Home → eCommerce →

How to Get a Refund on PayPal (2022 Guide)

Written by, Alex Bosnjak

Updated June, 5, 2022

According to Nosto, 80.2 % of buyers return their online purchases due to damaged or broken items. If you’re wondering how to get a refund on PayPal from your seller for something you ordered recently, there are a few options for getting your money back, but it requires some patience.

In this article, I provided useful information on PayPal refunds, partial refunds, disputes and how long the refund process takes. 

Let’s get right into it!

How Do Refunds Work?

A PayPal refund is only applicable when buying goods and services.

You can request a full or partial refund — Once you ask for a full refund, you get back the amount you had spent minus thirty cents for processing. And when you issue a partial refund, only a portion of the fee is given back to you.

The refund is credited to you in the following ways:

  • When you pay with a credit card, the money is reversed back to your credit card.
  • When you pay with your PayPal account balance, it comes back into your account.
  • If you pay through your PayPal account and your credit card, the money will go into both.

If you have made the payment through your debit card, either it’ll go back to your card or be applied to your PayPal balance.

How to Get a Refund on PayPal in 2022?

We’ve all been through this difficult situation of getting something damaged or not as shown on the seller’s website. However, PayPal helps you get your money back.

All you have to do is:

  1. Go to PayPal Resource Center to report a problem. 

Log into your PayPal account and report the issue to the Business Resource Center.

  1. Within 180 days, you need to contact the seller via PayPal.

The customer can get in touch with the buyer through PayPal’s Resolution Center site to file a dispute, and both parties can work together to resolve the issue.

  1. If the problem isn’t resolved or you can’t reach the seller, make a claim to PayPal.

If the buyer can conclude or contact the seller, they can escalate the dispute to a claim to request a refund.

  1. PayPal will assess the claim. If everything is legit, you’ll get a refund.

When both sides have been evaluated and PayPal finds the seller at fault, they will give the buyer their money back.

Can PayPal Issue a Partial Refund?

Yes, for most transactions, PayPal does issue a partial refund. However, they won’t be allowed a partial refund in transactions where the buyer has used a gift certificate or coupon.

How Long Does PayPal Refund Take?

PayPal can take thirty days if you’ve made payments through your debit or credit card. After that, the money will be reversed from where it was transacted.

Purchase Protection Program

PayPal knows how important it is to secure information when buying and selling online. PayPal helps keep all your dealings secure, prevents fraud, minimises claims, and ensures smooth debit and credit card transactions.

PayPal Purchase for buyers and sellers includes the following:

Protection Program 

  • Buyers — You’re protected if you have been charged for something you didn’t buy or receive and when your order is different from what the website described.
  • Sellers — Before shipping your customer’s order, ensure if your transaction is eligible for seller protection, note the date of shipping, and put in all the additional information such as an address, country, and the state. So, if your transaction was eligible or partially eligible, you’ll be safe when the customer files a claim.

Security for Buyers

If a customer reports an unauthorised transaction problem within 60 days, PayPal will investigate and ensure you’re reimbursed the full price.

 Protection of Your Information

  • Buyers — PayPal protects its customer’s information by not disclosing it to the sellers.
  • Sellers — PayPal only requires a login and password, so it’s an extra layer of protection.

 24/7 Monitoring

PayPal overseers transactions 24/7, so buyers and sellers don’t have to worry about anything.

Secure Technology

PayPal’s encryption shields online transactions between buyers and sellers.   

Fraud Prevention

PayPal urges you to contact them when you (customers/sellers) or your employees see any suspicious activity. Note that PayPal will never ask you for any confidential data via email.

Dispute Resolution

If PayPal notices an issue with a transaction, they immediately put a hold on the funds until it resolves.

Purchase Protection Around the Globe

It’s easier for both sellers and buyers to carry out transactions worldwide. PayPal processes and converts 25 currencies from 202 countries to make it simpler for all.

PayPal Refund Policy for Buyers in Australia

Let’s go over policies for buyers:

Ineligible Items and Transactions

There is a list of items and transactions that aren’t eligible for PayPal’s buyers:

  • Buying or investing in businesses
  • Residential property or real estate
  • Industrial machinery used in manufacturing
  • Gaming such as gambling or activities with free prizes
  • Financial investments or products of any kind

QR Code Transaction

If a buyer purchases an item (goods or services) using a QR code, they may be eligible for PayPal’s Buyers Protection Program, which means they can get a refund when PayPal finds the seller at fault.

Item Not Received Claims

  • The buyer won’t qualify for a refund as per PayPal’s Buyer Protection Program when you don’t use the PayPal QR code for the transactions of goods and services.
  • The seller provides proof of delivery and shipment.

Significantly Not as Described Claims

Your item will be considered significantly not as described in the following scenarios:

  • The buyer receives a different item altogether
  • The article isn’t as shown in the picture
  • The item has been used before
  • The product has missing parts
  • The item is visibly damaged
  • The item wasn’t received

How to Open a Dispute

Suppose a buyer cannot fix the issue with the seller. In that case, they can follow PayPal’s online dispute resolution process via the Resolution Center to pursue a claim under the Buyer Protection Program.

  1. Open a dispute

You can open a dispute if the following occurs:

  • Item not received 
  • The product is not as described
  • Billing issue

PayPal will look into the matter themselves and get you back the money you deserve.

  1. Escalate the dispute to a claim 

It will occur within twenty days once the dispute is filled and you aren’t getting through to the seller. After that, PayPal will request you to wait for a week before escalating your conflict.  

  1. Answer to PayPal’s requests for documentation

The buyer will have to provide police reports, documentation, and receipts.

  1. Agree with PayPal’s shipping requests

This should be done promptly. PayPal might request you to ship back the item to the seller so that there is proof of your claim (this will be at your own cost).

Conclusion

PayPal refunds work simply, and through the Purchase Protection Program, the seller and buyer have rights. You can easily get a refund when proven the other party is at fault. The eligibility criteria and QR code transactions are all easy to follow. Hopefully, after reading this article, you’ll know how to get a refund on PayPal and do it properly.  

FAQ

Does PayPal refund money if scammed?

Yes, PayPal will refund you your money back if you don’t receive your item or your item isn’t as shown on your seller’s website.