Payment company · complaint record
Is PayPal legit?
Filed under Paypal Holdings, Inc
PayPal is a real payment company with a public complaint record: 44,721 complaints since 2013, and it is still answering them. It answered 99.9% on time and closed 42% with relief. A complaint record shows how a company treats people when things go wrong - it doesn't prove wrongdoing, and bigger companies get more complaints.
Strong response record. How it works
What the record shows
Good signs
- Answers complaints on time99.9% of complaints answered within 15 days.
- Gives relief more often than most42% closed with money back or a fix - a typical payment company manages 16%.
- Active and answeringIt took part in the complaint process as recently as Nov 6, 2026.
- Response Score 85/100Grade A: strong response record.
Red flags
- Complaints rising fast+95% in the last 12 months against the year before.
- Many complaints mention fraud or scams6,439 complaints (14%) are about fraud or scams - often scammers using the company, not the company itself.
From the complaint record only. A company can be legitimate and still not be right for you; a company with few complaints may simply be small.
- Complaints on record
- 44,721
- Last 12 months
- 12,935
- Answered on time
- 99.9%
- Closed with relief
- 42%
- Last 30 days
- 715
- Rank
- #2 of 72
Since April 2013
+95% vs the year before
Industry: 98.1%
Typical payment company: 16%
Newest: Nov 6, 2026
Most complained-about payment apps & money transfer services
How to check PayPal yourself
- Use contact details you found yourself. Go to the company's own website or the number on your card or statement - never a number or link from a text, email or caller.
- Check its licence. Lenders, servicers and money transmitters are usually licensed by the states - search NMLS Consumer Access and your state's financial regulator.
- Read the latest complaints. Look for the same problem again and again in the complaint log, and at how they were answered.
- Read people's own experiences. See what others say about PayPal, and add yours.
- Get everything in writing before you pay, sign or share anything.
More: how to check if a company is legit · how to spot financial scams
Your rights with payment apps & money transfer services
For international transfers the Remittance Rule gives you 180 days to report an error and a right to cancel within 30 minutes in most cases. Payment apps that hold money in an account are generally covered by Regulation E for unauthorized transfers - report them quickly and in writing. Payments you authorized yourself, even to a scammer, are much harder to get back.
General information, not legal advice; rules vary by state. Plain-English guides
Experiences with PayPal
AllHave you dealt with PayPal? Tell people whether it was legit in your experience.
Share yoursQuestions people ask
Is PayPal a real company?
PayPal is a real payment company with a public complaint record: 44,721 complaints since 2013, and it is still answering them. It answered 99.9% on time and closed 42% with relief. A complaint record shows how a company treats people when things go wrong - it doesn't prove wrongdoing, and bigger companies get more complaints.
Is PayPal a scam?
Its record shows a real payment company that answers complaints through the official process (99.9% on time). Scammers often pretend to be well-known companies, though: if someone contacts you claiming to be PayPal, hang up or delete the message and contact the company using details you found yourself. Never send money to someone you only know online, to "yourself" at someone else's request, or to fix a problem with an account. Payment apps work like cash: once it's sent, it is usually gone.
Can I trust PayPal?
Look at the trend and the answers rather than the total: PayPal closed 42% of complaints with relief and complaints are rising. Read the experiences from people like you.
What should I do if PayPal won't fix my problem?
Put it in writing to the company, keep copies, then file an official complaint - companies must answer. See what to do if a company ignores your complaint.
Complaint records are public consumer complaints filed with U.S. regulators, checked (newest received Nov 15, 2026). Complaints are consumers' own accounts and are not verified; counts grow with a company's size. How the data works
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