PayPal is a popular online payment platform that most of us love using, and while it offers different ways to send money, it doesn't offer an official option to send money anonymously.
Thankfully, I've been using PayPal for years now and have found a couple of ways to send money anonymously through it. Simply, I can assure you that.
In this article, I'll show you how to send money anonymously on PayPal.
Is PayPal Anonymous?
No, PayPal is not officially an anonymous way to send or receive money.
Just like any other payment service, PayPal will likely display some details like:
- Your name: The recipient will see your name associated with your PayPal account.
- Your email address: By default, the recipient will also see your email address used for your PayPal account, though you can choose not to share it.
- Your profile picture: Your profile picture, if set, will be visible to the recipient.
- The payment amount: The amount you send will be clearly visible to the recipient.
Can You Send Money Anonymously PayPal?
PayPal is an untraceable money transfer app when you make it sound that way, and yes, you can send money anonymously on PayPal. However, the process isn't a straightforward one since PayPal does not offer an option to make anonymous payments.
You can either use a Business/Premier PayPal account or use a fake PayPal account to send money anonymously on PayPal.
The most convenient and risk-free way for sending money anonymously on PayPal is by using a Business account to send funds, in this way, the recipient wouldn't see your personal identity.
However, in case you don't have a business PayPal account, then using a fake PayPal account should be the best alternative for sending funds anonymously on the platform.
How to Send Money Anonymously On PayPal
PayPal is a premium choice for those looking to send and receive money conveniently to and from any part of the world.
In fact, many use PayPal as a way to fund their bank accounts and pay for their purchases.
What is you don't want to make your receiver know you are the one sending them a payment? Well, using an anonymous payment method such as PayPal is an ideal way to send money anonymously online.
As earlier mentioned, there are two ways to send money anonymously on PayPal: — Using a Business/Premier account or creating a fake PayPal account.
1. Use a Fake PayPal Account to Send Money Anonymously On PayPal
Using fake details for sending money on PayPal is a great way to stay anonymous when sending payments through PayPal.
Generally, you'll need to provide PayPal your name, email, phone number, address, and funding source to create a verified PayPal account.
You can use fake details to create your PayPal account to send funds anonymously.
You'll need a fake PayPal account: a fake name (just by a simple guess), a temporary or disposable email, a virtual phone number, a fake address, and a virtual card or gift card as a funding source.
You can also use a virtual bank account or virtual credit card for PayPal verification. You can also verify your PayPal without a bank account.
With all of that, you should be able to create your fake PayPal account and raise some limits by adding a funding source (in which case is a virtual card or a prepaid gift card).
You can also use a legitimate PayPal account (which will serve as a funding source) alongside the fake PayPal account to increase credibility in case you want to use something other than a virtual card or gift card.
Here's a complete guide to creating a verified PayPal account to help you out.
How To Send Money Anonymously on PayPal With a Fake Account
Once everything is set with your fake PayPal account, you should be able to send money anonymously through PayPal as shown below:
- Log in to PayPal.
- Click Send & Request at the top of the page.
- Select from the 3 options.
- Enter the email address or mobile number to whom you are sending money.
- Enter the amount you want to send and click Continue.
- Review and confirm the information on the screen and click Send Money Now.
If PayPal does not flag your fake account, you should be able to repeat the process without hassle.
2. Use a Business PayPal Account to Send Money Anonymous On PayPal
Using a business or premier PayPal account is the best risk-free way to send money anonymously on PayPal since it is completely on the legal side and doesn't go against PayPal TOS.
You are free to use any "business" name and email address with a business account. Your private information won't be disclosed to the people you send money to — instead, your company's name and email address will be shown.
Remember that the company name you choose doesn't have to refer to a real business or travel location. In other words, opening a PayPal business account does not require a company license.
So now, you might be wondering how to create a business PayPal account to send funds to PayPal.
The best here is, that you do not need to create a business PayPal account if you already have an existing PayPal account. You can just convert your personal PayPal account to a business account.
However, if you want to maintain your personal PayPal account, then you can consider creating a standalone business PayPal account.
How To Create a PayPal Business Account
Creating a business PayPal account is as easy as shown on the PayPal website.
Here are the steps you need to open a PayPal business account:
- Go to PayPal.com and click Sign Up.
- Select a business account and click Next.
- Enter your email address and click Next.
- Now, create a login ID and Password and enter your business contact information.
- Make sure to read the user agreement, privacy policy, and electronic communications delivery policy. Then click Agree and Continue.
- Next, tell PayPal about your business: Enter your employer ID number or if you're a sole proprietor, enter your social security number.
- Then, enter your website address if you have one, and click Continue.
- PayPal will ask for some additional personal information that will be used to verify your identity.
- Once that's done, they'll send you an email to verify your information.
- Then your account is ready to use.
How To Change a Personal PayPal Account to a Business Account
Changing your existing PayPal account into a business account is as easy as follows:
- Log in to your PayPal account.
- Go to Settings.
- Click Upgrade to a Business account.
- Enter your business information and click Agree and Continue.
