how to change paypal name

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How to Change PayPal Name and Account Info

If you want a reliable online payment processor, it's tough to go wrong with PayPal. They're one of the easiest ways to make and accept payments online.

They also have a number of features geared towards both individual users and businesses. Basically, anyone can use PayPal. It's just as good for high-volume invoicing as it is for sending money to your friends.

But if you're going to do business on PayPal, you want to present the right image. If you're doing business as yourself, this means using your real name. And if you're a business, you'll want the business account to reflect your current business name.

So, what do you do if your PayPal name isn't accurate? Here's a quick overview.

Here's What We'll Cover:

How to Change Your Personal Name

What if My Business Name Has Changed?

Key Takeaways

How to Change Your Personal Name

First, let's talk about what to do if you have a personal account. To change your personal name, you'll need to visit PayPal's account settings page. You'll need to do this with your web browser. Your name cannot be changed from within the PayPal mobile app.

Now, click the "Update" button next to your name. At that point, you'll see three new options. You can change your legal name, update your name, or make a minor correction.

Changing your legal name is the option you use if your legal name has actually changed. For example, if you got married and took your spouse's last name, or if you had your name changed in court.

PayPal requires documentation for this type of change. The easiest method is to send in government-issued photo identification. You'll also need appropriate documentation of the name change. A marriage certificate is a good example. PayPal accepts documents in .PDF, .JPG, and .PNG formats. The file size must be under 5MB, and the name must be shorter than 40 characters.

After you've sent your documentation, PayPal will review the change request. This normally takes 3-5 business days, although it can take longer in some circumstances.

Updating your name is a little bit different. It's used for nicknames, or different variants of your legal name. For example, if your name is Francesca but everyone calls you Frankie, you might want to use Frankie instead.

For this, you'll still need a government-issued ID. However, instead of legal proof of a name change, you'll just need an official document that uses your nickname. A credit card statement or bank statement can be used for this purpose, if you used your nickname for the account.

You can make a minor correction without providing documentation. However, there are significant limitations. You can only change up to two characters, and you can only do it once. The only purpose of this is to fix a minor typo. If you want to be "Frankie" instead of "Frnakie," use this option.

What if My Business Name Has Changed?

There are two ways of creating a business account. The first is to create one from scratch using a business email address and bank account. The other way is to upgrade a personal account. This is common for freelancers and DBAs.

To upgrade your personal account, go into your PayPal account in a web browser. Once again, you won't be able to use the mobile app. Click the Settings button, then click "Upgrade to a Business Account."

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You'll be prompted to enter some basic information about your business, and agree to their user agreement. Do that, click "Upgrade Account," and you're all set.

Here's where it gets tricky. On your end, you'll see your business name, if you're using one. But on the client side, customers will still see the name you used to create the account. For some people, this isn't a big deal. If your name is Tim Jones and you're doing business as Tim Jones, there's no problem.

But let's say Tim Jones founded Green Thumb Tim's Gardening Service. How does Tim get his business name to show up on his client invoices?

Log into PayPal in a web browser, and go to your profile. Click "My Business Info," and look where it says "Business Information." Click the "Update" button, and follow the steps to change your business name.

Enter your new name when prompted, and click "Continue." You may be asked to provide legal documentation at this point.

Key Takeaways

Changing your business name on PayPal is a simple, straightforward process. You might need to provide a legal document or two, but the whole process involves just a few simple steps.

Want to learn more about running your small business? Our resource hub is packed with articles and guides just like this one.