Why PayPal May Not Be Available for Some Products
We want to ensure you have a smooth checkout experience at Lingualism, so we're providing this important information about payment options for certain products in our catalog.
The Situation
Due to PayPal's compliance with international sanctions and payment processing regulations, their automated system flags and blocks transactions containing specific country names—even when those names appear in educational product titles with no connection to restricted activities.
Specifically, PayPal's system blocks transactions when the words "Egypt" or "Syrian" appear anywhere in the product title or description. Interestingly, the word "Egyptian" does not trigger this restriction—only the exact word "Egypt."
This means some of our Arabic language learning products cannot be processed through PayPal, despite being completely legitimate educational materials.
Which Products Are Affected?
This restriction applies to products containing these specific terms:
- Products with "Egypt" in the title (e.g., "This is Egypt" series)
- Products with "Syrian" in the title (e.g., "Syrian Arabic" materials)
Note: Products labeled "Egyptian Arabic" (with the word "Egyptian" rather than "Egypt") are not affected and can be purchased normally with PayPal.
You'll see a yellow notice box on affected product pages alerting you to this restriction before you add items to your cart.
Your Payment Options
Option 1: Use a Credit or Debit Card
The simplest solution is to pay directly with a credit or debit card at checkout. We accept all major cards through Shopify Payments, and your transaction will process normally.
Option 2: The Gift Card Workaround
If you prefer to use PayPal, here's a simple workaround:
- Purchase a Lingualism gift card using PayPal (gift cards are not affected by this restriction)
- Once you receive your gift card code, add your desired products to your cart—including the affected items
- At checkout, apply your gift card code as payment
- Complete your order successfully
You can purchase gift cards here.
We're Here to Help
We understand this situation may be frustrating, and we apologize for any inconvenience. This is a limitation of PayPal's automated filtering system of certain keywords, not a reflection of the legitimacy of our educational materials.
If you have any questions about payment options or need assistance completing your order, please don't hesitate to contact us. We're happy to help ensure you can access the language learning materials you need.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support of Lingualism!