Where is my refund?

We send all refunds back to your original payment method. The time it takes to receive your money varies by payment method. In some cases, refunds go to your balance account in case we are unable to credit your original payment method or when you choose balance as the destination.

Within the Activity log, you will find the Refund Tracker. The Refund Tracker is a three-step tracker for your complete checkout transaction refunds funded by banks or cards (full-amount refunds that are not split between payment methods). The tracker consists of three steps, and each step has a specific meaning.

First Step:

• Refund Initiated - PayPal has initiated the refund process.

Second Step:

• Refund Processing - PayPal is processing the refund back to your original card or bank payment method.
• Refund Sent - PayPal has completed the processing and has sent the refund ahead to your card issuer or bank. Note: that the refund has not yet been completed as your card issuer or bank may also take time to process the refund.

Third Step:

• Refund Pending: The refund is now pending with your card issuer or bank for further processing if you have paid originally using a debit or credit card or bank.
• Refund Completed: This is typically the last step of the refund journey. It means that you should have received the funds in your card or bank account. Note: If you have not received the refund yet, please reach out to your card issuer or bank to check the progress of the refund using the bank reference ID or by referring to the original transaction.

Refund Processing Timeframes
Credit card (including PayPal Credit)

When you pay with a credit card, a refund usually takes between 1 and 2 billing cycles, depending on the card issuer.

We’ll still send a refund to a canceled or prepaid card. Contact your card issuing company to access this money. For checkout transactions, you may use the bank reference ID shown under Activity for tracking refunds with your card issuer.

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. For checkout transactions, you may use the bank reference ID shown under Activity for tracking refunds with your bank.

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.

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 an eCheck issued 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 on the website:

1. Go to your Activity.
2. Click Filters and then select Refunds from the drop-down menu.
3. Select the desired date range to see your refund.
4. Click the refunded transaction to view the details.

Here's how to view the refund details on the app:

1. Tap Activity. 
2. 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.