PayPal time lag?

ClaremontPhoto

Jon Claremont
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Somebody says he paid me by PayPal two days ago, but there's nothing showing in my account.

It's the first time I've used PayPal for collecting payments from clients.

Is this time lag normal?
 
ferider:

Thank you.

I thought that, but as it's my first time selling, and his first time on PayPal we didn't know it for sure.
 
It might due to the buyer is busy or something. jst wait. If the buyer still did not contact you, then you have right to re-sell your item.
 
Yes, I can see what you're saying.

But he emailed me saying that he'd paid a couple of days ago, and had I received the money yet.
 
No, No, No, he could have paid!

PayPal do something called an e-cheque (or e-check, I guess). It's an electronic funds transfer which takes a few days to reach the target account. KNowing PayPal, some of that time it will be languishing in an electronic limbo they control to earn them interest. I have been paid via that method and it took a week or more for funds to show up.

You should receive an email saying funds are on their way, though. Have you logged into your PayPal page to check?
 
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Paul T. said:
No, No, No, he could have paid!

PayPal do something called an e-cheque (or e-check, I guess). It's an electronic funds transfer which takes a few days to reach the target account. KNowing PayPal, some of that time it will be languishing in an electronic limbo they control to earn them interest. I have been paid via that method and it took a week or more for funds to show up.

That happens when you withdraw funds, but e-check (Paypal to Paypal
account) should be instantaneous, no ? Or is it slower when accounts
(source and/or desitination) are not verified ...

In any case, the buyer should have a Paypal receipt that he can email
you ...

Roland.
 
ferider said:
In any case, the buyer should have a Paypal receipt that he can email you ...

Roland.

I bold and underline Roland's key word; however he paid, he should have proof he did so. GET THAT AND VERIFY IT before shipping the item.

ALL of my paypal transactions have been instant since I became verified. If your buyer is NOT verified, give him a week to get his a$$ verified, and if he can't or won't do it in that amount of time, simply don't deal with him and resell the item.

Respectfully,
 
ferider said:
That happens when you withdraw funds, but e-check (Paypal to Paypal
account) should be instantaneous, no ? Or is it slower when accounts
(source and/or desitination) are not verified ...

In any case, the buyer should have a Paypal receipt that he can email
you ...

Roland.
If only. It's when the source is a bank account - PayPal seem to be promoting it heavily at the moment, perhaps more so in Europe than in the US. It will doubtless be because they can keep all the commission rather than handing it to the card issuer.

I've checked, and when I got paid via eCheque I got a notificaiton that payment was on its way, then notification when funds had cleared, around 6 days later.

Oh, and the advice not to ship until funds are cleared is of course exactly right!

But don't necessarily blame the buyer for the delay, it's entirely down to PayPal's new moneymaking scheme.
Don't know about in the US, but in the UK, the funding source reverts to your bank account, rather than your credit card, every time. it takes about four extra keystrokes, and you get a warning that bank transfer is best (which it isn't) before you can go ahead. And of course, when buying, you get WAY more protection if you use your credit card as the funding source
 
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Jon, make sure you gave him the correct email associated with your Paypal account. If he paid you, you would get an email from Paypal and the money would be in your account. He woud also get an email from Paypal confirming his payment to you. Be careful, he might be trying to scam you. Paypal is quick and easy. Have him send a copy of his Paypal reciept to you and make sure your email was correct.
 
Thank you all for your advice.

This guy is a longstanding client. And he's buying services rather than goods.

He's in South America, Colombia, and PayPal has only recently become available there. I'm in Europe, Portugal.

I think I'll give it some time then email him a request for money in their new invoice format.
 
Paul it is the same in north america with paypal; we get the same 'advice' page to confirm that we want to still pay with our credit card instead of a direct bank withdrawal.
 
Jon, ditto the correct email address. It might also depend upon whether or not you have a verified checking account.

Here is the process that occurs each month with my stock sales:

1. I get an email with PayPal loga stating so and so has made a payment to me.

2. I log in to PayPal and verify that they have received the payment.

3. I request that they pay the full amount into my checking account.

4. PayPal acknowledges the payment request and says it may take a few days to receive it into my account.

4. I monitor my bank account online to see when it is paid.

Usually, it takes about two days for the whole process.
 
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