We send all refunds back to your original payment method. The time it takes to receive your money varies by payment method.
Credit card (including PayPal Credit)
When you pay with a credit card, ittakes between 1 and 2 billing cycles for a refund to complete, depending on the card issuer.
We’ll still send a refund to a canceled or prepaid card. Contact your card company to access this money.
Debit card
When you pay with your debit card, it will generally take up to 5 business days for your refund to be completed, however, depending on your card company, some refunds may take up to 30 days. If we are unable to apply the refund to your debit card, we will add it to your PayPal balance.
Bank account
When you pay with your bank account, we’ll automatically transfer the refund to your bank account. Once issued, refunds usually take up to 5 business days to complete.
Some refunds may take up to thirty days, depending on the status of the payment at the time the refund was issued.
For example, if a payment was still 'Pending' at the time of refund, the longer timeframe is most likely, depending on the bank involved.
PayPal balance
When you pay with your balance, the refund will go to your PayPal Balance on the same day.
PayPal balance plus credit card
When you pay with your balance and credit card, the refund will go to your PayPal balance and credit card. Once issued, the refund will go to your balance on the same day. The refund to the card can take between 1-2 invoices, depending on the card issuer.
Some sellers can only send refunds with aneCheckissued by their bank. If you’re refunded by eCheck, it must clear the sender’s bank before you can receive it.
Once issued, an eCheck clearing process usually takes up to 5 business days to complete,but in some cases, it may take longer (Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays aren’t considered business days). The refund will appear in your balance with PayPal.
Here's how to view the status of a refund:
- Go to your Activity.
- Click Filters and then select Refunds from the drop-down menu.
- Select the desired date range to see your refund.
- Click the refunded transaction to view the details.
Here's how to view the refund details onthe app:
- TapWallet.
- TapActivity.
- Tap the refunded payment to view the details.
Common refund statuses
Pending
When your refund shows as "pending" it means the seller has issued the refund, but the money hasn’t cleared their bank. It usually takes up to 5 business days for a refund to complete. If your refund is still pending after 5 business days, contact the seller for details.
Temporary hold
When your refund shows as "on hold", the seller refunded before the original payment could clear your bank. It usually takes up to 5 business days for payments to clear your bank. When the original payment clears, the refund will complete.
Refunded or Partially Refunded
When your refund shows as "refunded or partially refunded", we’ve sent the money back to your original payment method.
Refunds involving a Currency Conversion
If your payment involved a currency conversion, your refund may differ from the original payment amount. This is due to fluctuations in currency conversion rates.
When a payment involves a currency conversion, we apply the conversion rate at that time. If a payment is refunded, we apply the rate at the time of the refund.
The conversion rate at the time of the refund may differ from the conversion rate on the original payment. For this reason, the refunded amount may not be the same as the original payment amount.
Completed
When your refund shows as "completed", the refund is complete, and we’ve returned the money to your original payment method.
Canceled
When your refund shows as "canceled", we’re unable to process the refund. Please contact the seller for more details.
