PayPal Buyer Protection
180 days from the payment date
Deadline
180 days from the payment date
What you need to know
PayPal Buyer Protection may apply to eligible Goods & Services payments. Personal Friends & Family payments are excluded. Open a dispute in your PayPal account within 180 days of payment; further conditions apply.
How to get your money back
- 1Log in to PayPal and open the payment in question under “Resolution Centre”.
- 2Open a dispute with the reason “Item not received” or “Item significantly not as described” – depending on the situation.
- 3Upload evidence: order confirmation, proof of payment, screenshots of the shop and, if applicable, a photo of the goods.
- 4Submit a Buyer Protection claim within 20 days of reporting the dispute if you cannot resolve it. Otherwise PayPal closes the dispute.
- 5Respond promptly to any queries from PayPal, otherwise the case can be closed automatically against you.
Legal note
Buyer protection is a voluntary, contractual service by PayPal – not a statutory entitlement. PayPal decides according to its own terms of use; a rejected dispute does not rule out other routes (direct-debit return, criminal complaint).
How much time do you have left?
Use the deadline calculator: enter the purchase date, choose the payment type, and see the remaining time instantly.
To the deadline calculatorOther payment types
View all payment typesSEPA direct debit return
8 weeks from the account debit (authorised) – up to 13 months for an unauthorised direct debit
View guideCredit-card chargeback (reversal)
deadline depends on the bank, card network and dispute reason – ask directly
View guideKlarna Buyer Protection
check the deadline and payment plan in your Klarna account; report promptly
View guideThis overview is independent, editorial consumer information and does not replace legal advice. All information is provided to the best of our knowledge and without guarantee – the terms and conditions of the respective payment provider or the conditions of your bank or savings bank are always authoritative. In specific cases, contact a consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale) or a lawyer specialising in contract law. The deadlines described here reflect the German legal situation.