Helping your supporters with PayPal errors

Are your supporters seeing PayPal issues when they try to support you? As the creator, it's your PayPal or Stripe account that gets paid directly through Ko-fi. The error might be in your account or on your supporter's side. No worries, we're here to help figure out what could be going wrong.

 

Solving PayPal errors

Encountering PayPal errors can be a headache, here's a quick guide to check through:

  Note

If you’re receiving payments from other supporters without issues, the issue might be on your supporter's side. Check out our help article here and it could help to send this guide to your supporter.

  1. Check the PayPal error message that your supporters are receiving. This can point to specific issues such as problems with your account, currency issues, or insufficient funds. These messages often provide hints about what's going wrong.

  2. Visit your Payment settings on Ko-fi. Look for any alerts or notices – these will usually come with instructions on what you need to do with your PayPal account.

    paypal-error-ko-fi 1.png

  3. Log into PayPal (on a desktop) and check for any restrictions or important messages.

  4. Make sure your PayPal email for payments matches the one linked to your Ko-fi account.

  5. Verify your bank account on PayPal, this might smooth things out for your supporters.

  6. Try a test payment on your page using a card that's not linked to your PayPal. If there's an error, it might point to a problem with your account. If it works, the issue may be on your supporter's end.

Got questions? We're always here to help. Feel free to send any questions our way. 💌

 

Trouble joining monthly memberships or recurring payments

When it comes to monthly memberships or recurring support, your supporters need to use a bank card which allows ongoing payments. Prepaid cards or PayPal balances won't work for recurring payments like joining a membership tier.

 

Other reasons for payment errors

Here are some other reasons why your supporter’s payment might not have been successful:

 

🌍 Country restrictions

PayPal has country-specific payment rules. It's a good idea to check if PayPal supports transactions between your countries. For example:

  • Some countries may not receive payments on PayPal from supporters within their own country due to local restrictions.
  • Some countries might not allow commercial transactions due to international regulations.
  • Some PayPal accounts can send payments but cannot receive them.

Remember, you can also take payments by adding Stripe as a payment option.

 

💲Local payment processors

PayPal offers local payment options based on your supporter’s location and payment methods available so different supporters see different payment options.

Options such as Venmo, iDeal, Giropay, Przelewy24 could be offered depending on their country. Sometimes supporter payments look successful but fail to complete. If a payment fails using one of these local payment methods your supporter will usually get a refund within 5 working days.

Advise your supporter to try and pay directly by PayPal or a card payment if available. If you or your supporter need more help, you can contact PayPal or the local payment processor directly.

If you have more questions, reach out to our support team and let us know what you’ve tried with any screenshots of the error, if you can.

 

FAQ: 

Can I use PayPal in my country?

You can check PayPal’s list here or you can reach out to PayPal directly for clarification.

Remember, you may also be able to offer payments by adding Stripe as a payment method.

I am seeing the error code “requirements.disabled_reason’?
It might mean that there is an issue with your Stripe account. Log in to your Stripe account and resolve any issues. If you have any more questions, please raise a support ticket.
My supporter has been charged, but I have not received the funds. Will they get a refund?
If a payment fails, it's usually a pending charge. Don't worry PayPal or the payment processor should return it to your supporter in 3-5 working days.