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Paypal

  • Digital Wallets

PayPal is a global payment provider used by merchants to accept online payments and manage transactions and disputes.

Struggling with your approval ratio for this payment provider?

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Published
Last updated
2 min
Paypal
Paypal payment phone

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Paypal Company Overview

Foundation
1998
Stock ID
NASDAQ:PYPL
Company Type
public
Employees
29,000+
Location
USAUSA
Channel
OnlineIn person

Features

Global buyer reach

Widely recognized checkout option for online and mobile commerce. Commonly added to complement cards and local payment methods.

Authorization and payment outcomes visibility

Provides transaction status and reporting to support reconciliation. Useful for monitoring successful payments vs. declines/cancellations.

Approval rates and decline monitoring

Track approval/authorization success and declines by channel, country, and device. Use reporting trends to isolate friction caused by checkout or account issues.

Security and fraud tooling

Risk controls and monitoring to help manage suspicious activity. Merchants can align internal rules with PayPal risk signals and policies.

Customer authentication support

Supports buyer login/identity checks within the PayPal experience. Helps reduce friction when customers prefer wallet-based checkout.

Disputes and chargeback handling

Dispute workflows and evidence submission via the merchant dashboard. Clear timelines and status tracking for open cases.

Operational reliability and integrations

Merchant dashboards, APIs, and plugins support common commerce platforms. Status and incident communications help with operational planning.

Tip from SmartRetry If you see higher declines, segment by country/device and compare PayPal vs card checkout outcomes; then A/B test button placement and flow steps to reduce drop-off.

Currencies

Processing currenciesUSD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CAD, AUD, CNY, CHF, HKD, SGD, MXN, BRL, NZD, SEK, NOK, DKK, PLN, CZK, HUF, ILS, THB, PHP, MYR, TWD

Available in

Available countries
  • Global

FAQ

PayPal is primarily a payment provider/wallet that enables customers to pay using their PayPal balance, linked funding sources, or other supported methods. It can be used alongside your existing PSP/acquirer setup.
PayPal operates globally, but onboarding eligibility, supported products, and feature availability can vary by merchant region and business type.
Common reasons include customer account or funding-source issues, risk checks, currency/country restrictions, or buyer drop-off during checkout. Review decline/cancel reasons in reporting and compare by segment (country, device, new vs. ret
Start by monitoring approval/decline trends by customer segment and checkout entry point, then reduce friction (clear messaging, fewer steps) and ensure your account settings, currencies, and shipping details match what you sell.
PayPal disputes are managed within PayPal’s dispute workflow, while card chargebacks are handled through card networks and your acquirer/PSP. Each has different evidence requirements and timelines.
Yes. Many merchants add PayPal as an additional checkout option to cover wallet-preferred customers, while continuing to accept cards through their PSP/acquirer.

Statuses

StatusesAll
CodeDescriptionLevelFrequencyResolution
Order & Authorization Status
CREATED

Order / Authorization Created

The order or authorization has been created and is awaiting payer approval or capture. No funds have been moved yet.

Pending, InfoCommonT0
SAVED

Order Saved

The order has been saved and can be completed later. The payer has not yet approved the order.

Pending, InfoOccasionalT0
APPROVED

Order Approved

The customer has approved the order via the PayPal flow. Merchant must now capture the payment to move funds.

Pending, InfoCommonT0
COMPLETED

Payment Completed

The payment (capture or refund) has been successfully completed and funds have been settled.

SuccessCommonT0
VOIDED

Authorization Voided

The authorized payment has been cancelled and can no longer be captured.

InfoOccasionalT0
CAPTURED

Authorization Captured

An authorization has been fully captured. Used as the authorization object status after a successful capture.

SuccessCommonT0
PARTIALLY_CAPTURED

Partially Captured

The authorization has been partially captured. Additional captures may still be possible up to the authorized amount.

Pending, InfoOccasionalT0
DECLINED

Payment Declined

The payment capture was declined by the processor or bank. The merchant should prompt the customer to use a different payment method.

Error, DeclineCommonT2
FAILED

Payment Failed

The transaction failed due to a processing error. Retry may be attempted with appropriate back-off.

ErrorOccasionalT0
PENDING

Payment Pending

The transaction is pending review, bank processing, or regulatory checks. Merchants should not fulfil orders until this resolves.

PendingOccasionalT0
Refund Status
REFUNDED

Fully Refunded

The captured payment has been fully refunded to the payer.

InfoOccasionalT0
PARTIALLY_REFUNDED

Partially Refunded

A portion of the captured payment has been refunded. Additional refunds are possible up to the original capture amount.

InfoOccasionalT0
CANCELLED

Refund Cancelled

A refund was cancelled before it was processed.

InfoRareT0
CAPTURE_FULLY_REFUNDED

Capture Fully Refunded

The capture has already been fully refunded. No additional refunds can be issued against it.

