If you're someone who loves splitting the cost of a purchase, you should have certainly come across or even heard about PayPal Pay in 4.
In fact, even if you don't know much about it, its name already says it all—"Pay in 4"—and it doesn't always work as we all want, right?
Yep, I'm referring to the situation where the "Pay in 4" option does not appear at checkout—it can mean a whole lot of things, and this guide will help you understand why it's not showing up, along with steps you can take to make it work for you.
Why is PayPal Pay in 4 Not Showing Up?
PayPal Pay in 4 is a new payment solution recently launched by PayPal, and just like any other payment method, this one works on terms and requires you to meet some eligibility requirements before it can be available for you at checkout.
Some of the reasons why PayPal Pay in 4 is not showing up for you include:
1. You Reside in an Unsupported Region or State
PayPal Pay in 4 is relatively new and isn't available in all regions. That said, if Pay in 4 isn't available for you at checkout, there's a great chance that you reside in a region where it isn't available yet, and this is usually one of the main reasons why most PayPal users can't use Pay in 4.
2. The Merchant or Good Doesn't Support Pay in 4
Another major reason why Pay in 4 isn't showing up is that the merchant you're shopping at doesn't offer Pay in 4, just yet. As mentioned earlier, it is new and not all merchants offer the feature as a payment method.
It isn't just about the merchant—you can shop at a merchant that offers Pay in 4, but the goods you shop for don't qualify for the BNPL feature.
3. Your Purchase Amount isn't in the Eligible Range
PayPal Pay in 4's eligibility greatly depends on the purchase amount, which must be between $30 and $1,500. Any amount out of this range won't qualify for Pay in 4 payments, and you won't see the feature show up.
4. Your Account isn't in Good Standing
If you apply for Pay in 4 at checkout while your account isn't in good standing (a negative balance or policy violation issues), there's a great chance that you won't get approved or see the Pay in 4 show up.
How to Fix PayPal Pay in 4 Not Showing Up
Now that you know why the Pay in 4 feature isn't showing up at checkout, I suppose you should know how to tackle the issue in your case.
Well, if you can't still do this on your own, here's how to resolve the problem and make the Pay in 4 feature show up for you.
1. Make Sure You Reside in a Supported State or Region
Right now, Pay in 4 is only available in a few countries, including the United States, Australia, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Canada, as of this writing. So you need to make sure you are located in any of these countries to be eligible for PayPal's BNPL feature.
If you are in the US and can't see the Pay in 4 feature at checkout, try asking friends in other states you know to see if it shows up for them. And if it does show up for them, you can temporarily move to the state to make your Pay in 4 purchase with PayPal.
2. Understand Which Merchants or Goods are Supported by Pay in 4
While millions of online merchants accept PayPal Pay in 4, not all of them do, and that might be the case for the merchant you are shopping at right now.
For sure, PayPal features a list of merchants that support the payment service, but when you narrow down the list, you'll find out that not all of them offer Pay in 4.
I've narrowed down a list of some merchants that accept Pay in 4. You can always check to make sure you're shopping at the right store.
Also, you can be shopping at the right merchant, but the good you're shopping for doesn't support Pay in 4 payments. Avoid shopping for items like Cigarettes or Alcohol because you won't be able to use Pay in 4 for such goods.
3. Make Sure Your Purchase Amount is Within the Eligibility Range
As mentioned earlier, if the value of your shopping cart isn't within the eligibility range of $30 and $1,500, you won't qualify for Pay in 4.
So to increase your chances of getting this show up, make sure your purchase amount is within the specified range.
4. Ensure Your Account is in Good Standing
"Good Standing" here isn't just about your account balance or overall credit score. PayPal Pay in 4 only performs a soft credit check and doesn't really affect your credit.
What I'm talking about here are things like policy violations and open disputes in your account. If there's any policy you've violated and this is still active, make sure to clear it off, and that goes the same for open disputes.
These are minor things we tend to neglect that, in the end, get us ineligible for stuff like Pay in 4.
PayPal Pay in 4 Not Showing Up Anymore?
If Pay in 4 previously showed up for you and no longer shows up, you should check for a possible cause within your account. Remember when I talked about policy violations that include, but are not limited to, disputes? Check them out while making sure you meet all the other requirements, starting from the age, shopping cart value, and region or state of residence.
If you can't really find what went wrong, just reach out to PayPal support to understand better. They can be of great help.
Final Thoughts
PayPal Pay in 4 is a relatively new feature and is just getting adopted by many stores, especially those that already accept PayPal. Not all stores that accept PayPal definitely accept Pay in 4 because this one has its own requirements that are different from PayPal's base requirements.
If PayPal Pay in 4 isn't showing up for you at checkout, make sure to check all possible reasons from this guide and find out what's actually holding you back from using the feature. Once you understand, you can reapply and start using Pay in 4 as your new BNPL option at checkout.
