Purchase Protection Program

When you buy something from a seller who accepts PayPal, you may be eligible for a refund under PayPal’s Purchase Protection program. When applicable, PayPal’s Purchase Protection program entitles you to reimbursement for the full purchase price of the item plus the original shipping costs you paid, if any. PayPal determines, in its sole discretion, whether your claim qualifies for the Purchase Protection program. PayPal’s original determination is considered final, but you may be able to file an appeal of the decision with PayPal if you have new or compelling information not available at the time of the original determination or you believe there was an error in the decision-making process.

IMPORTANT: You may be required to return the item to the seller or other party we specify as part of the settlement of your claim. PayPal’s Purchase Protection program does not entitle you to reimbursement for the return shipping costs that you may incur.

PayPal’s Purchase Protection program may apply when you encounter these specific problems with a transaction:

  1. You didn’t receive your item from a seller (referred to as an “Item Not Received” claim), or
  2. You received an item, but the item isn’t what you ordered (referred to as a “Significantly Not as Described” claim).

If you believe that a transaction made through your PayPal account was not authorized by you, this type of claim is different from the Purchase Protection program, and is described below under Liability for Unauthorized Transactions and Other Errors.

Item Not Received claims

Your claim will not qualify for a refund under PayPal’s Purchase Protection program for an Item Not Received claim, if:

  1. You collect the item in person, or arrange for it to be collected on your behalf, including if you use PayPal in a seller’s physical store, or
  2. The seller has provided proof of shipment or proof of delivery.

If the seller presents evidence that they delivered the goods to your address, PayPal may find in favor of the seller for an Item Not Received claim even if you claim you did not receive the goods.

Significantly Not as Described claims

An item may be considered Significantly Not as Described if:

  1. The item is materially different from the seller’s description of it.
  2. You received a completely different item.
  3. The condition of the item was misrepresented. For example, the item was described as “new” but the item was used.
  4. The item was advertised as authentic but is not authentic (i.e. counterfeit).
  5. The item is missing major parts or features and those facts were not disclosed in the description of the item when you bought it.
  6. You purchased a certain number of items but didn’t receive them all.
  7. The item was damaged during shipment.
  8. The item is unusable in its received state and was not disclosed as such.

An item may not be considered Significantly Not as Described if:

  1. The defect in the item was correctly described by the seller in its description of the item.
  2. The item was properly described but you didn't want it after you received it.
  3. The item was properly described but did not meet your expectations.
  4. The item has minor scratches and was described as “used."

Ineligible items and transactions under PayPal’s Purchase Protection program

Payments for the following are not eligible for reimbursement under PayPal Purchase Protection:

  1. Real estate, including residential property.
  2. Financial products or investments of any kind.
  3. Businesses (when you buy or invest in a business).
  4. Vehicles, including, but not limited to, motor vehicles, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, aircraft and boats.
  5. Significantly Not as Described claims for wholly or partly custom-made items.
  6. Donations including payments on crowdfunding platforms.
  7. Items prohibited by the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy.
  8. For Item Not Received claims, items which you collect in person or arrange to be collected on your behalf, including items bought in a seller’s store location.
  9. Industrial machinery used in manufacturing.
  10. Anything purchased from, or an amount paid to, a government agency.
  11. Stored value items such as gift cards and pre-paid cards.
  12. Gambling, gaming and/or any other activity with an entry fee and a prize.
  13. Payments sent using PayPal’s friends and family functionality. 
  14. Payments sent using PayPal to any bill payment service.
  15. Payments made using PayPal Payouts and Mass Pay or guest checkout transactions (i.e. not sent using your PayPal account).

Transaction eligibility for PayPal’s Purchase Protection program

To be eligible for PayPal Purchase Protection you must meet all of the following requirements:

  1. You have a PayPal account in good standing.
  2. You pay for the eligible item from your PayPal account.
  3. You respond to PayPal's request for documentation and other information within the time requested.
  4. You open a dispute in the Resolution Center within 180 days of the date you sent the payment, then follow our online dispute resolution process.
  5. You have not received a recovery related to such purchase from another source.
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