Payment marked as complete on my side, but pending on the merchant's side

[BorisUlianov]

Yesterday I sent about $23 to a merchant. On my side the transaction is marked as complete, and it was reflected in my balance. Yet, on the merchant side the transaction shows as pending, and they received no money, so they cannot refund me or do anything.

So, where's my money?

[PayPal_AshleyM · Accepted solution]

Hey @BorisUlianov,

I'm sorry to hear about the trouble regarding your payment. 😞 It sounds like your merchant may be encountering a payment hold. If this is the case, they'll have to wait for the hold to be lifted to refund your payment. If you do not wish to wait, you can always place a dispute against the transaction instead. I hope this helps!

- Ashley M

[BorisUlianov]

That's the case indeed. The day after I wrote this, it was marked as complete and my funds reached my merchant.

As a criticism, PayPal should be a little more verbose in these cases. I didn't sent a lot of money (just $22 or so), but imagine sending $1000 to a merchant, seeing it as completed on your side but your merchant claiming he sees it as pending on his side.  Many people will suffer a heart attack. If the money is put on hold, PayPal should alert both users, providing at least a quick explanation on the motive. Otherwise, it will be a very frustrating experience.

[PayPal_AshleyM]

Hi @BorisUlianov,

Thanks for getting back to us with those details! I definitely understand how frustrating that can be, and I appreciate your feedback regarding this. Merchants are notified via email instantly if their payments are placed on hold, and they are typically familiar with this practice, as it typically affects new sellers while they establish a good selling history with us. I apologize again for the inconvenience, but I'm glad the payment completed on their end. I hope you have a great rest of your day!

- Ashley M