My mom sent me a gift but chose the wrong transaction type. Help!

[ciaanb]

Hi there

My mother in South Africa sent me money as a gift but my payment is on hold and Paypal is asking me for shipping information as a Paypal seller in order to release the funds. I think my mother sent money choosing  "Paying for goods or service" which incurs a higher fee and is now on hold. What is the quickest way to change the payment type to "Sending to a friend and family" so I can access the funds? Do I need to contact customer service or should she contact them to change the transaction type? Or should I issue a refund and get her to send the money again using the "Sending to a friend and family" ? Just don't want to pay additional fees for a refund and delay accessing the funds so I am after the quickest and cheapest option to access the funds as a gift.

[sharpiemarker]

@ciaanb 

Sorry, but transaction type cannot be changed post payment. PayPal does not refund fees originally paid if you issued a refund to, in your case, re-do the transaction over, although you can refund just the amount you actually netted to avoid the fee coming out of your pocket. When the sender sends money again, they are essentially paying fee twice.

Furthermore, since the payment is on hold, to refund, the money will come from your PayPal account, not from the held money. Have to train people when sending personal payments to send it under the correct type next time to avoid this.

If you are experiencing delayed funds availability, here are some shipping tips that may help you get your payment sooner:

• Add tracking information: If you provide tracking information from one of PayPal’s supported carriers in the transaction details page, your payment should be available 1 day after PayPal can confirm delivery status. 

• No Shipping Info: If your item doesn't need to be shipped (e-books, virtual goods, piano lessons, hotel stay, paint job, writing project, baby sitting, etc.), mark the order as Processed and provide the required details.

• Buyer confirmation: A buyer will receive a notification email once you've uploaded the tracking number. When your buyer confirms they've received the item, the payment will be released immediately. (You can also ask buyer/sender to confirm receipt sending them the steps below.)

Here’s how (These options may not be available for some countries):

Seller/Recipient: Add tracking information, FIRST:

1. Click Activity at the top of the page.
2. Find and click the original payment for the item or service.
3. Click Add Tracking Info.
4. Select an Order Status: Processed (for virtual goods or services) or Shipped (with or without tracking info).

Then ask buyer/sender to confirm receipt (option may be available within or after 48 hours from time of payment):

1. Click Activity at the top of the page.
2. Find and click the original payment for the item.
3. Click Confirm receipt.
4. Click Yes to confirm that you received the order.

Note: Not all purchases require receipt confirmation.

If buyer/sender does not confirm receipt then PayPal will release the funds after 21 days. Occasionally a payment will be held longer if it is a high risk transaction involving high value payments, electronics, event tickets, jewelry, luxury brand name merchandise. You can request that PayPal manually release the funds by reaching out: click HELP at the top menu, click "Message Center" under the search bar, or just click the "Bell icon" of your PayPal account.