It’s hard to go wrong with PayPal if you’re looking for an online payment processor. PayPal lets you make and accept payments online easily.
In addition, they offer several features for both individuals and businesses. PayPal is available to everyone. Using it to send money to friends is just as convenient as using it for high-volume invoicing.
However, if you plan to conduct business on PayPal, you should present the right image to the world. Using your real name is essential if you’re doing business as yourself. If you run a business, you’ll want your business account to reflect your company’s name.
What should you do if your PayPal name is incorrect? Let’s take a look.
Changing Your Name
How to manage your account? PayPal’s account settings page allows you to change your name. This must be done through your web browser.
Once you have updated your name, click the “Update” button. A new menu will appear. A minor change in your name can be made, and change your legal name.
If you have changed your legal name, you want to change it legally. A person may change their name on court orders if, for instance, they got married and adopted their spouse’s last name.
Documentation is required for this kind of change with PayPal. Government-issued photo identification is the easiest way to do so. Marriage certificates are required. PDFs, JPGs, and PNGs are accepted.
PayPal will review the change request once you have sent your documentation. It typically takes 3-5 business days, although it can take longer in some cases.
A little bit of a different process is updating your name. A nickname is a variation of your legal name. Perhaps you should use Frankie instead of Francesca if everyone calls you Frankie.
A government-issued ID is still required for this. However, if your name has changed, you just need an official document using your nickname instead of a legal document. If you used your nickname for the account, you could use a credit card statement or bank statement.
There is no need to provide documentation for minor corrections. Limitations apply, but you can only do it once. It’s mainly for fixing minor typos. Using this option, you can be “Frankie” instead of “Frnakie.”
How Do I Change My Business Name?
You can create a business account from scratch with a business email address and bank account. DBAs and freelancers usually do this.
If you would like to upgrade your account, you can log into your PayPal account online. However, you will lose access to the mobile app. To upgrade to a business account, click the Settings button.
Upon signing up, you will be asked for basic information about your business and agree to their user agreement. You’re all set once you click “Upgrade Account.”
The tricky part is here. Whether you’re using a business name, you’ll see it here. However, the name you used when creating the account will still appear to the customer. If your name is Tim Jones, you do business under that name.
Assuming that Tim Jones founded Green Thumb Tim’s Gardening Service. On his client invoices, how does Tim display his business name?
You can access your profile by logging into PayPal through a web browser. Change your business name by selecting “My Business Info,” then clicking “Business Information.” You can update your information by clicking “Update.”
Click “Continue” and enter your new name when prompted. Legal documentation may be requested at this point.
