Paypal Reactivate after Deactivate (Personal Paypal Account worked previously)

[SidekickStreet]

When I first opened my Shopify store recently, it seems that the Paypal Express was already activated.  I do not currently have a Paypal business account, but the money was sent to my personal Paypal account, and just put on hold until the delivery cleared.  That works for me.  But I temporarily deactivated the Paypal from shopify, while I debated whether to use Paypal or not as a payment method.  When I tried to reactivate it now, it won't let me without connecting to a Paypal business account.  I do not want to have a Paypal business account for the moment.  Can I reconnect it as it was just a couple days ago?  Thanks.

[Victoria]

Hi, @SidekickStreet.

Thanks for engaging with the Shopify Community.

I understand that you deactivated PayPal Express Checkout and when attempting to reactivate, it's prompting you to connect a PayPal Business Account. However, you'd like to connect your personal PayPal account, correct?

When you first set up your Shopify store, Shopify creates a PayPal Express Checkout account using the email address you use to sign in to your store. If you already have a PayPal account with that email address, then you receive payments from orders made with PayPal right away. This would line up with the funds being transferred to your personal PayPal account initially. 

It is encouraged to upgrade your personal account to a PayPal Business account. This is because, most functions and tools provided by PayPal for business owners are only available when using a business account. 

However, if you don't have a PayPal Business account with the email address you use to sign in to your store, then you can add your email address to an existing PayPal account. 

I hope this helps!

[SidekickStreet]

Okay... my current Shopify email address is already added to an existing Paypal account.  But Paypal is not listed on our website anymore as a payment option, like it was at the start.  So even if the email is linked with a Paypal (personal) account... can people pay via Paypal if it is not activated on the Shopify end?

[Victoria]

Thanks for your reply, @SidekickStreet.

Visitors/customers will not be able to pay via PayPal if it is not an available payment gateway at your checkout.

Could you try following the steps below to deactivate and reactivate PayPal Express Checkout:

• From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments.
• In the Additional payment methods section, find PayPal.
• Click Manage.
• Click Deactivate PayPal Express Checkout.
• Click Deactivate PayPal Express Checkout again to confirm.
• Click Activate PayPal Express Checkout.
• Enter the email address for your PayPal account, and then click Next.
• Enter the password for your PayPal account, and then click Log In.
• On the PayPal permissions page, click I Give Permission.
• On the PayPal confirmation page, click Go back to Shopify.

Please let me know after following the steps above if PayPal is available at your checkout page.

[SidekickStreet]

I have tried these steps before... After the "Log In" step, I do not get the opportunity to "grant permission."  It takes me to a Paypal page that asks me to upgrade to a business account.  Nothing I can do past that.  If I just go to my "Seller Preferences" section on my personal Paypal account, I do have a page that is called "Website Payment Preferences" with "auto return" and "payment data transfer" and other categories that can be turned on or off.  Not sure if that is what I might be looking for...  It worked fine the first time when I initially set up Shopify store.  But I deactivated the Paypal that same day because I thought I might not want to use Paypal as an option (what with the holds being placed on the money).  But then I decided it should be a payment options after all.  but once I deactivated it, I don't seem to be able to activate it again.  Sigh.

[Victoria]

Thanks for sharing that additional context, @SidekickStreet.

While I'm not able to view within your PayPal dashboard, I recommend getting in touch with PayPal Support. They will be able to take a look at your dashboard and advise you on how to integrate your existing PayPal account to your store.

[LisaMaree]

Hi Victoria,

I'm having an issue and hope you can suggest something?

I had a paypal account in Australia originally when I setup my shopify store (from Australia), I've since moved to the USA and setup a USA based business paypal account because Paypal was charging me fees everytime I transferred from my Australian Paypal to my US Bank - they don't charge for US Paypal to US Bank, hence the change.

Anyway, I disconnected my paypal checkout in my settings, reactivated it with the new US Based business paypal account and I can see in shopify it's showing the new email address for paypal as connected, so everything seems right. HOWEVER when customers pay by paypal, I'm still getting their payments in my old Australian Paypal account and I can't work out why or how to fix it? 

Any ideas?

[Victoria]

Hi, @LisaMaree.

Thanks for joining the thread!

To confirm, you followed these steps to deactivate your old PayPal account from Shopify:

• Go to Settings > Payment providers in your Shopify admin.
• In the PayPal section, click Deactivate.
• Then click Activate and enter the new PayPal account email.
• Click Next and log in to your PayPal account.

If you've followed the steps about to deactivate the old account and activate the new account, but payments still go through the old account, you may need to get in touch with our internal support. This is because we can check to ensure the new email address and account are correctly activated. You can create a support request through the Shopify Help Center, to ensure your account is safely and securely authenticated. 

[kzaytsvs]

Привет! Я хотел переключить PayPal Express, деактивировав старый аккаунт. Но после этого, у меня совсем пропал PayPal Express Checkout. Что делать? 

[LisaMaree]

I've realized that I am getting paypal payments to both the old Australian Paypal account and then new USA paypal account. I believe one is paypal express checkout and one is regular paypal payments. The paypal express checkout is updated correctly and I believe working. The regular paypal payments I believe are still going to the old australian paypal. How do I fix this?

[LisaMaree]

Actually I think it's online store orders are going correctly into the new Paypal account. Meta Orders are going incorrectly to the old paypal account.

[Victoria]

If your new PayPal account email is correctly set up and connected within Shopify, but you're still receiving payments through the old PayPal account, I recommend contacting PayPal Support. 

Have you connected your new PayPal account email to Checkout on Facebook and Instagram? 

[ISISNOVANIFTY]

PayPal Express Checkout disappeared from my interface after I deactivated it. I'm trying to activate it again but I can't find it. I need your help please. What should I do?