Root causes:
1. My Paypal acount type is business
2. My first name in Paypal is wrong (it included my middle name)
So yeah, before you attempt to link your Paypal account to GCash, make sure to take note of the following prerequisites:
- Your first and last name on Paypal must be identical with your first and last name on GCash
- Your Paypal account must be setup in the Philippines
- Your Paypal account type must be personal (not business acocunt)
- Your GCash account must be KYC-ed (fully verfied)
The error message was followed by two emails. The first was a preapproved payments plan registration notification, and shortly after -- its cancellation.
The message prompted me to check my details both on Paypal and GCash. My email, full name, and even home address are exactly the same down to the very last character. So what gives?
I kept asking GCash support about it. I've gone throught Facebook, Website, and InApp support.
They're all trash.
I told them that I've checked my details and they all match. And if they could just provide me which details don't match, then I'll work on it. But hey, they just can't do any more digging. I was convinced that my details were perfect, but I still don't get what's wrong. They kept on resending the steps and guidelines and it was getting frustrating having to deal with their very incompetent support group. Eventually I took my problem with Paypal, but the answer I got was as dismal. The verification part is made on GCash's end so they're the one's who can answer my question.
Then I found this thread on Reddit discussing the issue. OP found out that his first name in Paypal included his middle name so he requested to have it changed. I figured it must be the same case with me. I just need to validate if my first name really included my middle name.
But heck, there's nothing on my Paypal dashboard that says this is my first name. I have no welcome banner when I log in, and my profile simply states my full name, as in <first> <middle> <last>. I was wondering where I could see a clue of what my actual first name is.
Until one day, GCash responded to one of my many emails with yet another set of steps and guidelines. But this one's longer and more detailed. It included the prerequisite that your Paypal account must be PERSONAL type and not BUSINESS.
I felt pretty hopeful! So okay, I requested to downgrade my account. From business to personal. No biggie, my Merch by Amazon account got terminated anyway so there's no reason for me to run a business account.
When my request got approved, I logged into Paypal and noticed this change:
I don't know why I had to blur that lol
I have a welcome banner now!
Okay so apparently Paypal doesn't greet its business account holders looool.
And also, I got to validate that my first name is indeed wrong! I mean, welcome templates don't usually include your middle name right? It's usually just Welcome <firstname> or Hi <firstname>!
Great. So that's it. I had my name changed at Paypal, which was quite an ordeal too. I had to request thrice, each with a note that says not to include my middle name with my first name. All of them were executed wrongly. They'd say congrats we've changed your name but nothing has really changed! I'm still being greeted with my middle naaaame aaarggh. That's the time I contacted support through email, not by contact-us form, and thankfully they responded correctly.
Finally I was able to successfully link my Paypal account to GCash, and cash-in my money instantly.
The name change also did not affect my Paypal to Bank transactions, so I'm glad. No more waiting 3 days to withdraw my earnings!