Misleading Advertising and Pathetic Support – Avoid FNB for PayPal

I signed up for an FNB account on 24 May 2025 because they advertise linking PayPal as “easy” and “just 3 steps.” What a joke.

Despite uploading my ID, tax number, and other required documents, I’ve been stuck for days trying to verify my FICA with zero progress. I contacted support on the 25th and got stuck in a loop of useless AI bots that kept saying my “browser is not verified” and then closed the chat. This happened three times in a row.

On the 26th, I finally got a real person who told me I needed the app to verify my browser—but I couldn’t log into the app. After a long wait, they said I need to visit a physical branch to register for inContact. I specifically chose the online option to avoid that. When I asked if I even needed the app for PayPal, they said no—but still offered no solution to the FICA issue.

They told me to contact two departments. One number (fica department) didn’t work so i tried to find another on the website and i did which also did not work so i tried the other (PayPal dept) kept me waiting 30 minutes before telling me to email instead. I emailed them at 11:45 AM on 26 May and still haven’t received a response.

This has been the most pathetic customer service experience I’ve had in years. FNB’s system is broken, support is disjointed, and the advertising is flat-out misleading. If you’re thinking of using FNB just for PayPal—don’t.