You can cancel a PayPal payment if the person on the other end hasn’t claimed it yet.
Shutterstock
You can cancel a PayPal payment if the receiver of the money has not yet claimed it.
Many forms of PayPal payments are processed immediately and cannot be canceled.
If payment can’t be canceled, you will have to ask for a refund or dispute it to PayPal.
So you just sent a PayPal payment but realized the amount was wrong? Or you suddenly decided that any amount was wrong and you no longer wish to send that given party any money? You can cancel certain types of PayPal payments easily.
On the other hand, some PayPal payments can’t be canceled and your only recourse would be to ask for a refund or to dispute the charge with the company itself, if that’s warranted.
Assuming you have sent a payment that requires the receiver to actively claim it, you may be able to cancel that payment and keep your cash.
Quick tip: If you receive a payment like this, you can refund it using our guide on how to refund a payment on PayPal in 4 simple steps.
Why can’t I cancel a payment on PayPal?
In order to be canceled, payments must be in Pending or Unclaimed status. Since most PayPal payments go through instantaneously, this is most likely why you are unable to cancel a payment on PayPal.
PayPal automatically refunds pending and unclaimed payments after 30 days, so action is not necessarily required on your part if you send the payment to a non-existent email address.
How to cancel a PayPal payment
1. Log into your PayPal account and click on the tab Activity at the top of the screen.
Not all PayPal payments can be canceled. Those made to confirmed email addresses, for example, may transfer to the recipient immediately.
Steven John/Insider
2. Scroll down to locate the payment you want to cancel.
3. Click the word Cancel.
4. Click the Cancel Payment button to confirm.
Money may take several days to reappear in your account after a cancellation.
Steven John/Insider