In the digital age, platforms like PayPal have become indispensable for managing our daily finances, making simple online payments and transfers of money between friends and family. However, when it comes to less frequent operations, how to request a payment or start a refund procedure, you may be faced with procedures you have never faced before. This guide has been created to provide you with all the information you need to navigate safely in these cases, turning doubts into clarity and uncertainty into competence.
Open a PayPal Account: The Base of All
Before you can request or refund money, it is essential to have an active PayPal account. Contrary to what some may think, no complex or formal “request” procedure is required to open one. Opening a PayPal account is a direct process, completely free and accessible to all. Just visit the official platform website and follow the few guided steps for registration. Once completed, you will have access to all the features that the platform offers, from receiving to sending payments, to managing commercial transactions.
PayPal Prepaid Cards: A Closed Chapter for Privates
Many users may remember the PayPal rechargeable card, once very popular and available for both online and physical stores. It is important to know that this option is no longer available. Starting from May 9, 2019, in fact, PayPal stopped marketing its prepaid card for consumers. Those who owned one of these cards, purchased by 8 May 2019 and activated in the six months after the purchase, can continue to use it regularly until its expiry date. However, once expired, it will not be possible to request a new one or a renewal.
There is an exception for business users: if you are the owner of a PayPal Business account, you have the option to request the PayPal Business Debit Mastercard. This debit card, part of the Mastercard circuit, is specifically designed for business expenses, offering flexibility for both online purchases and physical stores, facilitating professional exit management directly from your PayPal Business balance.
Request a Payment on PayPal: Step After Step
Whether you have to get paid by a friend, family or customer, PayPal offers intuitive tools to send money requests. The procedure is simple and can be performed both through the website and through the mobile app, with slight differences between personal accounts and business.
By Website
For Personal Accounts:
- Login to your PayPal account from the official website.
- On the main screen, search and click on the button “Request”, usually located at the top right. Alternatively, you can select the item “Send and ask” from the top menu and then choose the option “Request”.
- Enter the email address, name, username or cell number of the person or persons you intend to request money in the designated field.
- Click on “Next”.
- On the next screen, specify the exact amount you want to receive. You also have the option to add a custom message in the field “Add a message”, useful to specify the causal of payment.
- Selecting the option “Do you want to add someone else? ”, you can extend the request up to a maximum of 20 people simultaneously. It is important to note that, in this case, the amount requested will be identical to all recipients, unless you use the option “Love the account”, which allows you to divide the total amount into equal or customized parts among participants.
- Finally, click on “Request money now” to send your request. All recipients will receive immediate notification, including via email, with instructions to proceed to payment.
For Business Accounts:
- After accessing your PayPal Business account, search and select the entry “Effective and receive payments”.
- From the drop-down menu that opens, choose the option “Request money”.
- The next steps are similar to those for personal accounts: you will need to enter the applicant’s data (email, name, username or phone number), specify the amount and add a message if desired.
- Complete the procedure confirming the sending of the request.
By Mobile App (Android and iOS)
The convenience of requesting payments is also at hand through the PayPal app, available for Android and iPhone devices.
For Personal Accounts:
- Open the PayPal app on your smartphone or tablet and sign in to your account.
- In the menu below, tap the voice “Payments”.
- On the new screen, select the option “Request”.
- Enter the name, email address, username or cell number of the person from whom you expect payment.
- Specify the amount and, if you wish, write a message in the field “Write a message”.
- Confirm your request by touching first “Next” and then “Request money”.
For Business Accounts:
If you use a PayPal Business account, you will need to download and access the app PayPal Business (available for both Android and iOS).
- Inside the app, tap the dollar icon ($), usually located at the bottom right.
- Choose the option “Request money” from the menu that appears.
- Continue by entering the information of the applicant, the amount and the possible message, then confirms the sending.
Get a PayPal Refund: Manage Contestations and Claims
When an online purchase does not go as expected, knowing how to request a refund through PayPal can make a difference. The procedure requires attention and can go through different stages, from direct contact with the seller to opening a formal complaint with PayPal.
The First Step: Contact the Seller
The quickest and most effective solution for a refund is almost always to contact the seller directly. Many problems can be solved with simple communication, avoiding longer procedures.
In addition, if the disputed payment occurred on a specific e-commerce platform (e.g. eBay), it is often advisable to start the return or cancellation procedure directly from that platform. This can speed up the refund process and ensure compliance with the platform policies itself.
Open a Contest via PayPal (website)
If direct contact with the seller does not lead to a solution or if the purchase platform does not offer adequate support, you can open a dispute on PayPal within 180 days from the date of payment. Here's how:
- Login to your PayPal account.
- On the main screen, locate the section “ Recent Activities” and click on the refund payment. Alternatively, you can select “Cronology” from the top menu and then click on the desired transaction.
- In this screen, near the voice “Dates of the seller”, you will find the contact details to try one last direct contact, if you have not already done so.
- If the problem persists, press on the item “Tell a problem”.
- On the new page, click on “Continue on PayPal”.
- Section “Problems with purchase”, select the option “I want a refund for all or some items contained in the order”.
- Place the check mark next to the item or items concerned and specify the details (Article Type, Category, Quantity) through the drop-down menus. In case of non-material services or articles, you will need to manually enter this information.
- Click on “Continue”.
- Indicates the problem encountered by choosing between the available options (e.g. “I have not received the article”, “The service does not satisfy me”, “I received the article late”, etc.).
- Click again “Continue”.
- In the screen “Make more details”, enter all required information and specify the exact amount of the desired refund.
- Finally, prizes “Continue” to open the PayPal dispute officially.
Context management and Reclamation conversion
Once the contest is opened, the seller will have the opportunity to provide an answer and, if necessary, to proceed with the refund. If a satisfactory solution is not reached at this stage, you have the possibility of convert dispute to a complaint within 20 days of the date of opening the practice. At that point, you will be the PayPal team to examine your case, acting as a broker and deciding the final outcome.
To track the status of your practice, you can access Resolution Centre from your PayPal account. You will find this option by clicking on the three dot icon (usually next to the button to request money) and selecting “Go to the Resolution Center”.
Mobile App Refund Procedure
Also from smartphones and tablets, the PayPal app allows you to manage refund requests.
- Open the app and access your account.
- Touch your voice “Wallet” in the menu below, then select the tab “Cronology”.
- Prize for payment of your interest.
- Selecting the option “Request a refund”, you can view the seller's contacts for a direct resolution attempt.
- If you have already contacted the seller without success, tap “Tell a problem” and follow the same indications provided for the computer procedure to open a dispute.
PayPal Business and Refund Accounts
For the owners of a PayPal Business account, the refund management procedure is very similar to that for personal accounts. To access open practices and monitor the status, you can select the entry “Cronology” from the top menu and then press on “Open policies”.
Final considerations
PayPal confirms itself as a versatile and powerful tool for managing online financial transactions, offering advanced features for both sending and receiving money, as well as a robust protection system for buyers through its refund procedures. Understanding how to use these features will allow you to make the most of the platform, ensuring secure transactions and managing any issues with greater serenity.
