thought to myself: “Everything seems normal”. But no way! I log in and am greeted by a red, unmissable banner announcing that my account is restricted. Oops! “What the hell…”, I think to myself.

So, back to my emails. The message says PayPal has reviewed my activity and “permanently restricted” my account. Reason: Reference to “Prohibited activities” and “Restricted activities, withholdings and other measures” in the terms of use. Consequently, according to the email, I would no longer be able to send or receive money or make online purchases. And if I had a balance, PayPal would be allowed to withhold it for “up to 180 days”. “OK, I don’t have any money in my PayPal account”, I think to myself. Unlike many people who use PayPal for their small businesses and suddenly can’t access thousands of euros in such a situation.

My problem: there was no recognizable trigger for me. No foreign country, no new device, no new card, no new bank account, no conspicuous payments. Nothing illegal. What are my personal consequences? I have to switch some regular payments and lose a bit of convenience. Annoying, but that’s about it. Nevertheless, I don’t want to leave it at that.

The email that triggered everything for me

What’s particularly unpleasant about this standard email is that it sounds definitive, but doesn’t provide a specific cause. PayPal cites possible reasons, including suspicion of unauthorized use or “risky” activities – that’s a broad field.

This also explains why users are left in the air: you get a reference to the rules, but no “why” in your case. And this is exactly the point at which many people start googling – and end up in forums, lawyer texts, and tip lists that are sometimes more, sometimes less helpful.

Help Center: lots of effort, little help

PayPal recommends the Help Center and “Conflict resolution” in such cases. That’s exactly where I went. The result: no real conflict screen, no clear case that I could “open” anywhere, and above all, no easy way to reach a human.

Instead: an AI assistant that reliably pushes me back to the help pages. And a standard route already mentioned in the email (“Contact” → “Manage my account” → “My account is restricted”) – which I found, but was unable to make practical use of because it did not allow me to make a specific purchase. Instead, my most recent purchases were listed, with a question about whether I had any problems with them. No!

In my account – somewhat hidden – there was also a request to confirm a second e-mail address I had provided. With a click, without a code counter-check. I see the request for the first time. I confirm the address. Effect: none. The restriction remained. I didn’t really expect anything else.

So I continue my research. At this point, something very typical happens: you end up with texts from law firms. At WBS by Christian Solmecke, for example, you read that blocks can occur “without warning”, that reactivation can take a long time, and that phone calls often go nowhere because employees allegedly have no insight. This is not worthless as a classification, but it is also part of an offer that ultimately amounts to legal assistance. One more tip: email aup@paypal.com to have them review the process again. Said and written. But the e-mail comes back. The account no longer exists. Please use the Help Center. Thanks for nothing.

The phone call that changed everything

Even though several sources said a phone call wouldn’t help, I made one anyway. There was no other way unless I wanted to use my legal expenses insurance. I can find the phone number in my PayPal account, along with a one-time PIN that’s valid for only 10 minutes.

What happened next was the most absurd part of the whole story: the voice computer recognized me using my stored cell phone number and a 6-digit PIN displayed in my account. Then I was asked whether I was calling to block my account. I pressed 1, expecting to be put on hold and hoping for a human being and an explanation.

But then comes the big surprise: I hear an announcement. It says, “Your account has been unblocked.” No employee, no inquiry, no explanation. Just finished. I open the app: the message is gone, the account is working normally again. And again I think to myself: “What the hell?”

And as if that wasn’t strange enough, there was no subsequent email (“Restriction lifted”), no notice about changing the password, no security measure, nothing. Just the unlocking – via the phone menu.

What you can do if your PayPal account is blocked

My case is not proof that “calling always helps”. PayPal itself writes that some restrictions can be lifted automatically if you complete certain steps, and that checks usually take a few working days.

Nevertheless, if you are stuck in the same dead end, I would take a pragmatic approach (without claiming to be complete):

  • First, go to your account and look in “Conflict resolution”/notifications to see whether PayPal requires specific steps (documents, confirmation, security check). This wasn’t the case for me, but maybe it is for you.
  • If you only see general information there and the chat/KI sends you in circles: Call. Have your customer service PIN ready.
  • Expect that you won’t get an explanation, but that the call can still trigger something (in my case, it was the automatic unblocking).
  • If money is stuck or you want to formally escalate: Use PayPal’s official complaint channel. After that, depending on the case, mediation/consumer advice may also be an option. Or really the legal process.
  • If you have genuine suspicions (unauthorized access, third-party payments), also use the security channels provided for this purpose.

Why you often get no explanation

The bitter thing: Even if you “did nothing”, that doesn’t automatically mean that PayPal has to explain to you what exactly tipped the scales. The service handles risk and security assessments, and in practice, users are often left with only a reference to the terms of use and guidelines. In the terms and conditions, reference is made to the fact that an account can be blocked. That’s the private sector. Fair enough. A little more communication would still be good.

What bothers me most is not so much the fact that systems can sound the alarm. It’s how bad the channels are afterwards: in the account itself, it felt like a closed room where I could click but couldn’t reach anyone. And then, of all things, a voice computer decides that everything is fine again – without me understanding what has happened.

In the end, the loser is PayPal. Because my regular payments were deducted during the lockdown. They now go directly through my bank account and credit card. A few cents less in fees for an apparently dubious US payment service that I will continue to use. But with different eyes. And I’m (still) guaranteed not to have any money in my PayPal account.