I'm making this post to try and save people time. If you find yourself trying to confirm your identity on a desktop and it's not working because of a blank page, be advised that you cannot confirm your identity on a desktop computer!

Yes, their support site does say,

Instead of scanning, use a computer to log into Paypal and provide the required information.

But this is not the case. I wish I could point to a piece of documentation that says something to the contrary, but I haven't been able to get anything aside from this discussion with a support agent.

So if you're stuck, don't worry, it's not you!

The full backstory, if anyone is interested.

tl;dr: I uploaded a government ID and went to go through the "Confirm Identity" flow on the website. The page loads but has no content on it and just... sits there?

I figured this was an issue with an ad blocker, so I turned them all off and tried again to the same result. Odd. I tried a different browser. Still nothing. This is getting bizarre and annoying. I figured it was some kind of system outage, so I tried again a week later with the same results. Finally, I decide to chat with a service agent. This is the exchange, formatted for readability and with some of my personal info redacted.

Agent: Would you like to chat with a Customer Service agent? Estimated wait time is up to 10 minutes.

Me: Sure.

Agent: Please take this time to add any additional information.

Me: I'm trying to upload a photo ID. I did that once already to confirm an address update. The page for confirm identity says everything is in order, but I still see restrictions listed on my account.

Agent: An agent has joined the conversation and is reviewing your details. Thank you for your patience—they’ll be with you shortly.

Agent: An agent has joined the conversation and is reviewing your details. Thank you for your patience—they’ll be with you shortly.

G: Thank you for contacting PayPal's Risk Department. This is [G], I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing issues with your account. Let's take a closer look and resolve this for you. Could you please provide me with your first and last name?

Me: Hi G.

[PayPal disconnects at this point. I need to sign in again and go through 2FA.]

Me: My full name is [Redacted]. Apologies for the delay. I think my internet connection might be failing.

G: No worries, there is not rush. Me: Thank you for the patience. :) And my apologies if I've sent several copies of the same message. I keep seeing "message not delivered".

G: I am getting your messages, so no worries. After carefully reviewing your account , I've noticed an issue with your account that has led to its temporary restriction. You'll need to complete a biometric check by uploading an ID and a selfie. Please visit PayPal.com, go to your Resolution Center, or click the bell icon at the top of your dashboard. Let me know once you've uploaded your information.

Me: The 'verify now' button?

[I upload a screenshot of the empty page.]

Me: When I press the verify button I get redirected to an empty page. I've disabled all of my adblockers and tried two different browsers.

G: Are you using the mobile app or the web site?

Me: The web site.

G: are you using a mobile device or a desktop computer?

Me: Desktop computer.

G: That is the problem, you need to us a mobile device, such as a smart phone or a tablet.

Me: Ah. The articles suggest it's possible to verify with a desktop device? "Yes. Instead of scanning, use a computer to log into Paypal and provide the required information." This article may need to be updated if a phone is required: https://www.paypal.com/us/cshelp/article/how-do-i-confirm-my-identity-cip-help606

G: Thank you for that piece of information, we will update it.

Me: There appears to be a lot of information online suggesting that it's possible to confirm one's identity via the desktop application. Is there an official Paypal statement somewhere that I can cite/reference which says a mobile or tablet device must be used?

G: No worries, there's no specific requirement for where you complete this, but we recommend using a mobile device for the best experience. We appreciate your cooperation and will update our records as soon as possible.

Me: My apologies. To clarify, is it possible to complete the requirements without a tablet or smartphone? If it is, can I ask how?

G: No it is not possible, as you need to run a biometric verification, quick question, have you ever created an account before, or is this the only account you have?

[Redacting some info on account age + email.]

G: Great, that is the associated with this account, so let keep working on it. Please use a mobile device to complete this verification, please let me know upon uploading your information.

Me: I can upload any required documentation with my computer. My smartphone is currently not available. I have a dumb phone as a substitute and can send SMS messages and receive them. If there's an official PayPal policy which says, "We do not allow verification or confirmation without smart devices," that's good enough for me, but I need to be able to prove that I could not confirm my identity without a smart device.

G: Unfortunately, you won't be able to use your account until you complete this verification. Despite any technical issues, it must be uploaded on your end using a mobile device. I understand the information might not be fully clear on the website, so I'm trying to be straightforward with you. In this situation, you might consider borrowing a device just to complete your verification. Once that's done, you'll be able to use any device to log into your account.

Me: I guess, to say where I'm coming from, if someone comes up to me and asks, "Why haven't you sent money?" I want to be able to say, "I'm trying to get my account unblocked." And they will ask, "Why didn't you verify?" And I'll say, "I can't do that on my desktop." They will say, "Yes you can. It says right there on the page." So I'd really like to be able to point to something, anything that PayPal has which says a mobile device is required. I can't use this chat as a source because it's not public.

G: I completely understand how frustrating this must be for you. As someone who uses services like this, I can relate to your point of view. Unfortunately, since this is a crucial verification step, we don't have the ability to override it or find alternative methods. You'll need to complete the verification using a mobile device. I know this might be inconvenient, and I apologize for any trouble it causes. Until this step is completed, your account will remain limited, but I'm here to help you through the process as much as I can.

Me: No worries. I know you're doing the best you can with what you've got. I'm also hoping that my misfortunes here can help folks who only have access to desktops (like people in libraries). It sounds like it's not really explicit or publicly known that a smartphone is required. I'm guessing telling people to use a mobile device is part of training? Or is it in an internal wiki? If you can't tell me, I understand. We may have reached the limits of what we can each achieve, and I do thank you for trying.

G: I understand this can be a bit inconvenient, and I'm here to help as much as possible. While many steps can be completed on a desktop, the biometric process requires a mobile device because we need the camera's ability to capture your ID and create a facial map. Additionally, as a tip, it's best to avoid using public Wi-Fi or unsecure networks when accessing any of your financial information, not just PayPal, to keep your data safe. If you need any assistance with this process, feel free to let me know.

Me: That's good advice. Thanks for your help, G. Have a good rest of your day. I'll try and figure out what to do.

The moral of the story is: it's not you! PayPal, either through indifference or willing subversion does not have a functional desktop identity verification system.