Are PayPal Refunds Instant?

Tristan Collins
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There are a number of reasons why you may need to request for a refund on PayPal. It may be that you changed your mind on a purchase or made a mistake sending money to someone. And a frfequently asked question about PayPal refunds is about if the refund will be instant or not. Continue reading this article to find out. 

PayPal refunds are not instant because it depends on the human element and the PayPal system. The seller/recipient has to first approve the refund after which some additional time will be needed for your refund to be processed.

The length of time a refund it will take to process a refund will also depend on the payment method used to make the original payment. You’ll always have the option to request for a refund after making a purchase on platforms like eBat through PayPal. And you have 180 days before the option to request for a refund will no longer be available. 

How do I request a refund?

As I mentioned earlier, the option to request for a refund is available for up to 180 days after making a purchase through PayPal. However, if the transaction isn’t yet completed and is still pending, you can simply cancel the transaction. 

Here’s how to find the seller’s contact information to request a refund:

  • On the Summary page select the transaction you want to cancel.
  • Use the contact information to send the seller an email.
  • If your seller doesn’t agree to refund your money, you may be able to open a dispute in the Resolution Center if you didn’t receive your item, you received something that doesn’t match the seller’s description, or your payment was not authorized.

Are PayPal refunds instant?

PayPal refunds aren’t instant because two factors affect the time it will take for your money to be returned to you. The first factor is the human factor and how quickly the seller/recipient of your payment approves the refund. The second is the PayPal system which depends on the payment method used to make the original payment and how fast PayPal processes your refund after approval. Because of these reasons, PayPal refunds are not instant. 

PayPal also gives you the option to open a dispute if you are unable to reach the seller although ths will be on the condition that the item you received was different or damaged. 

How and when your money is refunded depends on how you made the original payment

PayPal by default makes refunds to the payment method used for th original payment. Also, your money will be returned to you in the same currency it was sent. If for any reason PayPal can’t refund you in your original/primary currency, the the refund will be in US dollars (USD).

So if you paid with your credit card (which also includes PayPal Credit), your refund will go straight to your credit card. Note that the refund money wll not appear on your card statement instantly and may take up to 30 days before t shows in your statement. You’ll also need to get in touch with your card issuer to aces your refund if you are using a prepaid card. 

If you paid for the original payment from your bank account, the refund money will first be paid into your PayPal balance after which it will now be auto swept back to the original funding source (bank). Note that it may take about 5 business days before the refund reflects in your bank account. If you choose to ask for a refund after you paid, PayPal will first try to cancel the transaction to ensure that you are not charged. However, if the transaction still goes through, PayPal will process the refund and return your money. 

If you made the original payment from your PayPal Cash or PayPal Cash Plus balance, then  your refund will paid to your PayPal Cash or PayPal Cash Plus balance on the same day the refund was processed. Also, if you used PayPal Cash or PayPal Cash Plus balance + credit card to make the original payment, then PayPal will send your refund to your PayPal Cash or PayPal Cash Plus balance and credit card. While the refund to the balance will happen the same day it’s processed; it’ll take longer for the refund to be sent to your card – up to 30 days. 

Refunds to debit cards may take up to 30 days before the refund money appears on your card statement. If PayPal is unable to send the refund to your debitncard, it’ll be sent to your PayPal account. And if you don’t have a PayPal Cash or PayPal Cash Plus account and you receive a refund for a payment sent with a bank account, you’ll have two options. The first is to set up a PayPal Cash or PayPal Cash Plus account so the money can be kept in the balance while the second option is to withdraw the money to the bank account.

Where can I find the refund status in my PayPal account?

You can always view your refund status from your PayPal app by navigating to ‘Your Activity’ option and clicking on it.

From your computer, here’s how:

  • Click Activity at the top of the page.
  • Select your date range located to the left of the search bar.
  • Click Filters and select Refunds.
  • Click the refunded transaction to view the details.
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