ErrorOccasionalT0
DUPLICATE_REFUND

Duplicate Refund

The invoice ID provided has already been used for a previous refund, indicating a possible duplicate refund attempt.

ErrorOccasionalT0
MAX_NUMBER_OF_REFUNDS_EXCEEDED

Max Refunds Exceeded

The number of refunds allowed per capture has been exceeded. Contact PayPal support to review limits.

ErrorRareT1
CANNOT_REFUND_SELF

Cannot Refund Self

The payer and payee for the refund cannot be the same entity.

ErrorRareT0
Authorization Errors
AUTHORIZATION_DENIED

Authorization Denied

The authorization was denied and cannot be captured. The merchant should request a new payment from the buyer.

Decline, ErrorOccasionalT2
AUTHORIZATION_EXPIRED

Authorization Expired

The authorization has passed its 29-day validity window and can no longer be captured.

ErrorOccasionalT0
AUTHORIZATION_VOIDED

Authorization Voided

The authorization was voided and cannot be captured or reauthorized.

ErrorOccasionalT0
AUTHORIZATION_ALREADY_CAPTURED

Authorization Already Captured

The authorization has already been fully captured and no additional captures are allowed.

ErrorOccasionalT0
AUTHORIZATION_AMOUNT_EXCEEDED

Authorization Amount Exceeded

The requested capture amount exceeds the authorized amount including any permitted overage (e.g. 115% in the US).

ErrorOccasionalT0
MAX_CAPTURE_AMOUNT_EXCEEDED

Max Capture Amount Exceeded

The sum of all captures exceeds the allowable limit (default 115% of the authorization). Contact PayPal support to adjust the overage limit.

ErrorRareT1
MAX_CAPTURE_COUNT_EXCEEDED

Max Capture Count Exceeded

The maximum number of allowed captures for this authorization has been reached.

ErrorRareT1
Decline Codes
INSTRUMENT_DECLINED

Instrument Declined

The payment instrument (card or PayPal account) was declined by the processor or bank, or cannot be used for this payment. Prompt the buyer to try a different payment method.

Decline, ErrorCommonT2
PAYMENT_DENIED

Payment Denied

PayPal declined to process the transaction based on risk or business rules. The merchant should ask the buyer to contact PayPal or try another payment method.

Decline, ErrorOccasionalT2
TRANSACTION_REFUSED

Transaction Refused

The transaction was refused by PayPal. This is a general decline that may be triggered by risk or compliance rules.

Decline, ErrorOccasionalT2
PAYER_ACCOUNT_LOCKED_OR_CLOSED

Payer Account Locked or Closed

The buyer's PayPal account is locked or closed and cannot be used for payments.

Decline, ErrorOccasionalT3
PAYER_ACCOUNT_RESTRICTED

Payer Account Restricted

The buyer's PayPal account has restrictions that prevent it from being used for this transaction.

Decline, ErrorOccasionalT2
PAYER_CANNOT_PAY

Payer Cannot Pay

A combination of payer and payee account settings prevents this buyer from paying this seller.

Decline, ErrorRareT3
PAYEE_BLOCKED_TRANSACTION

Payee Blocked Transaction

The transaction was declined by PayPal's Fraud Protection or Chargeback Protection tools due to potential fraud risk. Merchants should review their fraud settings.

Decline, ErrorOccasionalT1
TRANSACTION_BLOCKED_BY_PAYEE

Transaction Blocked by Payee

Transaction was blocked by the merchant's own Fraud Protection settings.

Decline, ErrorOccasionalT1
COMPLIANCE_VIOLATION

Compliance Violation

Transaction is declined due to regulatory or compliance rules, such as country-level restrictions or sanctions.

Decline, ErrorRareT3
TRANSACTION_LIMIT_EXCEEDED

Transaction Limit Exceeded

The total payment amount exceeds the per-transaction limit set on the account.

Decline, ErrorOccasionalT2
TRANSACTION_RECEIVING_LIMIT_EXCEEDED

Receiving Limit Exceeded

The transaction exceeds the merchant's receiving limit.

Decline, ErrorRareT1
MAX_NUMBER_OF_PAYMENT_ATTEMPTS_EXCEEDED

Max Payment Attempts Exceeded

The buyer has exceeded the maximum number of allowed payment attempts for this order. A new order must be created.

Decline, ErrorOccasionalT0
CARD_EXPIRED

Card Expired

The payment card presented has passed its expiration date and cannot be charged.

Decline, ErrorCommonT3
INVALID_CARD_NUMBER

Invalid Card Number

The card number provided fails Luhn validation or is otherwise not a valid card number.

Decline, ErrorOccasionalT0
PAYMENT_SOURCE_DECLINED_BY_PROCESSOR

Payment Source Declined by Processor

The payment source was explicitly declined by the card network or acquiring processor. Buyer should use a different payment method.

Decline, ErrorCommonT2
PAYMENT_SOURCE_CANNOT_BE_USED

Payment Source Cannot Be Used

The provided payment source is not eligible for this payment. The buyer must use a different payment method.

