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PayPal risk insights
Optimize dispute management by knowing all the details

With this information, the best strategy for a merchant is to:

  • keep records of transactions and communicate effectively with customers at every stage of the dispute/chargeback process
  • understand the Guide
    Gain a better understanding of chargebacks nature and manage them effectively.
    reason codes
    for chargebacks and develop ways to prevent them from occurring

By implementing these strategies, merchants can minimize disputes and chargebacks, maintain positive relationships with their customers, and ensure the longevity of their PayPal accounts.

dispute_life_cycle_stage Description
INQUIRY Customer and merchant resolved the dispute without escalation to PayPal. This occurs when the customer has not received goods, reports goods not as described, or needs more details.
CHARGEBACK Inquiry escalated to a claim. PayPal investigated and decided that it was visible only to PayPal agents. Merchant can accept, challenge, or resolve the claim.
PRE_ARBITRATION Merchant's first appeal stage. Appeal a chargeback if PayPal's decision is unfavorable. Must appeal within the appeal period.
ARBITRATION Merchant's second appeal stage. Appeal a dispute again if the first appeal was denied. Must appeal within the appeal period.
dispute_channel Description
INTERNAL Internal Dispute.
Customer contacts PayPal to file a dispute with the merchant.
EXTERNAL External Chargeback.
Customer contacts their card issuer or bank for a refund.
ALERT Pre-chargeback alert when customer contacts their card issuer.
reason Description
MERCHANDISE_OR_SERVICE_NOT_RECEIVED Customer did not receive the merchandise or service.
MERCHANDISE_OR_SERVICE_NOT_AS_DESCRIBED Merchandise or service not as described by the customer.
UNAUTHORISED Customer did not authorize the purchase.
CREDIT_NOT_PROCESSED Refund or credit was not processed for the customer.
DUPLICATE_TRANSACTION Transaction was a duplicate.
INCORRECT_AMOUNT Customer was charged an incorrect amount.
PAYMENT_BY_OTHER_MEANS Customer paid for the transaction through other means.
CANCELED_RECURRING_BILLING Customer was charged for a canceled subscription.
PROBLEM_WITH_REMITTANCE A problem occurred with the remittance.
OTHER Other.
status Description
OPEN Dispute is newly initiated and under investigation. Both parties have 10 days to resolve it before it may escalate to a claim.
WAITING_FOR_BUYER_RESPONSE Waiting for the customer to respond after the merchant has provided a resolution or evidence.
WAITING_FOR_SELLER_RESPONSE Waiting for the merchant's response, often after the customer escalates the issue.
UNDER_REVIEW PayPal is reviewing the evidence from both parties to make a decision, typically in cases of internal chargebacks.
RESOLVED Dispute has been settled, either by mutual agreement, PayPal’s decision, or through the appeals process.
OTHER Catch-all status for cases that do not fit standard categories.
dispute_outcome Description
RESOLVED_BUYER_FAVOUR Dispute was resolved in the customer's favor.
RESOLVED_SELLER_FAVOUR Dispute was resolved in the merchant's favor.
RESOLVED_WITH_PAYOUT PayPal provided the merchant or customer with protection, and the case is resolved.
CANCELED_BY_BUYER Customer canceled the dispute.
NONE Dispute was created for the same transaction ID, and the previous dispute was closed without any decision.
Solidgate offers a Guide
The PayPal disputes report provides merchants with critical insights into dispute cases, including all lifecycle stages, enabling efficient resolution and improved customer satisfaction.
reporting solution
provides detailed insights into PayPal disputes, covering every stage from initiation to resolution.

It includes essential data like dispute IDs, order details, amounts, and reasons, helping businesses enhance dispute management and operational efficiency.

