Martin Lewis issues urgent warning to anyone with a PayPal account

Martin Lewis
(Image credit: Getty)

Martin Lewis has issued a payment protection warning to those who use PayPal.

The money and finances expert gave his two cents on the online payment method during an episode of the Martin Lewis Money Show when a viewer called in to ask about the security of using Apple Pay. 

"I've recently started using Apple Pay for purchases above the contactless limit, but I'm worried that I might not have Section 75 protection," the caller said.

Section 75 protection means that card companies are jointly liable if a purchase goes wrong for goods costing between £100 and £30,000.

Martin explained that while using Apple Pay for payments is just the same as using your card in any other circumstance, using PayPal doesn't offer the same protection for spenders.

Martin Lewis PayPal warning

Credit: Getty

"Apple Pay is just another way of using your card, it's effectively like using the card," Martin said.

"You still get the Section 75 protection which makes the credit card company jointly liable if you buy something that costs over £100, but less than £30,000."

Martin told viewers that using Apple Pay is the best bet to ensure payment protection, saying, "Sometimes you don't get that protection using the credit card through PayPal, but you do in most cases on Apple Pay."

PayPal's website states that the ‘Buyer Protection’ programme entitles you to reimbursement for the full purchase price of an item plus the original shipping costs you paid, if any, when you don’t receive it from a seller, or when you receive an item, but the item isn’t what you ordered.

In a statement PayPal said, "PayPal provides its own comprehensive Buyer Protection programme which, unlike s75 protection, does not have a minimum or maximum purchase value.

"Buyer Protection covers unauthorised payments, as well as purchases that don't arrive, or don't match the seller's description."

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Caitlin Elliott
Junior News Editor

Caitlin is a Junior News Editor for Goodto.com, covering all things royal, celeb, lifestyle, food, and family. Having set her sights on becoming a magazine journalist when she was a child, Caitlin took on work experience stints at local papers and titles such as Cosmopolitan, Now, Reveal and Take a Break while studying for her Multimedia Journalism degree and has interviews with celebs, reality stars and the Archbishop of Canterbury under her belt (of course, she couldn't resist asking him about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry).