PayPal is undoubtedly one of the most trusted services for sending and receiving money worldwide.
The service is operating since 1999 and users can receive and send money, track orders, and create invoices in minutes, which altogether makes PayPal one of the most popular choices among similar financial services.
PayPal even enables users to send money anonymously, however, most people don’t know that this option exists.
Does PayPal Reveal Your Identity When Sending Money?
Yes, PayPal reveals the identity of users when sending money.
Whenever you send money through Paypal to another user, they will be able to see your name and your identity on their transaction history along with other details, including the amount you sent.
In the case of creating a business account, your name won’t be revealed. Instead, the name of the company will be revealed to the receiver, which is how you can hide your identity.
Can You Send Money Anonymously on PayPal?
What may not be obvious to many PayPal users is the fact that you can send money anonymously on PayPal before you verify your account.
You don’t have to use your legal name until you are required to verify your account and provide a government-issued ID.
PayPal may restrict some features until your account is fully verified with proof of identity.
PayPal may also restrict your option to send and receive money until you verify your account.
You can still send money anonymously with alternative solutions.
How To Send Anonymously on PayPal?
You can send money anonymously via PayPal with several methods.
One of the ways is to create a fake account.
You can also hide your identity and send money without revealing your name in case you choose to create a business account.
Create a Fake Account
You can create a fake account on PayPal and send money without revealing your true identity.
However, once PayPal finds out that your account is using fake identity information, your account may get blocked.
If PayPal blocks your account, you won’t be able to use or withdraw any funds that you may have in your PayPal wallet at the time.
PayPal usually restricts, blocks, and terminates accounts that are not verified and that are suspected to be using fake identities.
Creating a fake account on PayPal may be a good idea to keep your anonymity, but only as a short-term solution.
Create a Business Account
PayPal allows users to choose between a regular account and a business account.
In case you open a business account, you won’t need to use your name except for verification purposes on your account.
You can use a fake name as the name of your business, a nickname, or come up with a business name.
When you send someone money from your business account, they will only see the name you have chosen to use on your business account and your identity won’t be revealed.
This is perhaps the safest and most reliable option to keep your anonymity when sending money via PayPal.
Alternative – Don’t Use PayPal, and Go with Crypto
Crypto has quickly become the top option for sending and receiving money anonymously since the inception of Bitcoin in 2009.
You can send money without revealing or sharing any of your information or your identity.
However, to send money via crypto, you will have to buy cryptocurrency in the exchange market and create a crypto wallet.
The receiver also needs to have a wallet.
You can also send people money anonymously with crypto via Twitter as Twitter allows creators to receive crypto from consumers and fans.
You will need to reveal your identity to the exchange you are using to buy crypto if KYC (Know Your Customer) verification is required.
However, you don’t have to share any personal info when creating a wallet or sending crypto to another user.
Cryptocurrency is completely anonymous while transparent, which makes it a great alternative to sending money anonymously via PayPal.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any other options to send money anonymously via PayPal?
Can you use a nickname or hide your real name when using PayPal to send money?
Can You Use a Nickname on PayPal?
PayPal allows users to correct a typo or change their name in Settings.
However, your name on the PayPal account will have to match the name on the ID you provided.
The name should also match the legal name on the card or a bank account that you added to your PayPal account.
You can choose to use a nickname on your business account, while you will need to add your legal name to your account.
When creating a business account, you can choose a nickname to pose as the name of your business.
This is how you can send money via PayPal without revealing your identity to the receiver.
The receiver may still be able to see your email address on the receipt in the transaction history.
Can You Hide Your Real Name in Settings?
You can only really hide your name by using a business account on PayPal as you can use any name or nickname you choose as your business name.
PayPal allows users to change their name in Settings, but there is no option to hide it.
If the name on your PayPal account doesn’t match the name on the ID you provided for verification purposes, PayPal reserves the right to terminate and block your account while keeping the funds in your account.
You can set up a fake name or a nickname on your PayPal business account and hide your identity that way.
Access your account settings and update your name at any time. If you don’t want the receiver to track you, don’t use an email that is related to your identity.
Your email address will be revealed on the receipt, and available to the receiver in transaction history. You can create a special email address to create a business account on PayPal and hide your real name that way.