It may be an unknown feature to most of its users but PayPal offers refunds on shipping costs associated with returns. This is a great, consumer-first feature that could be particularly useful right now, as COVID-19 has pushed online shopping to the forefront of public consciousness.
Returning online products has always been a frustrating process. Even when it goes smoothly, it can be difficult to know how to return something when it can't be simply walked into a store. It's such a hassle at times that platforms like Amazon often choose to just give people refunds without bothering to set a timeline on a return. During a pandemic, with the impact the virus has had on shipping pipelines, it's even more complicated to return online purchases and that's not even factoring in the obvious health risks.
While it can't eliminate the complications of shipping issues, PayPal's Return Shipping on Us refunds are still helpful. The service will reimburse up to $30 in shipping fees associated with a return, per transaction. Users are granted 12 refund reimbursements per calendar year and it only applies to transactions that were paid in full through PayPal funds. It's just a bit of financial relief, but it's welcome if it makes the prospect of shipping an item back to an online retailer less stressful.
How to Use PayPal's Return Shipping Reimbursements
This is a nice option to have, but it comes with some caveats. First, go to the return shipping website and activate the feature. It doesn't work until after agreeing to the terms there. Then, it requires meeting all the requirements for the refund from the original retailer. Since this is a reimbursement, PayPal members will have to essentially complete the entire return process with the seller first, then submit a refund request within 30 days of mailing back the item. To submit the Return Shipping on Us request, log in to PayPal. This will bring up the Summary page, with a list of options at the top. Use that menu to navigate to the Activity page, then locate the returned transactions. Below that item, there should be an option reading, "request return shipping refund".
The request for reimbursement will produce a list of things PayPal requires to validate the refund. That includes the date of the return, reason for the return, the items shipped, and, of course, how much that shipping cost. It'll also ask for a receipt or some other proof that the shipping has been paid already. All of this is PayPal attempting to avoid people scamming the system, so it's a lot of work on the user end.
Once these steps are processed, the refund is added directly into the PayPal balance. This feature will also only refund a return in situations where the original seller does not offer a free return, so keep that in mind.
Source: PayPal