PayPal down for thousands of customers as outage causes log in and payment issues

PayPal is down (Image: Getty)

UPDATE: As of 1:15pm on Thursday, the issue with PayPal reported below appears to be resolved.

ORIGINAL STORY: Popular payment app PayPal is down and not working for thousands of customers in what appears to be a global outage. It is leaving users of the app, which is used to send and receive money digitally and pay for goods online, unable to log in.

PayPal posted an update on a status page confirming what it described as a "system issue".

"Our technical teams are actively working towards resolving the issue," PayPal said earlier today. According to the outage website Down Detector, thousands of people have reported issues with PayPal today.

The issue began at 10:53am UK time.

Many users too to social media wondering if their account had been hacked before it was confirmed to be an issue with PayPal's systems.

"[T]hought my PayPal got hacked or something but turns out it's down for everyone", said one PayPal users on X.

Rip Off Britain: Paypal froze user's access to her account

"@PayPal having issues logging in and thus can’t send messsge. Is system down or have I been hacked ??", asked another.

PayPal is a free service used worldwide. Users can send and receive money by adding money to a PayPal wallet or by linking their bank account details. It is used by platforms such as eBay to assure buyers and sellers of secure, legitimate payments.

Many online retailers also offer PayPal as a way to buy goods and services.