How to change your PayPal username? (GUIDE)

If you want to know how to change your PayPal username, you can do it in a few simple steps. PayPal allows a username to be corrected for a variety of reasons, including to correct a minor error in your name or to reflect your new legal name. In this article, we’ll look at the different scenarios in which you’re allowed to change your username and the different ways to do it.

When can you change your PayPal username?

PayPal is one of the most trusted and popular digital payment apps. However, its very large user base can lead to confusion regarding the inflow and outflow of payments. For example, a slight typographical error when entering an account name can easily result in your payment being sent to someone else.

Also, if your name is not correct, people who want to transact with you may, at some point, end up sending money to the wrong person. With that in mind, you should make sure that your account name accurately reflects your real name or the name of your business.

PayPal allows users to change their username on the app. However, only very specific cases are when a name change is warranted or authorized by PayPal. These cases include: if your name has been misspelled or if you have legally changed your name (marriage or court order changing your name). If you recently changed your business name, you can also edit your username to reflect that.

How to change your PayPal username

Now that we’ve looked at acceptable reasons for wanting to change your username, we can already see how to change your PayPal username. Note that you can only change your username through a web browser on the official PayPal website. You cannot change it using your phone or tablet on the PayPal mobile app. Here are the steps to change your PayPal username:

Change your PayPal username for your personal account

1. Visit the official PayPal webpage using any web browser on your desktop or laptop, and log in to your PayPal account.
2. Visit PayPal’s account settings page and select the “Update” option next to your username. From here, you can change your legal name, update your name, or correct an error in your name.
3. Select the option that applies to your situation and upload the relevant documents to prove your identity (for example, government-issued photo ID or birth certificate).

Additional Notes on changing your legal name

Note that the option to change your legal name applies when a legal change in your status or identity has been issued. For example, this applies when you get married and your name has officially changed to your spouse’s surname. This also applies when your name has been changed by court order.

Changing your legal name will also require additional documentation to prove that your name has been changed. You will need to provide a scanned copy of your marriage certificate or court order with your new name.

Change PayPal Username for Business Account

There are two ways to create a business account. The first is to create a business account using your work email address and bank account. The second way is to upgrade a personal account. To upgrade your account:

1. Visit the official PayPal webpage using any web browser on your desktop or laptop computer. Log in to your PayPal account.
2. Click on the “Settings” button and click on “Upgrade to a professional account”.
3. The system will prompt you to enter crucial information about your business. He will then present you with a user agreement, which you must read and approve.
4. Once you have done that, click on the “Update Account” option, then you are good to go. Note that your business name will appear on your account if you use one. However, the client side will only be able to see the name you used to create the account.

A note on similar names on PayPal

When using PayPal, it’s important to consider that people legitimately share names. In other words, there must be millions of John Smiths and Jane Does in the world. In other words, there are probably a handful of people with the same name as you, and that’s perfectly natural.

But the similarities you have with people of the same name as you end there since you have unique data points to differentiate yourself from them. For example, you have a bank account number, credit card number, address, social security number, etc. different. This allows PayPal to distinguish you from other users with the same name. This is also precisely why verifying your account is so important.

Of course, it’s also possible that someone else is trying to impersonate you by creating an account using your name. Most scammers copy your name, intending to receive money in your name. However, that would be very difficult as they don’t have your personal and bank details. In other words, they don’t have enough information to verify the account.

That said, if you have reason to believe someone is impersonating you to collect money on your behalf, contact PayPal customer service and local law enforcement for good measure.

Venmo: a great alternative to PayPal

If you find PayPal too complicated or cluttered for your liking, we can suggest a few PayPal alternatives. Among these alternatives, the second best option would be Venmo.

Like PayPal, Venmo is a comprehensive app that lets you store, send, and receive money from other users of the service. PayPal recently purchased Venmo, which is why the two services have very similar security capabilities and practices.

However, the only thing that differentiates Venmo from PayPal has something to do with its reach. Venmo only operates in the United States, which means you can only transact with users located in the United States. On the other hand, PayPal is an international service that allows you to transact with other people around the world.

That said, if the majority of your contacts are from the US, then Venmo might be easier to use than PayPal. That said, Venmo will also ask you to verify your account after signing up. Check out this guide explaining the step-by-step process to verify your Venmo account.

Final Thoughts on How to Change Your PayPal Username

Changing your username on PayPal is a relatively simple process. However, you can only change your name in very specific circumstances, and you can only do so to reflect your real name or business name. You may not use someone else’s name or submit a false name to represent your account. That said, PayPal will also ask you for documents proving your identity. Alternatively, you may need to provide documentation to prove that your name change is backed by a court order or certificate.

Just be careful not to confuse verifying your username with the process of verifying your PayPal account. The verification processes for these two serve entirely different purposes and require an entirely different set of documents to prove your identity. As long as you can provide documents proving your identity, the process should be a breeze. Alternatively, you can try PayPal’s newly acquired mobile payment service, Venmo.