PAYPAL * at the start of a line means the money went through PayPal. The text after the asterisk is normally the seller name, sometimes shortened, often followed by a phone number or a state. A version starting with PP* is also used.
Because PayPal sits between you and the seller, your PayPal account activity usually shows the full seller name and order details for the same date and amount.
Example lines with made-up merchants, and what the Merchant Cleanup API returns for them today:
| Raw line | Cleaned merchant | Processor | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
PAYPAL *PINE HILL BOOKSTORE 4029357733 CA | Pine Hill | PayPal | other |
PP*MAPLE STREET COFFEE | Maple Street Coffee | PayPal | meals |
PAYPAL *JOES DINER 4029357733 TX | Joes Diner | PayPal | other |
Results are automated suggestions and can be wrong; check anything that matters.
Many descriptors include a customer service number in place of a city. It is part of the descriptor, not the merchant name.
Both point to PayPal as the processor. The format depends on how the payment was set up and how your bank shows it.
Match the date and amount in your PayPal activity. For bulk cleanup, the API strips the prefix and phone number and suggests a merchant name.
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Have a PDF bank statement instead of a CSV? RowSmith converts bank statements to CSV or Excel in your browser, then you can clean the descriptions here.
More guides: What does SQ * mean on a bank statement? - What does TST* mean on a bank statement? - What does SP * mean on a bank statement? - What does POS DEBIT or POS PURCHASE mean on a bank statement? - What do ACH and CHECKCARD mean on a bank statement? - How to clean bank transaction descriptions