From Frozen Funds to Full Control: How I Rebuilt My Business After Leaving PayPal for BlockATM

Every morning when I log in to check new orders, I’m reminded of one particularly frustrating morning from three years ago.

Back then, I was 32, running my independent site selling smart pet feeders—a business I’d built from scratch over six years. But that morning, everything came to a grinding halt with a single PayPal notification:

“Account Temporarily Frozen.”

A fresh shipment of feeders had just landed in my warehouse. I was getting ready to pay suppliers for a week’s worth of orders from Europe and the U.S.

But without access to my funds, I was completely stuck.

Why I Chose PayPal — and Why I Regretted It

When I launched my store in 2017, PayPal felt like the obvious choice. It was widely accepted, especially by international customers, and for a business doing just ten orders a month, it seemed manageable.

I’ll never forget my first sale to a customer in New York—he bought a feeder with a built-in camera, and the payment showed up almost instantly. I was thrilled.

But by 2020, things started to unravel.

The pet ownership boom during the pandemic brought a surge in orders—and a surge in problems:

• A UK customer claimed their item never arrived, even though tracking showed it was delivered. PayPal refunded them anyway.
• I had zero recourse.
• Exchange rates and conversion fees began eating into my margins.
• Disputes, delays, and holds became a regular headache.

Black Friday 2021: The Final Straw

That Black Friday, my site blew up with sales.

It should’ve been a turning point—but it turned into a disaster.

• High processing fees ate into profits
• “Transaction anomalies” flagged by PayPal froze incoming funds
• One major payment was locked up for six weeks

Because of that delay, I missed a chance to restock a top-selling feeder, and it cost me weeks of momentum.

That was when I knew: I needed a better solution.

Discovering BlockATM: A Customer-Led Turning Point

In early 2022, a loyal customer from Los Angeles reached out with a surprising suggestion:

“You should try BlockATM. I always pay with USDT.”

At first, I hesitated. Crypto? Was that even reliable for business?

But he walked me through it, sent me a BlockATM payment link, and I gave it a try.

• I connected my wallet
• Linked the contract
• He paid using USDC
• The funds hit my wallet in minutes

No delays. No middlemen. No stress.

Two Years Later: I’ll Never Go Back

Since switching to BlockATM, it’s been night and day.

Here’s what changed:

✅ Predictable, low fees — I know exactly what I’m paying every time

✅ Instant settlements, even on weekends

✅ No more frozen accounts — my assets stay under my control

✅ Better customer experience — I even send new buyers a simple BlockATM how-to

Just last week, a new customer from Germany emailed me after placing his first order:

“It’s much faster than how I usually pay for canned cat food.”

That says it all.

Final Thoughts: The Power of Taking Back Control

I didn’t start this business just to move pet feeders. I wanted to build something reliable and future-proof.

But sticking with outdated, centralized systems nearly broke me.

So if you’re an e-commerce founder, here’s what I’d ask you to consider:

• Are your payments truly under your control?
• Are you losing money to hidden fees and currency exchange losses?
• Are your customers frustrated by slow or clunky checkouts?

For me, BlockATM checked every box. It gave me the speed, cost-efficiency, and freedom that legacy platforms never could.

Three years later, I’m still running strong—and I’ve never looked back.