You open PayPal and the app freezes, the website keeps loading, or a payment fails without a clear explanation. The next step depends on where it stops: a loading error, a missing login code, and a bank decline need different fixes. Start with the service status and your last payment, then go straight to the section that matches your problem.
Check PayPal’s status and your last payment first
Open PayPal’s service-status page and check for an incident affecting the service you are using. If PayPal reports a relevant outage, retry after recovery.
If a payment timed out, check its status before submitting it again. On PayPal’s website, open Activity. Find the payment, using Filters to narrow the results. Open its details to see whether it went through.
If there is no relevant incident and PayPal still will not load, test your connection next. For a payment decline or transfer error, skip to the payment checks below.
Find out whether the connection is the problem
Check that the website address is correct. Then select Reload this page in Chrome. Open another website to see whether the failure extends beyond PayPal. If several sites fail, check your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection.
Complete the network sign-in page when using public Wi-Fi. Restart your modem or router if the connection still fails across websites. Try the same PayPal page in another browser.
Open that page on another device connected to the same network. This comparison helps separate browser, device, and network failures. Success elsewhere does not rule out an account restriction.
For a Safari loading problem on iPhone or iPad, switch to cellular data or another Wi-Fi network. Temporarily disconnect an active VPN through its controls to test whether it is preventing Safari from loading the page. If the PayPal iPhone app works only on Wi-Fi, enable Cellular Data under Settings > Cellular.
Tap Show All if needed to reveal PayPal in the application list. Enable PayPal in that list. With cellular access disabled, the app connects only through Wi-Fi.
Tip: close unused tabs and applications if your browser is crashing.
Get the iPhone app responding again
Work through these checks in order, testing PayPal after each relevant step.
Close and reopen PayPal. On a Face ID iPhone, swipe up from the bottom and pause; on a Home-button iPhone, double-click the Home button. Swipe PayPal’s preview upward, then reopen the app.
Restart the iPhone. On Face ID models, hold a volume button and the side button until the shutdown slider appears; on compatible iPhone SE models, hold the side button. Slide to shut down, wait 30 seconds, then hold the side button until startup begins.
Install the available PayPal update through App Store > your profile icon > App Updates. Check Compatibility on PayPal’s App Store listing before reinstalling. The iPhone app requires iOS 17.4 or later.
To update an eligible phone, back it up, connect power and Wi-Fi, then open Settings > General > Software Update. Select Download and Install when offered.
Reinstall PayPal if it still fails. Have your login and verification method ready, and be prepared to lose local app data. Touch and hold PayPal, then select Remove App > Delete App > Delete. Reinstall through its App Store listing or PayPal’s official app page, using Download the App or Get the app.
For a failure limited to QR scanning or camera-based verification, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera. Enable PayPal if listed. This list contains apps that have previously requested camera access.
Clear Android app freezes and stored-data problems
These steps address an unresponsive app and problems with its local files or settings. On a Pixel, force-stop PayPal through Settings > Apps > See all apps > PayPal > Force stop > OK. Reopen PayPal to test it.
Install an available PayPal update through Google Play Store > your profile icon > Manage apps & devices > Updates available. On a Pixel 6 or later, hold Power and Volume Up for several seconds to open the power menu. Select Restart. On a Pixel 5a or earlier, hold Power until the phone restarts, approximately 30 seconds.
On Pixel, clear temporary files through Settings > Apps > See all apps > PayPal > Storage & cache > Clear cache. On Samsung Galaxy, use Settings > Apps > PayPal > Storage > Clear cache.
If clearing the cache fails on Pixel, reset local data using Clear storage or Clear data on the same storage screen, including its confirmation prompt. This erases local app data. For that reset on Galaxy, select Clear data > Delete. This removes local data and saved app settings.
If PayPal still fails, uninstall it through Google Play Store > your profile icon > Manage apps & devices > Manage > PayPal > Uninstall. This removes local app data. Reinstall through Google Play or PayPal’s official app page.
For a camera-only failure, grant permission through Settings > Apps > PayPal > Permissions > Camera > Allow only while using the app. If system-wide camera access is disabled, enable Camera access under Settings > Security & privacy > Privacy > Privacy controls. These permission paths use Pixel-style labels.
Fix PayPal loading problems in your browser
If PayPal works in another browser, focus on the browser that fails. Start with its update, then test extensions and stored website data.
In desktop Chrome, open More > Help > About Google Chrome to check for updates. Select Relaunch if offered.
Open More > New Incognito window. Test PayPal there. Failure in Incognito alone is not conclusive because Chrome blocks third-party cookies there by default.
Turn extensions off through More > Extensions > Manage extensions. Test PayPal again. Restore extensions one at a time, testing PayPal after each to identify interference.
To remove PayPal’s stored Chrome data, open Settings > Privacy and security > Third-party cookies > See all site data and permissions. Search for PayPal. Select its deletion icon. Confirm Delete.
Expect to sign in again. If JavaScript is blocked, open PayPal’s View site information > Site settings. Allow JavaScript. Reload the page.
