paypal
It's not hard to contact PayPal.
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  • You can contact PayPal over the phone, or use their online Help Center and Message Assistant.
  • To reach PayPal via phone, call 1-888-221-1161 using the phone number connected to your PayPal account.
  • The online Help Center is filled with articles on nearly every PayPal topic, and also lets you chat online with a representative.
  • Two other options include the PayPal Community Forums and Resolution Center, but these don’t work nearly as quickly.
  • Visit Business Insider’s Tech Reference library for more stories.

PayPal is a relatively easy platform to use. Whether you’re buying a product or service online, sending money to friends and family, or even receiving funds, it’s a pretty simple and straightforward process. 

However, if there comes a time when something’s not quite right with your account, and you get locked out or have an unexplained hold on funds, you might need to speak with someone who works for the company. 

Thankfully, PayPal offers several ways for users to get in touch and resolve their issues. And you can do this in a couple of different ways depending on your preferences.

How to contact PayPal via phone

The easiest way to contact PayPal is probably via their phone number, which is 1-888-221-1161. Try to call from the phone number associated with your PayPal account, if you can — it’ll make connecting to a representative faster. All you’ll need is the last four digits of your Social Security number.

Via this phone line, you can get immediate assistance with billing issues, account issues, and fraudulent charges.

If you don't want to contact PayPal by phone, you can go online for help. However, this may be slower.

How to contact PayPal online

All other general issues and even transaction disputes can likely be solved via the site's Help Center, PayPal Community Forums and Resolution Center. To access these features, you'll need to be logged into your PayPal account. 

The Community Forums and Resolution Center don't involve contacting PayPal directly, and are much slower. So here's how to use the Help Center, likely your next best tool for getting help from PayPal.

1. Log into your account on the PayPal website. 

2. Once logged in, you can scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and click "Contact Us" or go directly to www.paypal.com/us/smarthelp/home. 

3. This will open the Help Center. Select one of the issues listed here, to find a host of articles on every topic.

4. If you'd rather speak to someone, scroll to the bottom and click "Message us." 

messaging
You can message PayPal to solve your issue.
Jennifer Still/Business Insider

5. You'll be prompted to enter your issue in a chat window, and you will be given a standard, non-personalized response.

6. If this doesn't solve your query, however, type "Need more help," and your message will then be forwarded to a PayPal agent. They should respond within an hour, depending on what time of day you send your message.

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