PayPal has delivered comprehensive digital payment and money management services since 1998, when it was founded by Peter Theil and Max Levchin as Confinity. Its initial public offering was in 2002, and eBay acquired it for $1.5 billion later that year.
As time passed, PayPal became a go-to resource for independent sellers. Freelancers, small businesses, and individual service providers use it to accept credit card transactions without needing to sign up for expensive processing support.
A simple button with a click-and-paste code can be added to any website, sending customers to PayPal to complete transactions for different services.
When you need proof of payment for one of those transactions, what steps are required to obtain that information?
How Do I Get Proof of Payment on PayPal?
The easiest way to get proof of payment when using PayPal is to take a screenshot of the transaction. Some users also receive emails to their assigned accounts that detail the information, especially for debit card purchases. The invoice should be in the image, which is a 12-digit number that starts with 20.
When buyers make payments through PayPal, the platform issues a payment acknowledgment. There is an option to print this information.
Users also receive a confirmation email receipt, with a copy sent to the seller. This information is automatically generated by the system.
PayPal allows account holders to customize their payment page during the checkout process. That includes the logo, colors, and information presented to the customer, but resend options for receipts or proof of payment are not available.
The fastest way to get proof of payment on PayPal is to log into your account. Select the “Activities” header, display the report based on the dates you need to see on the transaction register, and find the information.
Click on the transaction. You’ll be taken to a screen where you will see the transaction details, including the payment and settlement information. You can screenshot this page or print it as a hard copy.
Some buyers use PayPal to process a transaction without having an account. Sellers receive a transactional email from the automated system that can be resent to buyers that need another copy of their purchase record.
The emails can be copied onto documents and sent to others. Some credit cards will list PayPal on the transaction page from that register, which could also be used as proof of payment in some situations.
What Is Proof of Payment?
Proof of payment is an authorized copy of a transaction record. If you pay by cash and receive a receipt from a cashier, you have been given an official statement that says the exchange took place.
Additional options that serve as proof of payment include a handwritten receipt, credit card confirmation, and an automated clearinghouse transfer. Check copies, debit card payments, and bank records also serve in this role.
It can be anything that demonstrates payment was sent or received in the amount due for a specific transaction. For PayPal, that includes a screenshot of a digital record that shows you completed a transaction.
Is a Screenshot Accepted as Proof of Payment Everywhere?
Although most countries accept a screenshot as proof of payment, some exceptions exist. The most notable comes from Australia and New Zealand.
When your bank is in those two countries, you’ll need more than a screenshot of your activities to offer evidence of a transaction. A recent statement that includes the date of issue, the institution’s details, and your name must be included when submitting documentation.
A screenshot might not be accepted in specific situations where there isn’t enough information about the account holder. If you are in this situation with PayPal, it might be easier to print your activity record to serve as an official account of your transactions.
How to Print a Receipt on PayPal
You’ll receive confirmation of your transaction history within your activity register if you have a PayPal account. The first step is to log into your account. Once you get past the introductory screens and offers, you’ll reach your online dashboard.
Once you get to the dashboard, you’ll want to continue with these additional steps to print a receipt for proof of payment on PayPal.
- Click on the “Activity” link at the top of your dashboard.
- Locate the transaction that you want to have printed. PayPal sorts the information by date, so you might need to scroll down to find the purchase.
- If the receipt you need is more than six months old, it’s often easier to search your transaction history by inputting the dates where you expect the information to be found.
- Review the transaction record to ensure you’ve found the correct receipt. Some accounts receive one activity for the initial purchase and another for the settlement. You can tell which one you’re looking at because the purchase deducts the money from your balance as a buyer. If you’re a seller, the correct one adds funds to your account.
- You can choose to “Print Packing Slip” as a seller or use the browser’s print function to send the information to your printer to retain a hard copy of the transaction.
How to Print a Transaction Record on PayPal
After logging into your PayPal account, you’ll need to proceed past the introductory offer screens to reach your account overview. The standard dashboard puts your balance at the top left of the screen, while your quick links and action options will be on the right.
Some users may have a “Recommended for You” section on the right side of the screen.
Scroll past these items, including your notifications, to reach your recent activity section. You’ll see three options available: “Payments Received,” “Payments Sent,” and “Activity (Including Balance and Fees).
You can click on the payments received or sent options if you need a receipt to serve as proof of payment. This action filters your activity screen to focus on those items. You’ll scroll through the various transactions until you discover the record you need.
When you need a full accounting of your financial activities on PayPal to serve as proof of payment, you’ll need to choose the “Activity” option.
After clicking on the option, you’ll be presented with a searchable register of your transactions. The default screen displays the most recent sales activity from the account.
You can search for a specific transaction using the bar at the top of the screen. Type in the name of the business or customer, then click on the magnifying glass.
Several filters are available for you to consider when looking for a specific record.
- You can select from the active transactions, archived ones, or a combination of both.
- Choose the transaction type you want to see, including funding instruments, money requests, payouts, orders, invoices, and holds.
- Account holders can see their activities from the past 30 or 90 days. Additional options include the current year, the previous one, or a custom search.
- If you pay or receive transactions in multiple currencies, you can choose that function. There is the option to look for a specific purchase or sales amount.
Once you’ve sorted the information with the various filters, you should receive a record of the transactions that require proof of payment. There is a “Download” link above that information on the right side.
You’ll be taken to a reports screen. You can keep up to 12 activity reports at a time from this part of your profile. The files download directly to your computer or mobile device. Several format options are available, including CSV, TAB, PDF, and IIF (QuickBooks).
After downloading the information, you can use the register as proof of payment. It can be submitted digitally or printed as a hard copy.
Should I Use PayPal for Payments?
PayPal offers protections for buyers and sellers that aren’t always available for cash transactions and other types. By creating a specific record of each activity, it is a simple process to print a proof of payment or take a screenshot.
PayPal simplifies the issue of finding a specific receipt if something happens. Buyers and sellers benefit from its search functions and filters, making it easy to prove shipments and deliveries or that a transaction occurred.
Although the steps are a little different than what you’ll find at most banks or financial institutions, the ease of use from the digital payments process makes up for any minor inconvenience.
Once you find the appropriate record, you can print or screenshot it for future reference. Some countries or investigations might require a deeper transaction record, but that info is also available through your PayPal account.
If you want simplified payments and a fast way to send or receive money, this platform does an excellent job of keeping everything organized. I’ve had outstanding experiences with this platform for more than a decade, especially when proof of payment needs appear.
