Note: Please do not post Personally Identifiable Information like email address, personal phone number, physical home address, product key etc.
Issue abstract:
Detailed description: When I try to make PayPal payments from sites like ebay, I often get blank screens, or one occasion got embarassingly locked out of my PayPal account for a period due to what they deemed suspicious activity. Has anyone had this? Is there a workaround apart from not having VPN active?
There used to be a button in Norton 360 to switch it off, but that has been replaced by a Pause button, and at some point the VPN just switches itself back on.
Product & version number:
OS details:
What is the error message you are seeing?
If you have any supporting screenshots, please add them:
Hello @Ron_Birch
PayPal blocks Norton VPN connections to protect against fraud. PayPal is blocking you because it cannot verify your identity.
When you use a VPN, you route your connection through a shared datacenter server, masking your true location and identity. For financial platforms, this anonymous behavior mimics how hackers and scammers operate, triggering immediate automated security blocks.
Using a VPN while interacting with financial systems is heavily discouraged. Continually trying to force a PayPal payment while connected to Norton VPN can lead to automatic security actions:
Rejection of your e-commerce transaction
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) loops or password reset demands
Temporary 30-day account limitations to verify ownership
Permanent account bans for violating anti-fraud patterns
===
You can toggle the VPN off using the Norton 360 system tray (systray) icon next to your Windows clock. For many users, this is the preferred method because it completely avoids having to open the bulky Norton dashboard or dealing with the browser extension interface.
Install the Extension: Add the official Norton Secure VPN Extension to your browser via the Chrome Web Store, Edge Add-ons page, Firefox Add-on page.
How it helps: You can easily toggle the extension off with a single click right before you hit the “Pay with PayPal” button, then click it back on immediately after the payment clears.
Clicking “Pause” or “Disconnect” inside your browser toolbar physically changes your computer’s main network settings, drops your system-wide encryption, and briefly unmasks all background traffic to the internet while you complete your PayPal checkout.
Norton VPN browser extension Ad Blocker relies on a proprietary, closed-source filter engine derived from Norton’s corporate Threat Intelligence Network, combined with structural elements of standard ad-blocking lists. Norton hides its specific filter list components behind a simplified toggle.
===
fwiw ~ Maybe, an alternative solution: Set up an alternative browser as a dedicated “checkout lane” using Norton’s Split Tunneling. This protects your entire PC while keeping PayPal completely happy.
By excluding a secondary browser (like Microsoft Edge or Firefox) from Norton, that specific browser will always bypass the VPN using your clean home connection, while your main browser (like Chrome) and background apps remain fully encrypted.
I have tried some of the solutions, but with mixed success. Some websites only work if the VPN is disabled/paused, for some the connection success is random, and strangely for some sites, they only work if the VPN is active.
Unless anyone can suggest the better solution, I think I will have to switch the VPN on or off, depending on what I’m doing - which is not ideal.
Hello @Ron_Birch
Curious, do you have a Static IP?
Care to share why you’d want to use a VPN with PayPal?
Care to share site/s that only work with VPN active?
Maybe, you accessed or signed in to this site/s with a VPN connected – so, that’s the IP the site recognizes.
===
Why People Toggle VPNs
Streaming: Many users turn off VPNs to watch local streaming content, as platforms like Netflix often block VPN IP addresses.
Speed: Turning a VPN off can maximize internet speeds for heavy downloading, online gaming, or video calls.
Banking: Online banks frequently flag or lock accounts when logins come from unfamiliar VPN server locations.
Security: Users turn VPNs on specifically when using public Wi-Fi or downloading files to mask their identity and encrypt data.
An Alternative: Split Tunneling
If you find toggling your VPN tedious, check your VPN app settings for a feature called Split Tunneling. This feature allows you to choose which specific apps or websites route through the secure VPN tunnel and which ones use your regular, unprotected internet connection simultaneously.
