For a U.S. PayPal account, the Purchase Protection deadline isn't always a full 180 days. PayPal's U.S. Purchase Protection terms say that a dispute must be opened within the earlier of:
- 30 days after delivery or fulfillment, when applicable; or
- 180 days from the date you sent the payment to the seller.
If the order was delivered, the 30-day period may end well before the 180-day payment deadline. Opening a dispute starts PayPal's review process; it doesn't guarantee a refund.
This guidance covers U.S. PayPal accounts and Purchase Protection disputes. Rules can vary by country, transaction type, and account. If PayPal shows a specific date in your Resolution Center, use that as your working deadline.
PayPal deadlines at a glance
| Action | Deadline | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Open a Purchase Protection dispute | The earlier of 30 days after delivery or fulfillment, when applicable, or 180 days after payment | Missing the applicable date may prevent you from opening the case |
| Escalate a dispute to a claim | The date shown in the open case | An unresolved dispute may close if you don't take the next step |
| Reply to an evidence request | The date shown in the Resolution Center or notification | PayPal may decide using the information already available |
| Appeal a closed case | Only if PayPal offers an appeal, by the displayed deadline | An appeal isn't available in every case |
| Dispute a card transaction | The deadline given by your card issuer and applicable network rules | This is separate from PayPal's internal process |
How to calculate the 180-day window
The 180-day period starts on the date you sent the payment to the seller. It isn't necessarily measured from:
- The date you placed the order
- The date the seller promised delivery
- The date you first contacted the seller
- The date the charge appeared on a later statement
For a transaction covered by the delivery or fulfillment rule, compare the two possible cutoffs. A purchase delivered before the 180th day can have a 30-day deadline that arrives first.
Contacting the seller doesn't open a PayPal case. If time is running short, don't let a seller conversation carry you past the date for opening the dispute. You can continue the conversation through the case after filing.
PayPal may calculate or display a date using the transaction details in your account. Take a screenshot if the date seems wrong, and contact PayPal support promptly. Don't wait for a support reply if the Resolution Center still allows you to open the case.
Dispute, claim, and refund are different
A dispute is the first stage. You report the problem and give the seller a chance to respond or resolve it.
A claim asks PayPal to decide because the dispute wasn't resolved. If the seller doesn't fix the problem, use the escalation option in the case before the displayed deadline expires.
A refund is the return of money by the seller or PayPal. Filing a dispute by itself doesn't produce one.
The Purchase Protection terms say PayPal makes the final decision based on the program's eligibility requirements, the information submitted during the online process, and other relevant information PayPal considers. PayPal can also close a dispute or claim automatically.
Problems that may qualify
The most common Purchase Protection reasons are:
- Item Not Received: The seller didn't deliver the purchase.
- Significantly Not as Described: The item substantially differs from the listing or agreed description.
Purchase Protection doesn't cover every good, service, payment type, or transaction. Check the applicable terms before assuming a claim qualifies. A seller's return policy is separate from PayPal's dispute deadline and doesn't automatically extend it.
An unauthorized payment follows a different process. Report it through PayPal as soon as you notice it, and notify the bank or card issuer that funded the payment. Don't report a transaction as unauthorized if you made the purchase but are dissatisfied with the order.
How to open a PayPal dispute
- Check the transaction and delivery dates. Look at the payment details and compare the 30-day delivery or fulfillment cutoff with the 180-day payment cutoff.
- Write to the seller. Explain whether the item was not received, significantly different from the description, or affected by another specific problem. Keep the conversation in PayPal when possible, but don't delay filing if the deadline is close.
- Open the case. Sign in to PayPal, go to the Resolution Center, select the transaction, and choose the most accurate reason.
- Describe what happened. Include the payment date, amount, promised delivery date, actual delivery status, and the resolution you're requesting.
- Add clear evidence. Upload readable order records, photographs, tracking information, invoices, and messages that support your account.
- Watch the case. Check for the seller's response and any request from PayPal. Record each deadline shown.
- Escalate when necessary. If the seller doesn't resolve the matter, choose the option to escalate the dispute to a claim before the case closes.
