why has a received payment been pending for over a week?

[Altruce]

my housemate sent me her rent money over pay pal last week (as a last resort, we usually use another service) and for some inexplicable reason the payment has been sitting on my account activity as "pending" for over a week now. We've paid our landlord the portion of rent that we had available, but still our rent is late now because of pay pal. There are no options to click on the transaction listing itself, it just sits there saying 'pending' and of course paypal is of zero help or explanation what so ever. Any advice on what to do/ how to get our money so we can finally send it to our landlord? 

[Altruce]

oh and it should be noted that the money has come out of her bank account, but it has not landed in my paypal account... so essentially pay pal is holding the funds for no apparent reason.

[kernowlass]

@Altruce 

Transfers from bank accounts are never instant as Paypal use electronic transfers ie echeques (cheaper but slower).

Funds normally leave your bank account from a few hours > few days later but they take several working days to clear through to the seller/Paypal as they go via ACH in batches....so paypal have not got it, when they get it they will credit it to you.

Its called instant because normally Paypal credit the seller upfront and then Paypal take the wait for the funds to transfer, this is so you get your item without delay.

However there are times however when its you and the seller / recipient that take the wait for the echeque to clear and here are some of the reasons...

1. Back up card has expired or needs updating.
2. You have had a recent negative balance or failed bank transfer (so paypal are not going to credit the seller in advance in case it happens again).
3. For some high cost riskier payments / transactions.
4. Friends / family payments *funded from a bank account* as this option is free then its you that takes the wait this time.
5. Clearing a negative balance.

[michaelveloz]

This is so freaking frustrating. I'm in the same boat. Two people paid me for the sale of items, both used "friends and family". In one case, I was credited right away in PayPal, and the other is sitting there for a week now, with "Pending".

The single most frustrating thing about this is that PayPal gives you absolutely no way to find out why it's pending, or how long it will be pending (Will I EVER get my funds?)...you're left in the dark and it's "tough **bleep**" from PayPal's point of view. Talk about rotten customer support.

[kernowlass]

@michaelveloz 

Its pending because its an echeque.

Transfers from bank accounts are never instant as Paypal use electronic transfers ie echeques (cheaper but slower).

Funds normally leave your bank account from a few hours > few days later but they take several working days to clear through to the seller/Paypal as they go via ACH in batches.

Its called instant because normally Paypal credit the seller upfront and then Paypal take the wait for the funds to transfer, this is so you get your item without delay.

However there are times however when its you and the seller / recipient that take the wait for the echeque to clear and here are some of the reasons...

1. Back up card has expired or needs updating.
2. You have had a recent negative balance or failed bank transfer (so paypal are not going to credit the seller in advance in case it happens again).
3. For some high cost riskier payments / transactions.
4. Friends / family payments *funded from a bank account* as this option is free then its you that takes the wait this time.
5. Clearing a negative balance.