
You might be surprised to learn that there are billions of dollars in unclaimed money sitting in state treasuries and other government agencies across the US, waiting to be claimed by their rightful owners. This money can come from a variety of sources, including old bank accounts, stock dividends, and even tax refunds.
To search for your unclaimed money, you can visit the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) website, which provides a searchable database of unclaimed funds across all 50 states.
The NAUPA website allows you to search for your name, and you can also search by state if you know where the funds were held.
What Is Unclaimed Money?
Unclaimed money on PayPal can be a real mystery, but it's actually quite simple. Your payment can be unclaimed because the person you sent the money to hasn't created a PayPal account.
There are several reasons why your payment might be unclaimed. If the recipient hasn't accepted the payment yet, it's likely to be stuck in limbo. This can be frustrating, especially if you're waiting for a refund or reimbursement.
Here are some common reasons why payments might be unclaimed:
- Created a PayPal account
- Accepted the payment yet
- Confirmed his or her bank account
- Added the email address or phone number you sent the money to
Claiming Money
If your payment status is pending, you might be able to cancel your payment and get your money back by contacting the seller to cancel your order and request a PayPal refund.
To cancel a pending payment on PayPal, log in to your account, go to your Activity Page, click on Cancel when you find the pending payment, and then tap Cancel Payment.
You can also wait 30 days, as PayPal will automatically refund your money if your payment status stays unclaimed for that long.
If you want to claim your funds, ensure that any issues causing unclaimed money have been resolved.
To claim your funds, follow these steps:
- Log in to PayPal
- Go to your Activity Page
- Click on Cancel when you find the pending payment
- Tap Cancel Payment
Payment Issues
If a payment you sent is pending or unclaimed, it means the recipient hasn't received or hasn't accepted the payment yet.
You can cancel an unclaimed payment on the web by going to Activity, clicking Cancel under the payment in question, and following the steps to cancel the payment.
The payment would be pending or unclaimed if it has been sent to an email address or phone number that isn’t registered to a verified PayPal account.
To cancel an unclaimed payment on the app, tap Wallet, tap Activity, find the payment and tap to open, and then tap Cancel.
If the recipient has opted not to automatically accept certain payments, you won't have the option to cancel the payment yourself - they need to accept or deny the payment within 30 days.
We automatically cancel pending or unclaimed payments after 30 days and send the payments back to the original payment method.
Here are the steps to cancel an unclaimed payment:
- Go to Activity.
- Click Cancel under the payment in question.
- Follow the steps to cancel the payment.
- Tap Wallet.
- Tap Activity.
- Find the payment and tap to open.
- Tap Cancel.
Payment Denial
Payment Denial can be a frustrating experience, but it's essential to understand the process. If the recipient denies payment or is yet to accept it, it will turn up as unclaimed on your PayPal account until they decide to accept it.
In this situation, PayPal will hold onto the payment for thirty days. After this period, they will refund the money to your bank account, credit/debit card, or PayPal balance.
Payment Status Showing "?
If your payment status is showing "unclaimed", it's likely because the recipient hasn't received or accepted the payment yet. This can happen if the payment was sent to an email address or phone number that isn't registered to a verified PayPal account.
The recipient may need to set up a PayPal account or verify their account for the payment to complete. You can also cancel the payment if you haven't already sent it.
To cancel an unclaimed payment on the web, go to Activity and click Cancel under the payment in question. Follow the steps to cancel the payment.
On the app, tap Wallet, then Activity, find the payment and tap to open, and finally tap Cancel.
Alternatively, the payment may be pending or unclaimed because the recipient has opted not to automatically accept certain payments, such as those not in their preferred currency or from buyers with unconfirmed addresses. In this case, you won't be able to cancel the payment yourself.
The recipient needs to accept or deny the payment within 30 days. If they don't, the payment will be automatically cancelled after 30 days and sent back to the original payment method.
Here's a summary of what to do if your payment status is showing "unclaimed":
- Check the recipient's email address or phone number to make sure it's correct
- Make sure the recipient has a verified PayPal account
- Cancel the payment if you haven't already sent it
- Wait for the recipient to accept or deny the payment within 30 days
Inactive Accounts
Inactive accounts can be a problem if you haven't used your PayPal account in a while.
If your PayPal account has been inactive for more than seven years, your payment status may be tagged unclaimed.
This is because PayPal considers accounts inactive if no deposits or withdrawal transactions have been made in that time.
Inactive Account
If you haven't used your PayPal account for more than seven years, it may be labeled as inactive. This can happen if you've not made any deposits or withdrawal transactions in the last seven years.
Any payment made to an inactive account becomes unclaimed, which means you won't be able to access it.
Unregistered Account

The recipient needs to register a PayPal account before payment can be claimed. This is a straightforward process that can be completed online.
A PayPal account can be registered with just a few clicks, and once it's set up, the payment status should update to reflect that the money is available. This is a common solution to the "unclaimed" issue.
Searching for Unclaimed Money
If you're looking for unclaimed money on PayPal, it's likely because the person you sent the money to hasn't created a PayPal account.
The person you sent money to might not have accepted the payment yet, which can cause the payment to be unclaimed.
To claim unclaimed money on PayPal, the person you sent the money to needs to confirm their bank account.
If the person you sent money to hasn't added the email address or phone number you sent the money to, it can also cause the payment to be unclaimed.
You can also search for unclaimed property on the MissingMoney website, which is sponsored by NAUPA.
Entering your name on MissingMoney.com can give you results for all the states in the website's database.
If you want to narrow down your search, you can add a state and city, but keep in mind that MissingMoney.com doesn't have a database of unclaimed money in all states.
Here are some reasons why your payment on PayPal might be unclaimed:
- Created a PayPal account
- Accepted the payment yet
- Confirmed his or her bank account
- Added the email address or phone number you sent the money to
Sources
- https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/About-Protections-Archive/Unclaimed-Property-Letter/td-p/941204
- https://donotpay.com/learn/how-to-claim-unclaimed-money-on-paypal/
- https://www.askdavetaylor.com/does-paypal-ever-send-email-about-unclaimed-money/
- https://mainpath.com/how-to-claim-unclaimed-money-on-paypal/
- https://www.paypal.com/in/cshelp/article/why-is-the-payment-i-sent-pending-or-unclaimed-can-i-cancel-it-help111
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