What happens if you send someone money via PayPal and the receiver doesn’t get the funds you sent?
Although PayPal is one of the most trusted financial services in the world, operating for over two decades, users are still faced with setbacks from time to time.
One of the most common issues you may encounter as a PayPal user is sending a payment that doesn’t show up on the receiver’s account.
When PayPal payment is sent but not received, what can you do about it?
Why Are Funds Not Showing in My Account?
There are a couple of reasons why the funds may not be showing in your account and you are certain that someone sent you a payment via PayPal.
When the funds are not showing in your PayPal account and the sender has provided the proof of payment, it may be the case that:
You Provided a Wrong Email Address
The only thing a PayPal user needs to send money to another user is your email address (after they have verified their account and provided SSN to Paypal).
Users can send money via this financial service to any email address even if that address is not tied to any PayPal account.
In case you provided the wrong email address other than the one connected to your account, your funds may not be showing because the money has been sent to a different email address.
If you own that address, you can still create a PayPal account with this email and claim your funds.
There’s also a way to send money anonymously on Paypal.
The Sender Made a Typo When Adding Your Email Address
Ask for your sender to provide you with a copy of the receipt. The receipt should reveal all the details related to the payment, including the email address.
If the sender had made a typo, the funds might have ended up on a different account or are sent to an email address that is not connected to any PayPal account.
The sender may contact PayPal support in this case and ask for a refund.
Your Email Address Is Not Verified
PayPal can restrict some functionalities within your account in case your email address is not verified.
You need to verify your email address for the funds to be visible on your account.
If this is the case, you just need to verify your email. You can do that via Settings on your PayPal account.
You Could Be a Victim Of a Scam
Unfortunately, the World Wide Web is fertile soil for scammers of all sorts, so if you don’t personally know the sender it is possible that you are being scammed.
Scammers can use email notifications they created themselves to look like legitimate PayPal receipts to scam you into thinking that they sent you money.
This can be the case if you are selling products or services and use PayPal to receive your payments.
It takes only minutes for the funds to be transferred from one PayPal account to another PayPal user, which is why you should contact PayPal support in case you are certain that the money has been sent to you and that you are not being scammed.
There are also ways to block someone on Paypal, and that might be useful to you in these type of instances.
What Else Can I Do to Resolve This Problem?
In case you suspect that you are being scammed, you can always check your balance and compare it to the payment notification provided by the sender as proof of payment.
Any and every payment should immediately become visible on your PayPal account if your email address is verified along with your account. You can always contact PayPal support and share the receipt.
In case the payment has been sent to you, PayPal support agents should be able to help you access your funds.
If you are a seller, make sure to mark that your invoices involve shipping products and goods.
Always make sure to check if you provided the correct email address to your senders.
You can avoid sharing an incorrect email address by sharing your PayPal.me link.
Anyone can send you money within a minute via your PayPal.me link. You can find the link under your PayPal link in your account settings.
Wrapping Up
It can also be a case that you are expecting a refund from PayPal in case you have some funds deducted from your account or your card.
The time needed for the money to be refunded may greatly depend on your bank and card issuer.
It usually doesn’t take more than 3 working days for the refunded balance to appear on your card or PayPal account.
You can always contact PayPal support for any questions or doubts regarding your refund.
Make sure your email address is verified and that your account is not restricted in any way before contacting support.
Beware of scammers if you are a seller, and you shouldn’t have any issues with using PayPal for sending and receiving payments.