Prevention recommendations

Beyond card payments, PayPal processes various alternative payment methods such as bank transfers, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) options, and more. Based on our empirical data, the denominator includes all sales for external chargebacks, while the numerator only accounts for half of the sales. Plus, PayPal uses multiple MIDs to distribute transactions, and this distribution process is completely obscure. All this can lead to discrepancies, where some MIDs may have higher chargeback rates despite an overall rate being below the Guide
Prevent risk by keeping chargeback and fraud ratio below monitoring thresholds.
monitoring program’s
. Unfortunately, these MID-specific rates are unpredictable and hard to track.

These recommendations will help sharply lower the risk of fraudulent activities on a PayPal account and improve overall payment security.

Download to reduce the risk of PayPal account fraud and improve overall payment security.

Block fraudulent geographies

Some Tier 3 countries and regions may have higher fraud levels. By identifying these high-risk areas, you can proactively protect your business from fraudulent activity. This may include implementing more stringent verification processes or blocking transactions from these regions altogether.

Geographies
If statistics show that certain countries are responsible for a significant number of fraudulent transactions, such as those in Africa, Latin America, or Southeast Asia, you may consider completely blocking traffic from these regions.

Implement clear unsubscribe options

Solidgate retries invoice collection four times after a failed attempt and cancels the subscription if the retry period extends beyond the billing period, sending a webhook to adjust billing and discontinue product use.

Ensure a visible Unsubscribe button in emails and customer profile pages to cancel subscriptions easily. Provide immediate confirmation and clear cancellation policies, and develop a self-service portal for managing subscriptions and processing refunds.

Unsubscribe option example
Every email and customer profile page should have a visible Unsubscribe button that allows customers to cancel subscriptions or recurring payments easily.

Quick resolve of dispute alerts

Handling internal disputes directly with the customer within 20 hours after receiving the alert to deflect fraudulent disputes with pre-dispute compelling evidence or, if the request is valid, issue refunds before it becomes a formal claim. Immediately communicating with the customer to resolve internal disputes prevents them from filing an official dispute with PayPal. This not only saves you from chargeback fees but also increases customer trust in the company. Dispute alert example
When customer support receives a pre-chargeback alert, immediately communicate with the customer, investigate the transaction, and, if the request is valid, issue a refund within 20 hours.

Prioritize payment methods

Customizing the order of payment methods can reduce fraud by encouraging the use of less risky options such as card payments, GooglePay, and Apple Pay, and putting PayPal button lower. This should be done carefully to avoid affecting sales conversions, as some customers prefer PayPal.

Payment Form and Payment Page prioritize card payments, with GooglePay and Apple Pay first and PayPal last by default.
Channel name example
In the Payment Form, offer card payments, GooglePay, and Apple Pay first, followed by PayPal.

Consider client risk scoring

Using a risk scoring system to determine if a customer can use PayPal for payment. This helps reduce fraud by accurately predicting high-risk transactions and disabling the PayPal option for those customers.

Develop a model that assesses the likelihood of fraud based on customer behavior, geographical location, transaction history, and other factors. If the risk is high, the PayPal button may be disabled for that customer.

Send billing notifications

Notifying customers before re-billing for subscriptions reduces disputes, and refunds. Use subscription webhooks to monitor status changes efficiently. Webhooks provide asynchronous updates for various subscription events such as initiation, renewal, pausing, updating, and cancellation. These notifications help keep both merchants and customers informed about the current status of their subscriptions, ensuring transparency and timely action.
Send a notification before the subscription renewal to inform customers of the upcoming charge and allow for cancellations.

Use business name consistently

Ensuring your Doing Business As (DBA) and statement descriptor names match the Product Name. Seeing different business names pop up across your documents and platforms confuses customers who, not recognizing the purchase, start requesting chargebacks en masse.

Customizing your PayPal account is a must-have strategy to ensure transaction safety and enhance the shopping experience. By providing clear billing information, prompt customer service, and easy account management, you can foster more secure sales.

If your legal entity name is “Tech Solutions LLC,” it should match your DBA name “TechGadgets,” your descriptor “TechGadgets,” and your website.

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