How to Verify if a PayPal Buyer Has a Confirmed Address

Confirm your buyer's address before sending the package.

While PayPal's service of being able to send and receive money online is convenient, you have to protect yourself against those that practice credit card fraud and/or identify theft. One way to do this is to verify that your customer has a "confirmed" address, which is a method that PayPal uses for a customer to prove that he is representing himself honestly.

Instructions

1. Check your email for the "Notification of payment received" message that PayPal sends you when a customer buys from you.

2. Locate the "Shipping address" section in the email and see if there is a "confirmed" notation under the address, which verifies the information listed.

3. Log in to your PayPal account and click the "My Account" tab to see the transaction in the "My recent activity" section. You should always verify the transaction in your account rather than just relying on the email notice.

4. Click the "Details" link listed in the relevant "Payment From" line.

5. Locate the "Ship to this address" section on the resulting page and see if there is a "Confirmed" label underneath the address. A "confirmed" entry proves that the buyer has a confirmed address.

Tips & Warnings

• You can block payments from U.S. buyers who do not have a confirmed address. Click the "Profile" link under the "My Account" tab and then click the "Payment Receiving Preferences" link. Finish by clicking the "Yes" radio button under the "Block payments from U.S. users who do not provide a Confirmed Address" heading.

References

• PayPal: What is a Confirmed Address?
• PayPal: Shipping to a Buyer's Confirmed Address

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• PayPal: Help Center