Payment Problems? Getting Help Via the PayPal Phone Number

PayPal is an internet-based payment system that lets people buy things, send money to people they know and receive funds  they can transfer to their linked bank accounts — among other things. 

It usually works well, but you might run into problems completing a payment or doing other necessities through the service from time to time. Here’s a breakdown of how you can use the PayPal phone number and additional kinds of support. 

Log Into Your Account to Start

PayPal’s Contact Us only provides a phone option to people logged into their accounts. Start by signing in, then scroll down to the footer and click the link you find there. 

The bottom part of the Contact Us screen offers you various options for getting in touch with PayPal, including by calling them. The numbers provided after you click on that choice are:

1-888-221-1161 (Inside of the U.S.)

1-402-935-2050 (Outside of the U.S.)

The company does not indicate that its telephone customer service representatives will only help people who have accounts. However, the important thing to remember is that you will not see the PayPal phone number before signing in with your information. 

Other Things to Know About Calling PayPal

It’s also helpful to know when PayPal’s phone-based customer service operates. You can get in touch from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time every day. Hours may vary on some national holidays. For example, on Memorial Day 2020, the company started answering phones at the usual time but closed three hours early. 

Logging into PayPal and following the process described above will also give you a personalized numerical code. Mentioning it during a call should give you faster service. The string of numbers only remains valid for a brief time, however. Only jot down that code if you plan to dial PayPal’s number immediately or within the next few minutes. 

More Help Available Once You Access Your Account

PayPal also lets you send a message or access the company’s Resolution Center when you log in to an account. If you buy something via PayPal and want to complain about the seller, that happens in the Resolution Center. 

People go into that area of PayPal’s site to directly engage with the relevant party, whether to make a complaint or attempt to resolve a dispute. Those involved have 20 days to smooth things over. If they can’t do that, the situation goes to PayPal in the form of a claim. 

Some parts of the PayPal site require a person to log in before they can send a message. However, there is also an email form people can access without signing into an account or even having one. You may find out that logging in becomes necessary after you attempt to submit the form, however. 

Turning to the Community for Answers

Another way to get help is by asking fellow PayPal users through the site’s official Community Forum. You can search for relevant information and read it without having an account. However, if you want to start a new topic or reply to a thread, you’ll need to sign up for PayPal first. 

The forum has moderators, and numerous topic categories let you filter results to find the most appropriate content. However, you’ll see a box appear that clarifies PayPal does not take responsibility for what people post on these message boards. 

The easiest way to use the forums efficiently is to either type a keyword into the search box or click on one of the broad message categories — such as PayPal Help Community. From there, you can narrow the search by choosing a subtopic. 

Receiving Assistance Without Using an Account

People who need help with PayPal but don’t yet have accounts or are having trouble accessing them will be glad to know that an option exists for them too. 

The Help Center is an ideal starting point for getting questions answered. There are topic categories on the left of the page, and you can click on the one that best matches your query. There is also a search box that allows you to type in keywords that fit what you want to know.  Notice the tabs that let you specify personal, business or technical help, too. 

Answers Beyond the PayPal Phone Number

It can feel frustrating if you’re trying to use PayPal and running into problems. Fortunately, help is available, whether you call the PayPal phone number or use one of the other choices explained here. 

Keep in mind, though, that there are more possibilities available once you have an account and sign in through it. If you have a straightforward question or are not ready to register with PayPal, it’s worth trying to get assistance outside of using your account first. Then, if those approaches don’t give the desired outcome, consider using your account to access more options.