For a failing checkout with Chrome’s cookie-blocking indicator, select the address-bar cookie-blocking icon. Enable Third-party cookies for that site. Use this exception only when cookie blocking is implicated. Reload the checkout to test it again.
When Chrome blocks a required payment window, select Pop-up blocked in the address bar. Open the required window from that control.
On iPhone or iPad Safari, clear stored browsing data through Settings > Apps > Safari > Clear History and Website Data > Clear History. Be prepared to sign in to websites again. For disabled scripts in mobile Safari, enable JavaScript under Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced.
On Mac Safari, open File > New Private Window. Test PayPal in that window. If it works there, open Safari > Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data. Select PayPal’s stored data.
Choose Remove > Done. In Edge, check for updates through Settings and more > Settings > About Microsoft Edge.
For cached-content problems, open Edge’s History page. Choose Delete browsing data. Set the time range to All time. Select the cache category.
Select Clear now. In Firefox, open PayPal. Select the padlock or shield icon beside the address bar. Choose Clear cookies and site data.
Reopen PayPal. Sign in again.
If browser cleanup does not help, move to the login or payment checks below. If the failure happens only at one merchant’s checkout, report the checkout URL and error to that merchant. Some checkout failures require changes on the merchant’s side.
Recover access when login codes do not arrive
A missing verification code leaves PayPal’s security check unfinished and blocks sign-in.
For a forgotten password, select Forgot password? on PayPal’s login page. Choose an available verification method. Select Next. Complete the verification and password-reset prompts.
If you selected Confirm using PayPal app but received no notification, open the app manually to find the approval prompt. If app approval still fails, select Login using other ways on the website. Choose another offered challenge.
For a missing verification code, wait at least 90 seconds before requesting another. Check blocked senders for missing text messages. Check your spam folder for an email code.
Ask your carrier about one-time-password delivery and short-code texts if SMS codes still do not arrive. Contact PayPal to restore messaging if you previously opted out. Choose another offered verification channel when you cannot use the original one. Available options depend on your account and include email, WhatsApp, or a call.
If your passkey or its device is unavailable, use your password or an offered one-time code. After repeated unsuccessful security checks, wait 24 hours or call PayPal support. Authenticator setup requires account access and does not bypass an existing verification lock.
Match a rejected payment or transfer to its cause
Use the error message to choose the relevant account or funding check before repeating the transaction.
Address account limitations through Resolution Center or the bell icon on Dashboard. Complete the requested information and document uploads. If restrictions remain, check for an outstanding information request or pending review.
Correct expired card or billing details on PayPal’s website. Open Wallet, select the card, choose Update card, and enter the corrected details. Complete requested confirmations. For email, open Settings, select Confirm beside the address under Email, then select Confirm this email address.
Complete verification through the resulting email. For a bank, select it in Wallet and use instant confirmation if offered. Otherwise, enter the exact amounts of the two small deposits and select Submit. Allow up to three business days for the deposits.
Contact your card issuer or bank if it declines funding. PayPal is not given the private decline reason. Use another eligible payment method when available. Check the recipient’s email address or phone number and confirm that their PayPal registration is complete.
Follow the transfer error. Reduce an amount exceeding the stated limit, select an eligible destination, or correct mismatched bank details by removing and relinking the bank. For a Pending transfer under PayPal review, wait for the review to finish before making another attempt.
Get help when the problem persists
Open PayPal’s Contact Us page. Select the PayPal Assistant chat button. Describe the failure. Include the error and whether it affects the app, website, or one merchant’s checkout.
For live chat or phone support, select the relevant help topic on Contact Us. Use the contact option offered for your issue. Available channels depend on the issue and availability. Open Message Center to return to an existing conversation or start another.
If the first support route does not resolve the problem, follow up through Message Center or another offered contact channel. For a limitation still under review, check Resolution Center for an outstanding information request before trying more device resets.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change an old phone number on my PayPal account?
If you can sign in, open the PayPal website’s Settings > Phone Numbers. Select Change > Update Number to edit it, or + Add New > Add phone number to add another. Complete the text confirmation. If you are locked out, use an offered alternative verification method or contact PayPal support.
What if my entire iPhone is frozen?
If the phone cannot shut down normally, quickly press and release Volume Up, then quickly press and release Volume Down. Hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. This force-restart sequence applies to current PayPal-compatible iPhones, including supported SE models.
Why can’t I delete PayPal to reinstall it?
If parental controls block deletion, set Deleting Apps to Allow in the parental-control settings. On a managed device, contact its administrator. Removing PayPal’s Home Screen icon alone does not uninstall the app.
How long does PayPal card confirmation take?
For US accounts, allow two to three business days for PayPal’s $1.95 verification charge to appear on your card statement. To request confirmation, open Wallet, select the card, then choose Confirm Card > OK. Find the latest four-digit code beside the charge, return to the card in PayPal, enter the code, and select Confirm. PayPal refunds the charge after confirmation.