Risks and Limitations of Sending Money Anonymously On PayPal (Using a Fake Account)
PayPal considers the security of its users, which is why PayPal's TOS prohibits the creation of fake accounts.
Here is what you should be aware of when creating a fake PayPal account to send money anonymously on PayPal.
Your Account Risks Getting Flagged and Limited/Closed
PayPal and other financial companies are required to verify that their customers are who they say they are to comply with the Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations.
Know Your Customer standards will not be met by anonymous transfers (your digital privacy) for online transactions within the PayPal community.
Therefore, when you register for an account on PayPal using a fake name, you are breaking these rules for the company.
PayPal periodically checks to ensure that all current account holders have registered using their real identities and personal bank accounts because doing so generally gets them into problems.
Your account may be closed or limited (i.e., you won't be able to conduct any online transactions) if it is flagged during these routine checks.
Your sent money should not be inside at this point. Because PayPal normally needs identification proof (which you can't supply because the account is a phony) to release funds from a blocked account, you'll probably end up losing it.
Transaction Limits
Another risk is that there is always a limit on the amount you can transfer through PayPal while using a fake account.
When your sales and payments reach a certain amount, PayPal will need to verify your identity by obtaining particular personal papers from you. Your account can be closed or frozen if you are unable to supply these.
Many people still use fake accounts to send money anonymously on PayPal without disclosing their true names despite these concerns.
Online banking has many benefits and drawbacks, but protecting your identity is not one of them.
You can find proof of this by looking at well-known forums like Reddit. It all comes down to how much you're willing to risk to protect your identity.
Other Ways to Send Money Anonymously On PayPal
In case you weren't able to send money anonymously on PayPal using the aforementioned methods, then you can consider using any of these indirect methods.
1. Use Payeer
You can use your PayPal account to finance your Payeer account and then use that to send money to hide your identity from the recipients.
Payeer serves in this situation as a payment gateway by severing the chain of transactions between you and your beneficiary.
You maintain your anonymity because all you are doing is paying money to Payeer so that you can distribute it to your beneficiaries (whatever financial trail you generate is between you and the service provider).
Additionally, Payeer offers a variety of cash payment options, so you don't have to use just your PayPal balance to fund your account.
These options also apply to withdrawal, so your receivers will have access to the same wide range of alternatives when deciding how they'd receive their funds.
2. Use a Cryptocurrency
Most people become discouraged when they learn that they can send money using Bitcoin because they believe it to be incredibly complicated.
The reality is that it's the currency of the future.
To send and receive money using a digital wallet, you don't even need to understand what Bitcoin is, how exchanges work, or any other technical aspects of digital money.
Let's say, for the sake of demonstration, that you want to send $300 to someone through a digital wallet in an anonymous way. You just need to use your PayPal balance to pay for the Bitcoin.
The Bitcoin will be held in an electronic wallet, where you can send it anonymously to a recipient with ease. They don't need to know some of the personal information that PayPal generally gives with recipients of money; all they need to do is convert the Bitcoin back to cash.
Visit LocalBitcoins and register for an account to get going. You have a variety of payment alternatives on this site, and those wishing to withdraw also have those same choices.
You can always refer to their quick video lessons if you need assistance. An email address and an internet connection are all you need to do this.
3. Use Money Transfer Services
A good example of a service that allows anonymous money transfers is Western Union. Let's use it in this instance to represent other similar services as it's arguably the name that most people are familiar with.
Start by transferring the desired amount from your PayPal account to your Western Union account to send money anonymously online through a third party, Western Union.
Once the funds are in your Western Union account, you may either use a forwarding agency to have the funds sent to the recipient's mailing address or transfer the funds straight to their account without disclosing your identity.
Know the distinctions between cashier’s check vs certified check as those may be options.
4. Use a Donation Service
One of the main reasons people want to send money anonymously is to make donations.
If you've ever donated to charity only to receive constant demands for more donations, you understand how crucial it is to keep your identity private.
Thankfully, a few platforms let users donate completely anonymously. One excellent illustration of such a company is JustGive.
You have the choice to insert your name and a customized message when you utilize the platform to donate. Simply leave this field empty if you want to stay anonymous.
The contribution transaction will nonetheless be completed.
5. Use Prepaid Gift Cards
You can always send money anonymously by using prepaid gift cards.
The card is bought in advance and loaded with the sender's money, usually using a credit or debit card.
Gift cards can be given to friends and family members who want to send you a present but don't know what your favorite things are once they have been bought and loaded.
If you wish to send money anonymously, you can also buy prepaid Paysafecard vouchers.
Companies like Amazon are among the places that sell prepaid Paysafecard vouchers.
Final Thoughts: Send Money Anonymously On PayPal
Sending money anonymously on PayPal is possible thanks to a couple of ways; using a business PayPal account or using a fake PayPal account.
When using a fake PayPal account, you should be aware of the risks involved such as account termination and limitations.
However, using a business account to send money anonymously on PayPal is the best and safest option you have for sending money anonymously. Your recipient will only see your business name.
All you'll need is to open a business account to start sending funds anonymously. You can also change from personal to business PayPal account in case you don't want to open a new account.