PayPal · Chargeback reason codes
PayPal "Payment by other means" dispute: what it means and how to win
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A PayPal Payment by Other Means dispute (reason PAYMENT_BY_OTHER_MEANS) means the buyer says they already paid for this purchase another way, such as by card or bank transfer, so the PayPal payment is a second charge. It opens as a claim with a 10-day response window. Show that the two payments were for different orders, or refund one and send the refund ID. Seller Protection does not cover it.
- Category
- Processing error (Stripe category: duplicate)
- 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
- Records showing each payment belongs to a different order, or the refund ID
- Can it be prevented?
- Yes: cancel unpaid orders before taking a second payment for them
- Who usually wins
- The seller when each payment maps to its own order
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. Every payment, whichever method was used, is tied to a single order, which shows whether two payments really covered one purchase.
What it means
The buyer says the same purchase was paid twice using two different methods.
Why customers file it
A failed card attempt the buyer thought went through, a checkout retried with PayPal, or two separate orders the buyer believes were one.
Evidence that wins
Send the items that answer the bank's exact question. Each one should be dated and tied to this order.
- Order records showing the other payment belongs to a different order
- If both payments covered one order: the refund ID for one of them
- Messages with the buyer
How to prevent it
- Show a clear order confirmation after payment so buyers do not pay again
- Refund a second payment for the same order as soon as you spot it
For developers
In the PayPal Disputes API (GET /v1/customer/disputes/{id}) this case has reason PAYMENT_BY_OTHER_MEANS. 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 or OTHER.
Frequently asked questions
- How is this different from a duplicate transaction?
- A duplicate transaction is two PayPal payments for one purchase; payment by other means is one PayPal payment plus a payment made some other way.
- 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
- Dispute reasons and evidence — PayPal Developer
- Disputes API v1 schema — PayPal Developer
- PayPal merchant fees — PayPal
Related
- DUPLICATE_TRANSACTION — The buyer says they were charged twice for the same purchase.
- INCORRECT_AMOUNT — The buyer says they were charged a different amount than agreed.
- CANCELED_RECURRING_BILLING — The buyer says they were charged after cancelling a subscription or recurring payment.
- EXTERNAL — The buyer paid through PayPal with a card and disputed it with their card issuer instead.
- MERCHANDISE_OR_SERVICE_NOT_RECEIVED — The buyer says the order never arrived. Valid tracking that shows delivery usually wins it.
- MERCHANDISE_OR_SERVICE_NOT_AS_DESCRIBED — The buyer says the item is very different from your listing, damaged, fake or missing parts.
- UNAUTHORISED — The account holder says they did not make or allow the payment. Goes straight to a claim.
- CREDIT_NOT_PROCESSED — The buyer says a refund or credit they were promised never came through.