The PayPal Resolution Center is located within your PayPal account at the dedicated URL www.paypal.com/resolutioncenter. You can navigate to it after logging in by clicking the "Help" link at the top of any page and selecting "Resolution Center," or by clicking on a specific transaction and selecting "Report a Problem" to be taken directly to the relevant case.
Where is the PayPal resolution center located?
The quickest way to reach the Resolution Center is to use the direct URL after logging into your PayPal account. From within your account, you can also find it by clicking the "Help" menu at the top right corner of any page and selecting "Resolution Center" from the dropdown. A second method is to locate a specific transaction in your activity list, click on it, and then click "Report a Problem", this will open the Resolution Center with that payment preselected.
What you can do in the resolution center
The Resolution Center is a central hub for managing disputes, claims, and chargebacks. Its core functions include:
- Reporting unauthorized activity on your account.
- Reporting that an item you paid for was not delivered.
- Reporting that an item was received but was significantly not as described.
- Reporting billing issues, such as duplicate charges or incorrect amounts.
You can also communicate directly with the buyer or seller through the Resolution Center to attempt a direct resolution before escalating.
How to open a dispute step by step
To open a dispute, follow these steps:
- Log in to your PayPal account and go to the Resolution Center.
- Click "Report a Problem."
- Select the payment for the transaction you have an issue with.
- Choose the reason for the dispute (e.g., "Item not received" or "Significantly not as described").
- Describe the issue in detail, including any relevant information or evidence.
- Click "Submit" to initiate the dispute.
Once submitted, the seller is notified and you can communicate with them directly through the Resolution Center to try and resolve the issue.
Key deadlines you must know
Missing a deadline can prevent you from using PayPal's Purchase Protection. For most "Item Not Received" disputes, you must open the dispute within 180 days of the payment date. For "Significantly Not as Described" disputes, you must open the dispute within 30 days of delivery or fulfillment, or 180 days of payment, whichever comes first. After a dispute is opened, you and the seller typically have up to 20 days to resolve it amicably before you can escalate it to a claim. If a payment is stuck, you can find information about PayPal pending, blocking and cancelling payments in the Resolution Center's help articles. If you need to dispute a charge on PayPal, the steps above are the correct starting point. Note that disputing a PayPal friends and family payment is generally not covered by Purchase Protection, so you should always use the "Goods and Services" option for purchases. If you need to cancel a PayPal payment before it's too late, do so from your activity log before the seller accepts the payment, as disputes are for payments that have already been completed.
How to escalate a dispute to a claim
If you cannot resolve the issue directly with the seller within the 20-day window, you can escalate the dispute to a claim for PayPal to investigate and decide the outcome. To escalate:
- Go to the Resolution Center and click on the open dispute you want to escalate.
- Click "Need Help?" or "Escalate to a claim."
- Click "Review my case" and add any relevant information or evidence.
- Click "Escalate to a claim" to submit it for PayPal's review.
Once escalated, the seller generally has 10 days to respond with evidence. PayPal will then review all information from both parties and make a final decision.
Checking your case status
You can check the status of your open and closed cases at any time within the Resolution Center. After logging in and navigating there, you will see a list of all your disputes and claims. Click on any case to view its details, including the current status, any messages from the other party, and requests for additional information from PayPal. Regularly check this dashboard and your email for updates to ensure you respond promptly to any requests.
