PayPal Business Debit Card is removing backup bank account funding

[moorewmla]

I am not sure I am posting this in the correct location but we just received an email from PayPal informing us that starting September 12th the backup funding from our bank account to our PayPal Business Debit Card function is going to be removed from ALL PayPal accounts. I called and spoke with a wonderful customer service rep Lori who spoke with her supervisor (and they had to speak with their supervisor). Apparently no one had informed them of this major change in PayPal business account functions. 

We really rely on this benefit as we are fully self-employed with three businesses and live in a very rural area. The Debit Card backup funding gives us the peace of mind to know our accounts are running smoothly and we don't have to constantly check balances. Ours is a perishable product business and our sales are cyclical on a weekly basis, we don't have customers making purchases every day of the week.

Bottom line: booooooo to PayPal!! You just made our businesses HARDER to run on a day-to-day basis despite your claim in that very email stating your "ongoing focus on helping your business to thrive". I imagine there will be a lot of folks shopping around for other options since PayPal thinks it is fine to cut major functional benefits to their customers with no information or basis in doing so.

[LThom1212]

100%!!

[LThom1212]

They knew the way that they handled it, it wasn’t the fair way to the customers and they knew when they made this decision they would lose X amount of customers, they are OK with that.

[ArmyMustang]

Thank you for posting this. I didn't realize that it was changing so today I'm getting tons of generic your purchase failed emails with no idea of what exactly was declined. The backup funding was the only reason that I even use my Paypal account anymore so that will be ending today. I still get 1% cash back with my USAA cards and much better customer service.

[LThom1212]

I know right? I receive emails the transaction was declined, but it doesn’t say to who. I took today off off work to figure it all out and update my cards before anything else was declined, where I could think of. Quite sure I have forgotten something!! And… I love the fact when I canceled my card today, it was almost like sarcastically they tell you to cut it up in little pieces, like it could be used for anything!

[Dasill17]

First paypal loses its spot with ebay , now this I'm not sure what they could do to make PayPal worse but I won't be around to find out . I honestly don't see a reason to keep this account

[LThom1212]

I agree. And more than anything, I am disappointed how it was handled. Less than a month they send out an “update in terms”, with this fact buried in the small print. So, in finding out things were not being paid, with emails from PayPal that don’t state who wasn’t paid. Really a huge lack in customer service I feel. I have had the card for YEARS, never abused it. Never had a transaction returned, and would have thought if they were making a huge change as this, it would have been handled different.

[LThom1212]

I really didn’t care one way or another about the cash back. It was nice, but I would have thought there would have been other ways to work this out. Charge a fee? Who knows. Sad they went this route and handled it so poorly.

[moorewmla]

Another poster said they were told it was because too many people were abusing the system (they didn't have funds in their bank account for backup). Fine, take the service away from THEM, not ALL of your customers!!! Penalize the abusers, not folks who have been good customers for years. We have three businesses and as soon as I can get alternatives lined up PayPal is GONE.   😠

[LThom1212]

Then, why didn’t they just go by their policy and if someone has something returned for not having funds don’t let them use the card unless it’s in their PayPal account instead of penalizing everyone?!

[moorewmla]

Exactly. I called immediately when I got the email notice and the very nice customer service person had not heard about it yet. Neither had her boss, they had a hard time understanding what the notification was actually saying the change was going to be. They had to go to the next level boss and then the answer back to me was just "this is the way it is". She said at that time they were going to get flooded with calls about it and hopefully they have!