PayPal · Decline codes
What does the PayPal PAYER_ACCOUNT_LOCKED_OR_CLOSED error mean?
Checked
PayPal's PAYER_ACCOUNT_LOCKED_OR_CLOSED error means the buyer's PayPal account cannot be used for this transaction because it is locked or closed. Retrying will never work with that account. The buyer must pay with another method or a different PayPal account, and a subscription billed to that account needs a new payment method.
- PayPal description
- The payer account cannot be used for this transaction.
- Type
- Hard decline
- Who declined
- PayPal (the buyer's account)
- Retry
- No
- Shopper action
- Use another payment method or PayPal account
- Merchant action
- Ask the customer for a new payment method
- PlatformDTC renewal (Smart retry)
- Never retried; subscription cancelled at once
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC treats PAYER_ACCOUNT_LOCKED_OR_CLOSED as always terminal: whatever the store's retry setting, a renewal declined with it is never retried and the subscription is cancelled at once, recorded as an involuntary payment failure. The customer is emailed that the subscription has ended, with a signed one-click link to manage or restart it.
Why it happens
The buyer's PayPal account has been locked or closed, by PayPal or by the buyer.
What the shopper can do
Pay with a card or another PayPal account; contact PayPal about the locked account.
What the store can do
Don't retry. Ask the customer to subscribe again with a working payment method.
For developers
details[0].issue in the Orders v2 error body.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a locked PayPal account be charged later?
- Not while it's locked or closed. PlatformDTC doesn't wait: it ends the subscription immediately.
- Is this the same as AGREEMENT_ALREADY_CANCELLED?
- No. That one means the buyer cancelled the billing agreement; this one means their PayPal account itself can't be used.
Sources
- Orders v2 API errors — PayPal
Related
- AGREEMENT_ALREADY_CANCELLED — Agreement already cancelled: the buyer's PayPal billing agreement has been cancelled.
- COMPLIANCE_VIOLATION — Compliance violation: PayPal declined the payment on compliance grounds.
- PAYER_CANNOT_PAY — Payer cannot pay: this buyer's and this seller's PayPal settings don't allow the payment.
- MAX_NUMBER_OF_PAYMENT_ATTEMPTS_EXCEEDED — Max payment attempts exceeded: too many attempts on this order.
- CARD_EXPIRED — Card expired: the card used through PayPal has expired.
- CARD_TYPE_NOT_SUPPORTED — Card type not supported: this kind of card can't be processed; use another.
- REDIRECT_PAYER_FOR_ALTERNATE_FUNDING — Redirect for alternate funding: send the buyer back to pick another funding source.