Evidence-led guideUpdated July 30, 2026By PalSync Editorial

How to handle a PayPal unauthorized transaction dispute

An unauthorized-transaction case is not the same as a delivery complaint. Start with the decision path and the evidence PayPal requests for that reason.

Sources reviewed against PayPal-owned documentation and current product behavior. Read the editorial standard.

Short answer

Confirm whether the case is a PayPal claim or an external card-issuer chargeback and record the deadline. Match the payment to the commerce order, then collect the transaction, checkout, account, shipment, delivery, and customer-interaction facts relevant to the request. Avoid inferring buyer intent; report only source-supported facts.

ReasonBuyer says they did not authorize the payment
PathPayPal review or card-issuer chargeback
RuleUse requested, reason-specific evidence

Respond without inferring intent

  1. 01

    Identify the decision path

    Confirm PayPal claim versus external chargeback and note the allowed response.

  2. 02

    Match transaction and order

    Connect payment identifiers, amount, buyer, checkout, and commerce order.

  3. 03

    Assemble relevant signals

    Retain account, checkout, device, shipment, delivery, and prior-customer facts that are lawfully available.

  4. 04

    Remove unsupported conclusions

    Do not claim who made the purchase unless the source record supports it.

  5. 05

    Review and submit

    Have an authorized merchant approve the evidence and preserve the exact submitted package.

Current PalSync dispute detail interface for an unauthorized transaction sample case
Current PalSync product interface · Populated synthetic sample data · Open full size ↗
Evidence checklist

Unauthorized-transaction record

  • Case path, reason, and deadline
  • PayPal transaction and commerce order
  • Checkout and account records lawfully retained
  • Shipment and delivery facts when relevant
  • Prior customer relationship and communication when relevant

Questions merchants ask next

Does delivery prove authorization?

Not necessarily. Delivery can be relevant evidence, but the case reason concerns authorization and the decision-maker defines what is considered.

Can I call the buyer fraudulent in the response?

Avoid unsupported characterizations. State the source-backed transaction and fulfillment facts that answer the request.

Can PalSync guarantee coverage?

No. Seller Protection and chargeback outcomes depend on the transaction, reason, evidence, policy, and decision-maker.

Official sources

These sources support policy and technical statements.

Merchant-language research

These discussions identify questions and operational pain; they are not policy authority.

Keep the PayPal record connected before a problem opens.

Start with Shopify