I want to send money to a friend on PayPal. How long will it take for them to use the money?

[Userstickman]

I plan to send a friend money through PayPal to their PayPal account for their birthday. Will they be able to use the money immediately, or will it take time for them to use it? And if it will take time, is there a way to make it not take time?

[sharpiemarker]

@Userstickman 

There isn’t a way to guarantee your friend can use the money immediately because all transactions may be subject to reviews or holds. If your country does not have friends and family option, and have to send money as goods and services, the money could be put on hold when your friend receives the money.

There two sets of steps to release money sooner, depending on the country of your friend.

If there are no issues with the transactions such as disputes, claims or chargebacks, the funds should typically be released within 21 days from the date of payment.

In some countries, the recipient (your friend) can mark the transaction item as "shipped" or "processed" to gain earlier access to money. Here's how to mark item as “shipped” by providing the shipping details on the “Transaction Details” page.

1. Log in to your PayPal account.
2. Go to “My Account” and click Overview near the top of the page.
3. Under recent activity, click Transactions details for the transaction ID.
4. Click Mark as shipped and submit the tracking details, by updating the “Order status”, “Tracking number” and the “Shipping company” used.

When a transaction doesn't need shipping (e-books, piano lessons, etc.), mark the order as “processed” and provide the required details.

OR

Your friend can help to release the eligible payments by following one of the below steps:

• Add Tracking. Use one of our approved shipping carriers and we’ll release the hold 24 hours after the courier confirmed delivery to the buyer’s address.
• Update the order status if the held payment is for a service or intangible item or do not require shipping (e.g. piano lessons, e-book). You'll get your money 7 days after confirming the order status as Completed.
• Print USPS or UPS shipping labels with us. We’ll track the item and release the hold 24 hours after the courier confirmed delivery to the buyer’s address.

In rare cases, the payment may not be released after this time. For example, this may happen if your business model has changed or we see a significant difference in your selling price. In this case, we’ll release your payment 21 days after you received it. 

Here’s how to add tracking information or change the order status: 

1. Go to your Activity. 
2. Find the transaction you would like to update, then click Get your money. 
3. If transaction does not require shipping, select Service or virtual product to confirm order status. 
4. Click Submit. 

Once you click 'Submit', the buyer receives an email notifying them that you entered the shipment tracking information for this transaction (if applicable). The email includes the tracking number, order status, and shipping company. 

Then after 48 hrs from your friend updating the transaction, check if you have the option to confirm receipt to release the money

Here's how to confirm you've received an item:

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.

***Not all purchases require receipt confirmation.