Payment declined (IP address problems)

If you receive an error similar to this:

The payment gateway declined the transaction because it originated from an IP address known for fraudulent transactions

...then it's likely you're using either a Virtual Private Network (VPN) which has mapped an IP address to you that has been used by other people for fraud through an online payment service such as PayPal, or your IP address was previously assigned once to someone else's device where it ended up being blacklisted.

Another cause can be that the IP address your device is using simply cannot be identified by your chosen payment service. This can also be a fraud trigger.

Unfortunately, this error is triggered by your payment service such as PayPal, sothere's nothing we can do to bypass it. However, there are some things you can try - see below!

What is an IP address?

An IP (Internet Protocl) address is a unique number assigned to every device on every network globally (a bit like a unique contact number). Publicly, an IP address can be traced right back to your Internet Service Provider (ISP), and from there, your ISP can trace that IP address right back to you. There are two standards that are common: the older IPv4 which is typically 4 sets of up to 3-digit values such as 178.03.92.01, and the newer IPv6 which is a single, long list of characters such as fe80::5121:4019:983a:5d45%21.

IP addresses can be static or dynamic. A static IP is a single IP address that never changes. Your device retains this IP address forever, or until you change ISP. More devices use dynamic IP addresses these days, where your device is assigned a pooled IP address when it's detected on the network. This address will change several times over a period of time and, while they're usually not a problem, if a dynamic IP address is used in fraud, and then your device is later assigned this same address, you might find some services blocking you!

What is a VPN?

VPN (Virtual Private Network) is basically a mask. It hides your real IP address and assigns a public, anonymous IP address to your network communications. They're typically used to either hide a device from its related internet activity, or it's used to mask with another country's IP address to circumvent a licensing restriction such as watching another country's TV channel. Some people use a VPN simply because they don't trust networks and feel safer hiding their activity.

VPN use can, these days, be detected quite easily, and some payment services are starting to block them in case suspicious activity is taking place, or because a particular publicly-shared IP address has been involved in fraud of some kind, or could take place.

To find out whether your IP address is static or dynamic in Windows:

1. Open a CMD (command) prompt (you can do this by typing "CMD" into the search box of your Start Menu)

2. In this window, type the following after the prompt ">" character:

   ipconfig /all (and then press ENTER)

   

3. Look for the line DHCP Enabled in the text that's displayed. If YES, you have a dynamic IP address. If NO, your IP address is static and private only to you, and therefore not likely the cause of your payment problem...

Possible solutions:

1. Check that you're not using any VPN software like Nord, CyberGhost and others (note that some browsers such as Opera and Brave have built-in VPN - check that isn't enabled, also some antivirus apps have VPN)
2. If you have a dynamic IP address (see guide above), contact your Internet Service Provider. You can usually switch to your own permanent (static) IP address instead, removing the chance of being allocated someone else's blacklisted IP address
3. Try a different payment method
4. Try a different device at a different location if all else fails, as this will force a different IP address.