NewNo plan feeNo plan fee. Just 2.9% + $0.30 per card sale, and signing up is free.Try now →

PayPal · Chargeback reason codes

PayPal "Incorrect amount" dispute: what it means and how to win

Checked

A PayPal Incorrect Amount dispute (reason INCORRECT_AMOUNT) means the buyer says they were charged a different amount from the price they agreed to. It opens as a claim and you have 10 days to respond. Answer with the checkout or invoice showing the amount the buyer approved, including shipping, tax and any add-ons, or refund the difference and send PayPal the refund ID. Seller Protection does not cover it.

Category
Processing error
Time limit to respond
10 days from when the dispute is opened; no reply means the case closes in the buyer's favour if it is escalated
Typical evidence
Order summary the buyer approved; refund ID for any difference
Can it be prevented?
Yes: show the full total, shipping and tax before the buyer pays
Who usually wins
The seller when the charged total matches what the buyer approved

What PlatformDTC does

PlatformDTC records every PayPal dispute on the order from PayPal's webhook and an hourly re-check, and when a case reaches the claim or chargeback stage it can stop the subscription behind that payment (with auto-cancel on chargebacks switched on). You answer PayPal disputes in PayPal's Resolution Center. The order keeps the line items, shipping, discounts and total the buyer approved at checkout.

What it means

The buyer agrees they bought from you but disputes the amount.

Why customers file it

Shipping, tax or a currency conversion added to the price, an upsell the buyer forgot accepting, or a recurring charge whose price changed.

Evidence that wins

Send the items that answer the bank's exact question. Each one should be dated and tied to this order.

  • The order summary or invoice with the total the buyer approved
  • Where shipping, tax and add-ons were shown before payment
  • If you refunded the difference: the refund ID

How to prevent it

  • Show the final total, including shipping and tax, before the PayPal button
  • Email advance notice before a recurring charge changes price; PayPal's User Agreement gives buyers at least 10 days' notice for varying recurring charges

For developers

In the PayPal Disputes API (GET /v1/customer/disputes/{id}) this case has reason INCORRECT_AMOUNT. dispute_life_cycle_stage is INQUIRY, CHARGEBACK (PayPal's own claim stage, not a card chargeback), PRE_ARBITRATION or ARBITRATION, and dispute_channel is INTERNAL for a PayPal case or EXTERNAL when the buyer went to their card issuer.

Read seller_response_due_date for the deadline: if you do not respond by then, the dispute closes in the buyer's favour. Evidence files can be JPG, GIF, PNG or PDF, under 10 MB each and 50 MB per case. Evidence types: PROOF_OF_REFUND for the difference, or OTHER with a price-difference explanation.

Frequently asked questions

Can I refund only the difference?
Yes. PayPal accepts proof of a refund for the difference in amount as evidence.
Is there a fee?
In the US PayPal charges a $15 dispute fee (or $30 at the high-volume rate) after a claim or chargeback is decided, but not for inquiries that are never escalated, cases settled with the buyer, cases covered by Seller Protection or cases decided in your favour.

Sources

Related

Payments library