Why is my PayPal refund pending? If your PayPal refund status is pending, this means that the refund is still waiting to clear. If this is the case, it will usually take 3 to 5 working days for your refund to be credited to your PayPal account.
In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about PayPal refunds, from how long they take to why they might show as pending.
Why Does It Take So Long For PayPal To Refund My Money?
When you request a PayPal refund, it will first need to be authorised by the retailer or seller. Whilst some sellers may be happy to refund instantly without question, others may contest the refund which can add time onto the process.
After the refund has been issued by the merchant, it will then be processed through the PayPal system and credited to your account.
However, the length of time that it will take to receive your PayPal refund will also depend on the payment method that you originally used. For example, if you paid by credit card, it could take up to 30 days for you to receive the refund.
How Long Does A PayPal Refund Take?
As we’ve been discussing, a PayPal refund isn’t always instantaneous. How long a PayPal refund will take will depend on the original payment method that you used. Let’s take a look at how long each PayPal payment method will take to be refunded, as well as where your funds will go.
Bank Account
If your PayPal payment was taken directly from your bank account, it will usually take three to five days for your refund to be credited. You may briefly see the money credited to your PayPal account before it is transferred automatically into your bank account.
Credit or Debit Card
If you paid for your purchase through a credit or debit card via PayPal, it will take a little longer to receive your refund. In fact, it could take up to 30 days for your refund to show on your debit or credit card statement.
PayPal Balance
If you had money in your PayPal account at the time of your purchase, you may have opted to use your PayPal balance for payment. This is the fastest way to get a refund, as your refund will show in your PayPal balance on the same day that the refund is issued. It will become available for you to use again immediately from this point.
PayPal Balance And Credit Card
If you chose to pay with both your PayPal balance but didn’t quite have enough in your account so paid the remainder by credit or debit card, things become a little more complicated. This is because the refund is issued to two different places.
Your PayPal account will usually be credited instantly, but you’ll be waiting longer for your refund to your credit or debit card. As above, you can expect to see this appear on your statement within 30 days.
Checking Your Refund Status
If you’re waiting for a PayPal refund, you might be wondering how you can check its status. It’s easy to check your PayPal refund status by following the steps below.
- Log into your PayPal account.
- Click on the ‘Activity’ tab.
- Click ‘filters’ and select ‘refunds’ from the menu.
- You can filter by date if you need to narrow down the selection further.
- Find your refunded transaction and click on it to view the details.
PayPal Refund Statuses
There are three common refund statuses on PayPal that you need to be aware of: completed, pending or held. Let’s take a look at what each of these refund statuses means.
Completed PayPal Refund
If your PayPal refund is showing as completed, this means that it has been authorised by the merchant and processed by PayPal. You should be able to see your money in your account at this point.
Pending PayPal Refund
You might be worried to see that your PayPal refund is pending. However, this is not a cause for concern. It simply means that the refund has been issued by the merchant but has not yet been processed by the bank.
Held PayPal Refund
You might also see this refund status written as ‘temporary hold’. This means that the refund was issued before the original payment was taken from your bank account. The funds will be held until your payment is received so that it can be refunded. This process can take up to five working days.
How Long Does A Pending Refund On PayPal Take?
If your refund is showing as pending on PayPal, you might be wondering how long you should expect to wait for the funds to be released.
Your PayPal pending refund will usually take around three to five working days to process. Once this is complete, you should be able to see it confirmed as completed on your statement within 24 hours.
Can A Seller Refuse A Refund On PayPal?
When you request a refund on PayPal, the seller will be asked to approve the refund request. If they object to the refund, they may choose to dispute your request. In this case, PayPal will act as an independent party and investigate the issue. They may ask for evidence from the seller that the item has been delivered, or evidence from the buyer that the item in question is faulty.
Once the evidence has been gathered and reviewed, PayPal will then make a decision as to whether to force the refund. If PayPal decides that a refund is necessary, the seller will not be able to refuse it.
Can you return something without a receipt? Find out here
Can A Pending Refund Be Cancelled?
As a seller, you might be wondering whether you can cancel a PayPal refund after it has been issued. Alternatively, if you’re the buyer, you might be concerned that the merchant may be able to cancel your refund whilst it’s still in a pending status.
In the majority of cases, it is not possible to cancel a PayPal refund after it is been issued by the merchant. As soon as the seller presses the button to issue a refund, the automatic process of transferring the funds back to the customer begins, and it is not possible to cancel the process at this point.
Why Is My PayPal Refund Not Showing In My Bank Account?
If you have been issued a refund, you may be concerned if it does not appear in your bank account. However, there are a few things to check before you start to worry.
First of all, check which payment type you selected when you originally purchased the item. If you paid using your bank account, you should expect the refund to be returned to your bank account. However, if you paid using PayPal funds, the refund will be credited back into your PayPal account, so you will not notice the funds on your bank statement. Alternatively, if you paid using a credit card, the funds will be released back onto your credit card so you will see them on your monthly statement.
If you made the original payment through your bank account, you are right to be waiting for the funds to appear on your bank statement. This should happen around three to five working days after the seller issues the refund. So, if the refund is issued by the merchant on a Wednesday, you should expect to the money to become available in your bank account by the following Wednesday.
If you’re still waiting for your funds after five working days, try checking the status of the refund on the PayPal website or through the app. Alternatively, contact PayPal support for advice.
In Summary
PayPal is a great payment option when you’re looking for extra financial security for online purchases. This is because PayPal has extra security features which offer additional protection to both customers and merchants.
If something goes wrong with your purchase, PayPal will support you in getting a refund. However, if that refund shows as pending, you may feel concerned and wonder how long your refund will take to be issued.
The good news is that the majority of PayPal refunds will be completed within five working days, although credit card refunds can take up to 30 days. If your PayPal refund shows as pending, this simply means that it is in the process of being issued.
In this article, we’ve answered the question ‘why is my PayPal refund pending?’ as well as explaining the process that refunds go through when you use PayPal. Happy shopping!