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Resolve verification failures, bounce issues, and DNS configuration errors. If you run into issues with your custom email domain, use this page to diagnose and resolve common problems.

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Domain not verifying

If your domain hasn’t verified after 72 hours, check the following:
  • Typos in records: Double-check the Name and Value fields from the DNS configuration screen in your dashboard. Use the copy buttons to avoid transcription errors.
  • Conflicting CNAME records: CNAME records must be the only record for a given hostname. Remove any conflicting A, AAAA, or TXT records at the same name.
  • Duplicate domain in record name: Some DNS providers automatically append your domain. If your domain is acme.com, enter only bounce in the Name field, not bounce.acme.com.
  • DNS propagation: Use dnschecker.org to confirm your records are published globally before selecting Verify Domain.
  • Cloudflare proxy: If using Cloudflare, ensure CNAME records are set to DNS Only. Proxied records will prevent verification.

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Emails reverting to service@paypal.com

PayPal sends your emails from service@paypal.com instead of your custom domain when a domain health check fails. Common causes:
  • DNS records were accidentally deleted or modified.
  • Domain registration expired at the registrar level.
  • Transient error and no action required.
In the PayPal dashboard, select Invoicing > Settings > Domain to see the current status and per-record diagnostics. Correct the issue and the system restores custom sending on the next health check cycle.

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Bounce handling

If a custom-domain email bounces, PayPal’s behavior depends on the cause:
CausePayPal behavior
SPF, DKIM, or DMARC failurePayPal automatically attempts to re-verify your domain and retry sending. If your domain is no longer valid, the email falls back to service@paypal.com. See High bounce rates for more information.
Invalid or nonexistent recipient addressPayPal sends a bounce notification to the merchant.
Recipient mailbox fullPayPal sends a bounce notification to the merchant.
For SPF, DKIM, or DMARC failures, your domain status moves to pending while PayPal attempts to re-verify. You’ll receive an email notification when this happens. No action is required until PayPal confirms the domain status.

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High bounce rates

A 5.7.x bounce code indicates a domain authentication failure. Check that your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly configured using dnschecker.org or select Verify Domain from Invoicing Settings. When PayPal detects an authentication failure:
  • PayPal attempts to re-verify your domain and retry sending.
  • If your domain is healthy, the email is resent from your custom domain.
  • If your domain is no longer valid, the email falls back to service@paypal.com.
Your domain status moves to pending during re-verification. You’ll receive an email notification and no action is required until PayPal confirms the domain status.

Set up your custom email domain

Configure your subdomain, add DNS records, and verify ownership with PayPal.

Manage your domain

Update your sender prefix, deactivate your domain, or switch to a different domain.