PayPal has announced the  launch of its  Seller Protection Programme in some Sub-Saharan Africa  countries,  in an effort to empower local businesses to trade  online,  both locally and globally with confidence and peace of mind.

PayPal’s Seller Protection Programme  is designed to help protect merchants  from buyer’s claims, chargeback, and reversals, so that they are  better able to take advantage  of the opportunities offered by eCommerce. The programme may provide coverage  to sellers  against claims, chargebacks or reversals on eligible sales in two cases, subject to the relevant terms and conditions set out in PayPal Legal Agreements:

• Unauthorised transactions – When a buyer claims that they never authorised the payment for the purchase
• Item Not Received – When a buyer claims that he did not receive the good or service purchased

The service is now available in South Africa, Kenya and Mauritius, and seeks to empower business owners in the region as they grow and expand their eCommerce  activity.  The launch of the service comes at an ideal time, as African business owners can take advantage of the festive shopping season to sell more goods and services online, with the peace of mind that their shopping transactions are protected at all times.

“The African continent is making immense strides in technology and eCommerce, but many are still unsure of the risks associated with selling goods and services online. The PayPal Seller Protection Programme allows merchants to trade online  with greater confidence,” said Efi Dahan, general manager, Middle East and Africa at PayPal.

PayPal’s Seller Protection Programme  covers  both tangible and intangible goods. Intangible  goods  include  services  such  as  flights and accommodation for travel, tickets to concerts or events, and professional services like graphic design, photography or business consulting. The programme helps protect sellers with services such as enhanced security, 24/7 monitoring, merchant fraud prevention, dispute resolution and support for selling around the globe in 25 currencies and 200 countries. 

“At PayPal, when we approach online shopping, we don’t just look at the point of purchase. We’re invested in every step of the journey,” continued Dahan.  “We are pleased to be able to introduce these improved protections - as part of our work to increase trust and confidence in eCommerce,” he concludes.