What Is the Age Requirement for PayPal? (All You Need to Know)

PayPal has become one of the most popular transaction services to use across the world, but not everyone can use its services, because they have an age limit.

If you’re interested in using PayPal for yourself or your child, you may be wondering what the youngest age is that you can create a PayPal account? I looked into PayPal’s age limits, and here is what I found!

What Is the Age Requirement for PayPal In 2024?

To open a PayPal account, you have to be 18 or the age of majority in your country or region in 2024. For example, in the U.S., Mississippi’s age of majority is 21. Therefore, if you’re under the age of majority, you will have to wait to open an account.

If you would like to learn about what happens if you have a PayPal account underage, what a PayPal Student account is, and more, then keep reading!

Can My Parents Make Me a PayPal Student Account? 

Unfortunately, PayPal Student accounts are no longer an option. PayPal Student accounts were available only in the U.S. as of 2009, and were discontinued in 2016.

Furthermore, PayPal discontinued student accounts, because anyone under 18 in the U.S. could not enter into a legal agreement.

Additionally, if the holder of a PayPal Student account was 18, when Student Accounts were shut down, they could open a regular PayPal account and transfer their funds.

However, if the holder was not 18, and there was any money in their PayPal Student account, the funds were transferred to the “associated Parents account,” where they could be retrieved.

What Happens If You Have a PayPal Account Under 18?

Unfortunately, PayPal does not allow anyone under 18, or the age of majority in their country or region, to own a PayPal account.

If you somehow manage to create a PayPal account while you’re under 18, and PayPal finds out, the company will immediately freeze your account.

Furthermore, PayPal may also ban you from using its services in the future.

However, you won’t go to jail for having a PayPal account under 18. Although it is against PayPal’s policy to have an account as a minor, it’s not illegal.

Additionally, if there are any funds in your account when PayPal freezes it, PayPal will also freeze your funds.

If you wish to get these funds back, you will have to contact PayPal directly and work with customer service to try and transfer your funds.

When PayPal shut down PayPal Student Accounts, the company transferred any remaining funds from the Student account into the “associated parent account.”

PayPal may also do this for your account, but because you went against its age policy, it may not.

What Is the Age Requirement for PayPal Internationally?

What Is the Age Requirement for PayPal Internationally?

PayPal has separate User Agreements for each country it operates in, which also includes separate age requirements.

Furthermore, each country and region around the world has a different age of majority, some are 18, some are over 18.

Outside of the U.S., the most popular countries asked about are:

  • Europe
  • Australia, and
  • Canada

In Europe, to own a PayPal account, “you must be at least 18 years old, and have full legal capacity.” Full legal capacity is a person’s ability to exercise their legal right.

Additionally, to own a PayPal account in Australia “you must be a resident of Australia and at least 18 years old.”

Furthermore, PayPal’s User Agreement for Canada says, “you must be a resident of Canada and at least 18 years old, or the age of majority in your province of residence.”

In Canada, the age of majority is 18 or 19, depending on which “province” you live in.

Additionally, the PayPal User Agreement for the U.S. states:

“You must be a resident of the United States or one of its territories, and at least 18 years old, or the age of majority in your state of residence.”

In the U.S., the age of majority is 18 in each state, except for Nebraska and Alabama, where it is 19, and Mississippi, where it’s 21.

Furthermore, if you’re wondering about the age limit for PayPal in your country or region, you can find this by doing the following:

  1. Go to PayPal Global (this is a list of everywhere PayPal operates)
  2. Click on the country or region you’re wondering about
  3. Next, scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Legal”
  4. Last, click “User Agreement for PayPal Services.” It May look a little different, depending on which country or region you click

To learn more, you can also read our posts on why is my PayPal money on hold, PayPal executive escalations, and how does PayPal make money.

Conclusion

You can no longer own a PayPal account under 18, or the age of majority, because PayPal has shut down PayPal Student Accounts. Furthermore, make sure you check your country and region’s age of majority before trying to sign up for PayPal, because it may be over 18.

If you’re under the age of majority and manage to sign up, PayPal will freeze your account when the company finds out, and you may not get your funds.

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Marques Thomas

Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Since then, Marques has worked in the retail and consumer service industry as a manager, advisor, and marketer. Marques is also the head writer and founder of QuerySprout.com.

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