Decline, ErrorOccasionalT3
PAYMENT_SOURCE_INFO_CANNOT_BE_VERIFIED

Payment Source Info Unverifiable

The combination of payment source name, billing address, shipping name, and address could not be verified. Buyer should correct the information.

Decline, ErrorOccasionalT0
AUTHORIZATION_DENIED

Authorization Denied

The authorization was denied and cannot be captured. The merchant should request a new payment from the buyer.

Decline, ErrorOccasionalT2
0000

Approved

Processor response: the transaction was approved and authorized.

SuccessCommonT0
0500

Do Not Honor

Processor response: the issuing bank declined the transaction with a generic 'do not honor' code. The buyer should contact their bank.

DeclineCommonT2
0510

Insufficient Funds

Processor response: the card or account does not have sufficient funds to cover the transaction amount.

DeclineCommonT3
5400

Expired Card

Processor response: the card has expired. The buyer must use a valid unexpired card.

DeclineCommonT3
9500

Suspected Fraud

Processor response: the transaction was flagged as suspected fraud by the issuer or processor.

Decline, ErrorOccasionalT2
9520

Lost or Stolen Card

Processor response: the card has been reported as lost or stolen. Do not retry; advise the buyer to use another payment method.

Decline, ErrorRareT3
Error Codes
DUPLICATE_INVOICE_ID

Duplicate Invoice ID

The invoice ID has already been used for a previous transaction. Merchants must ensure invoice IDs are unique per transaction.

ErrorOccasionalT0
PAYEE_ACCOUNT_LOCKED_OR_CLOSED

Merchant Account Locked or Closed

The merchant's PayPal account is locked or closed, preventing payment receipt.

ErrorRareT1
PAYEE_ACCOUNT_RESTRICTED

Merchant Account Restricted

The merchant's PayPal account has restrictions that prevent them from receiving this payment.

ErrorRareT1
PAYEE_ACCOUNT_INVALID

Merchant Account Invalid

The payee account specified is invalid. The merchant should verify their email address or merchant ID.

ErrorOccasionalT1
INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR

Internal Server Error

An unexpected server-side error occurred on PayPal's platform. The merchant should retry the request after a brief delay.

ErrorOccasionalT0
AUTHENTICATION_FAILURE

Authentication Failure

Authentication failed due to a missing or invalid authorization header or credentials. Verify OAuth tokens and API credentials.

ErrorOccasionalT1
NOT_AUTHORIZED

Not Authorized

The API caller lacks sufficient permissions to perform the requested operation.

ErrorOccasionalT1
RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND

Resource Not Found

The specified resource ID (order, capture, authorization, or refund) does not exist.

ErrorOccasionalT0
RESOURCE_CONFLICT

Resource Conflict

A previous request on this resource is currently in progress. Space out retries to avoid this error.

ErrorOccasionalT0
INVALID_REQUEST

Invalid Request

The request is malformed, syntactically incorrect, or violates the API schema. Review field values and structure.

ErrorCommonT0
UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY

Unprocessable Entity

The request is syntactically correct but semantically invalid or fails business validation (e.g., amount mismatch, unsupported intent).

ErrorCommonT0
MISSING_REQUIRED_PARAMETER

Missing Required Parameter

A required field is absent from the request payload. Check API reference for mandatory fields.

ErrorCommonT0
INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE

Invalid Parameter Value

A field contains a value that is not within the accepted set of values for that field.

ErrorCommonT0
INVALID_PARAMETER_SYNTAX

Invalid Parameter Syntax

A field value does not conform to the expected format (e.g., date format, email, phone number).

ErrorCommonT0
MALFORMED_REQUEST_JSON

Malformed Request JSON

The request body is not valid JSON. Ensure proper JSON serialization before sending.

ErrorOccasionalT0
INVALID_CURRENCY_CODE

Invalid Currency Code

The currency code is not a valid ISO-4217 code or is not currently supported by PayPal.

ErrorOccasionalT0
AMOUNT_MISMATCH

Amount Mismatch

The order amount does not equal the sum of its breakdown components (item total, tax, shipping, etc.).

ErrorOccasionalT0
INVALID_ACCOUNT_STATUS

Invalid Account Status

Account validation failed for the user; the account may be unverified, suspended, or in a restricted state.

ErrorOccasionalT2
KYC_HOLD

KYC Hold

The payment is held because the merchant's Know Your Customer (KYC) verification is incomplete.

Pending, ErrorOccasionalT1
NOT_ENABLED_FOR_CARD_PROCESSING

Not Enabled for Card Processing

The merchant's account is not configured to process direct card payments. Contact PayPal support.

ErrorRareT1
AUTH_CAPTURE_NOT_ENABLED

Auth & Capture Not Enabled

The authorize-then-capture flow is not enabled for the merchant. Ensure the receiving account is a verified business account.

ErrorRareT1

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