Customer disputes
Overview
DocsCurrentLast updated: April 6th 2022, @ 4:06:12 pm
Not a developer? Manage disputes directly in the PayPal Resolution Center.Get Started
Occasionally, something goes wrong with a customer's order. A dispute occurs when:
- A customer has not received goods or a service.
- The received goods or service are not as described.
- The customer needs more details, such as a copy of the transaction or a receipt.
How it works
To dispute a charge, a customer can file a case with PayPal through the Resolution Center or ask their bank or credit card company to reverse a charge. A charge reversal is also known as a chargeback.
The buyer can file a dispute directly with the merchant or on PayPal's
Resolution Center. If the dispute is settled in the buyer's favor, a refund is
initiated to the buyer.
The buyer can file a dispute with the bank or card issuer. If the dispute is
settled in the buyer's favor, a refund is initiated to the buyer.
The customer experience
In the Resolution Center, the customer selects Report a Problem and then selects the type of dispute from these options:
- I didn't receive an item I purchased
- I received an item that's not as described
- I want to report unauthorized activity
- I have a billing issue
Then, a dispute is created, and the Resolution Center prompts the customer to contact the seller about the problem.
Resolution Center experience
These actions provided by the Disputes API methods are also available in the
Resolution Center where you can update your claim manually. The following table shows the methods available as actions in the Resolution Center.| Method | Resolution Center Actions |
|---|---|
| List disputes |
|
| Show dispute details | Under Case ID, click the plus sign to show the transaction ID, date opened, and other details. |
| Send message to other party |
|
| Make an offer to resolve a dispute |
|
| Escalate dispute to a claim | On the Escalate to PayPal page, enter the detailed description, and select Send. |
| Provide evidence |
|
| Accept claim | To accept the claim, select I'll issue a refund to my customer and close this case. |
| Appeal dispute | To appeal the dispute, select I disagree with the claim. I'd like to submit additional info. |
Eligibility
Review the supported countries and currencies.
Dispute use cases
Some common use cases for the Disputes API include:
- A merchant with a high volume of disputes must automate their handling.
- A merchant wants to manage PayPal disputes from the merchant's own dispute management tool used by its customer service agents instead of the PayPal resolution center.
- A shopping cart wants to show open disputes with PayPal to merchants, but does not provide management of the disputes.
- A platform provides management of PayPal disputes to its merchants through its own administration interface so that they can manage disputes in one place.
How do you want to integrate?
Choose how you want to manage your disputes.
 |  |
Use the Disputes API Enable Disputes and use the API actions | Use the Resolution Center Manually manage disputes |
| Get started | Go to the Resolution Center |