How can I use paypal for accepting micro-transactions from my gameserver?

[zemaitis]

I own a private gameserver of game (Lineage2). Everything is simple. I downloaded free open source GNU licence protected files and opened a project. Emulator in itself is opensource, so on one hand it's "perfectly legal" to own this kinda gameserver, on another hand others would say that this private server still violates copyrights and etc. Anyways.

My problem is that I keep getting banned by paypal for "acceptable use policy" violations. I am accepting just micro transactions from my players.

My last stealth account (registered on my friend's name) lasted only 74 days. We setted up a front (software dev company), he even registered a legit company. In 74 days I received $4,000 worth of micro-transactions, had maybe ~10 disputes (of which I won 9 because I always provide full proof that players get what they buy, it's digital items) and thats it.

One day suddenly paypal asks for more information, I submit information to them (that we are a software development company) and bam, they are initiating account closure.

Seriously I don't understand what I'm doing wrong here. I have competitors who process 10-20k usd monthly from their lineage2 gaming projects without any issues. Of course my competitors will not share the information of how they avoid paypal problems. Meanwhile I processed maximum 2k usd monthly, tried to keep low profile and I'm still getting banned for "acceptable use policy" violations.

I called paypal support, they just tell me that after their "back office" did a review on my account, they concluded that my product is not in compliance with their acceptable use policy. They don't tell me why. They don't give me any information. I pushed for appeal which was denied in 1-2 days. That's it.

I need some serious help here. How come other projects manage to process 10-20k usd a month from the very same game and I get limited after processing only 2k usd monthly? In the past 7-8 years I already changed ~8 paypal accounts. Each time I make it stealth: other person's name, new phone number, new IP address (I rent a windows VPS). I even setup a legit business. But somehow paypal finds a way to banhammer me. It just blows my mind.

[rsot]

Welcome to the forum OP - all the best as you master stealth

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Very difficult to say exactly why PP acts like for you - could be a bunch of factors: digital items are general frowned upon by pp...even if you won 9 out of 10 disputes, the issue of having 10 disputes puts your account in dangerous light (PP can be like that)...competitors could be actively reporting you too in bad faith...

[SaiJin]

Originally Posted by zemaitis

I own a private gameserver of game (Lineage2). Everything is simple. I downloaded free open source GNU licence protected files and opened a project. Emulator in itself is opensource, so on one hand it's "perfectly legal" to own this kinda gameserver, on another hand others would say that this private server still violates copyrights and etc. Anyways.

My problem is that I keep getting banned by paypal for "acceptable use policy" violations. I am accepting just micro transactions from my players.

My last stealth account (registered on my friend's name) lasted only 74 days. We setted up a front (software dev company), he even registered a legit company. In 74 days I received $4,000 worth of micro-transactions, had maybe ~10 disputes (of which I won 9 because I always provide full proof that players get what they buy, it's digital items) and thats it.

One day suddenly paypal asks for more information, I submit information to them (that we are a software development company) and bam, they are initiating account closure.

Seriously I don't understand what I'm doing wrong here. I have competitors who process 10-20k usd monthly from their lineage2 gaming projects without any issues. Of course my competitors will not share the information of how they avoid paypal problems. Meanwhile I processed maximum 2k usd monthly, tried to keep low profile and I'm still getting banned for "acceptable use policy" violations.

I called paypal support, they just tell me that after their "back office" did a review on my account, they concluded that my product is not in compliance with their acceptable use policy. They don't tell me why. They don't give me any information. I pushed for appeal which was denied in 1-2 days. That's it.

I need some serious help here. How come other projects manage to process 10-20k usd a month from the very same game and I get limited after processing only 2k usd monthly? In the past 7-8 years I already changed ~8 paypal accounts. Each time I make it stealth: other person's name, new phone number, new IP address (I rent a windows VPS). I even setup a legit business. But somehow paypal finds a way to banhammer me. It just blows my mind.

do you have to use paypal?

No other alternatives?

[agent006140]

AUP is serious business,they could keep your sales proceeds after 180 days.

[Hank]

Welcome to the new tougher paypal AUP.


Either fight with the stealth option as you have so far or find an alternative payment processor.


As for how others appear to be getting away with it then nobody here can give you a definitive answer as to why, it could be anything from an aged account with approval to sheer good fortune.

[zemaitis]

Would buying vcc and opening alt uk paypal accounts work? I heard that lt its possible to withdraw paypal balance from uk accounts to crypto. I could reg for example 10 alt paypal accounts by using residential uk proxies and vcc. Then accept maximum 300usd per one account?

[rsot]

Originally Posted by zemaitis

Would buying vcc and opening alt uk paypal accounts work? I heard that lt its possible to withdraw paypal balance from uk accounts to crypto. I could reg for example 10 alt paypal accounts by using residential uk proxies and vcc. Then accept maximum 300usd per one account?

Quite a bit of work there - it could work but never know how PP 100% reacts

[zemaitis]

Originally Posted by rsot

Quite a bit of work there - it could work but never know how PP 100% reacts

I did a little research and turns out that pp crypto doesnt allow withdrawals to 3rd party cryptos. Paypal has the "keys" so it's holding crypto for you. Meaning that all you can do is buy/sell crypto via paypal but you cant withdraw crypto to external wallet. You can only "sell" your crypto and then withdraw paypal balance to your bank/card.