Use the reason that matches the facts. Don't open duplicate cases for one payment or choose an inaccurate reason because it seems more likely to succeed.
Evidence that can help
Useful records usually connect three things: the payment, what the seller promised, and what actually happened.
| Problem | Useful records |
|---|---|
| Item not received | Order confirmation, promised delivery date, tracking history, delivery address, and messages with the seller |
| Significantly not as described | Original listing, seller's description, photographs of the item received, invoices, and return-related messages |
| Unauthorized transaction | PayPal transaction details, account or device activity, bank or card statement, and the date you reported the transaction |
| Refund promised but not received | Seller's written promise, refund confirmation, case messages, and the original transaction ID |
Keep the original files and submit clear copies. If PayPal requires a return, follow the instructions in the case. Retain the shipping receipt and tracking information until the matter is finished.
What happens after filing?
The seller gets an opportunity to respond or offer a resolution. PayPal may ask either side for more information, such as shipping records, photographs, proof of a refund, or return tracking.
The case itself supplies the next deadline. Don't rely on a general response or escalation period found elsewhere if your Resolution Center shows a different date.
If the seller promises a refund, check the original PayPal transaction rather than relying only on a message. A promise to refund isn't proof that the money has been sent.
If the dispute becomes a claim, PayPal reviews the submitted information and makes a decision under the applicable Purchase Protection terms. A successful claim may lead to reimbursement, but PayPal can deny a claim that doesn't meet the eligibility requirements.
Can PayPal extend the deadline?
Don't assume that contacting support extends or preserves the filing period. The safest approach is to open the dispute before the displayed deadline and then ask support to review any account-specific problem.
Contact PayPal promptly if:
- The Resolution Center shows a date that appears incorrect
- A technical error stopped you from opening a case
- The seller provided misleading delivery information
- A transaction or refund is missing from your account
- Unusual circumstances affected your ability to file
Save screenshots of error messages, dates, and support conversations. Support may review what happened, but a request for help isn't a guarantee that a late dispute will be accepted.
What if you missed the deadline?
If the Resolution Center no longer lets you open a case:
- Ask the seller for a voluntary refund in writing.
- Contact PayPal support with the transaction ID and a clear explanation of the problem.
- If a credit or debit card funded the payment, ask the card issuer whether its dispute process applies and what deadline governs.
- If the payment was unauthorized, report it immediately through PayPal and the bank or card issuer that funded it.
- Keep records of seller messages, promised refunds, tracking information, support contacts, and account errors.
If PayPal offers an appeal, use it as soon as possible and follow the deadline shown in the closed case. Focus on a specific factual or procedural error, and attach evidence that was missing or misunderstood the first time. Simply disagreeing with the outcome is less useful.
PayPal dispute or card chargeback?
A PayPal dispute and a card chargeback are separate processes. The PayPal case is handled under PayPal's Purchase Protection terms. A card chargeback is handled by the card issuer under the issuer's account rules and applicable card-network rules.
| Issue | PayPal dispute or claim | Card chargeback |
|---|---|---|
| Decision maker | PayPal | Your card issuer |
| Filing deadline | PayPal's applicable Purchase Protection deadline | The issuer's stated deadline |
| Evidence | Listing, delivery records, messages, photographs, and PayPal case information | Statement, merchant communications, transaction records, and documents requested by the issuer |
| Main limitation | The transaction must qualify under PayPal's terms | The issuer may use a different deadline, reason code, or evidence standard |
PayPal's 180-day period doesn't set the deadline for a card dispute. There isn't one universal 120-day rule for every chargeback. Ask the issuer for the deadline that applies to the payment type and reason.
If you consider using both routes, tell the card issuer whether a PayPal case is open, closed, refunded, or decided. PayPal's Buyer Protection terms also address pursuing the same loss through PayPal and a card issuer and prohibit double recovery. Don't seek or accept payment twice for the same loss.
A card chargeback may not be the right route for a payment funded by a PayPal balance or bank account. Ask the relevant financial institution what dispute process, if any, applies to that payment rail.
If the deadline is close, open the PayPal case first if the Resolution Center permits it, save the date shown, and then gather the supporting records.