PayPal friends and family or gift option--how do I do it??
mikelowell25
Posts: 1,252 ✭✭✭
I remember seeing a thread about this not too long ago but can't seem to find it--this was always very straightforward and easy but it appears PayPal has changed their website. Made what i thought was a gift payment tonight using my checking account as I have always done but the recipient told me he incurred a fee--iirc there used to be a clearly visible option to "send money to friends and family" that has apparently disappeared. Now when i choose the "Send or request money" option on my summary page it just gives me one option to send money--as i said I did it that way tonight using my checking account but the recipient incurred a fee. However when I click on "send money" it gives me a "More" option in which there is an option to "send money abroad" to friends and family and I played around with that option and it will let me send money to someone in the US (I am in the US) however I don't know if the recipient will incur a fee that way even if I use my bank account--there is another option to "send a gift" with a pre-designed gift card but I don't know if that will incur a fee either. I tried calling PayPal and stated "agent" but nobody picked up after 10 minutes so I hung up--thanks in advance and sorry for the long post!
Comments
After you pick "send money", you enter the email address of the recipient. On the next screen, where you enter the amount, underneath the amount, you can click to pick "Sending to a Friend" or "Paying for an Item or Service".
It was me who started the other thread. My recollection is as follows the last few times I tried to send gift payments.
There was no way to select friends and family vs. goods and services. All I was asked for was the email address of the recipient. There was a field to click for PayPal buyer protection. My feeling was if I left that unchecked it would be a gift payment, because when I sent payment to a merchant that box was automatically checked and it stated that the recipient would pay that fee.
But there was absolutely no time in the process where friends and family vs. goods and services was a choice.
Also, if it is relevant, this happened when accessing PayPal on my iPad. That is what I have always used, so something definitely changed, but it may still be the old way if using a laptop, as mobile platforms often seem to differ these days.
Not sure how big the payment is but you could also manually add 3% on your end to cover it if it's just a small payment. Obviously not a long-term solution but possibly a quick fix if frustration builds.
Arthur