For those of you that have people paying you via paypal, is there any way of there somehow being a unique reference on their paypal statements please? At the moment, they’re seeing my personal name and not linking it to their work I’m doing for them and so they’re cancelling it! Is there some way of there being on their paypal statement, something like ‘website work on website.com’ ?
Any help much appreciated.
Dez.
If you absolutely needed a phone number (don’t recall either ever having needed mine for the pp business account) you can use something a service like voipfone to set up a uk geographic number that you can connect to a sip softphone for a couple bucks.
Thank you. Armed with that information, I might have another go at the brick wall sometime… 
That’s interesting. When I tried to sign up, telephone number was a required field. I got in touch to explain that I don’t have one, and their reply was that they had to display it so customers would be able to contact me. Apparently, my e-mail address and postal address were insufficient; they required a telephone as well and there was no way they would sign me up for a business account without one. After a couple of dozen e-mails, I eventually concluded I was banging my head against a brick wall and settled for a Premier account - which allows me to trade without a telephone number.
I have a business account without a telephone number displayed. Anyhow, a business account is the way to go, and it’s free. They just have to verify your bank account. PP takes a little % of each sale, but it’s quite a handy service, anyhow. There are other services around for taking payments, though, so it’s worth checking them out too. I use PayMate, which is nicer than PP, but I’m not sure how how widely available it is outside Australia.
You can upgrade your personal account, or add a new account. PayPal web site says:
You can have one Personal account and one Premier or Business account. However, each account must contain a unique email address and unique financial details.
Eastcoast will be able to give you more information about the business account than I can. The only thing I can remember about it is that it requires you to register a telephone number which PayPal will display to your customers. <rant>If you happen to be disabled and can’t use a phone - too bad. PayPal don’t care two hoots about discrimination and will refuse you a business account. :mad: </rant> You can use a Premier account to receive business payments, but there are fewer options available.
Thanks eastcoast and technobear - it is a personal acct - are there any downsides to getting a business acct? More checks? More charges?
Given that so many transactions are international, I’ve never even thought of using telephone numbers. I probably did give a phone number, but it never appears on anything so far as I’m aware. Anyway, I do get emails from customers, but have not had a phone call in the 5 years that I’ve had a PP bus. account.
I’m guessing here, but are you using a PayPal personal account? If so, you might be able to solve your problem by setting up - or upgrading to - a business account. (PayPal allows you to have one of each.) I don’t have a business account, so I’m not sure.
I have a paypal business account, when I send paypal invoices I can set items, description, and an alphanumeric invoice number. Not sure how these appear when they land in a users paypal inbox though as I have only ever sent them rather than received.