Skip to content

The moment it happens

Get dispute details before the deadline

A new dispute lands in your inbox with its reason, amount and the date you must reply by.

Runs
The moment it happens
Apps
PayPal
AI
Not needed
Access
REST app with disputes feature

Send this to your assistant

Create a ClickRuntime automation: when a buyer opens a PayPal dispute, email me the reason, disputed amount, transaction ID and response deadline.

Paste it into your assistant. It tells you what it will send or change before it runs live.

First time? Adding ClickRuntime to your assistant takes about two minutes.

Why use it

Why teams use this automation

A PayPal dispute starts a clock. The seller has a limited window to respond with tracking numbers, proof of delivery or a refund, and missing that window usually means the buyer wins and the funds are held or taken back. The trouble is that PayPal's own notice lands in an inbox among receipts and marketing mail, so a dispute opened on Friday can sit unread until Monday.

When PayPal sends a dispute created event, the dispute is fetched in full so the details are not limited to the short webhook body. You receive an email at once with the dispute id, the amount, the buyer's reason and the response deadline, so the person who handles disputes can start gathering evidence the same day.

Small stores and marketplaces with a single person handling payments find it especially useful, since that person may not watch PayPal all day.

What you get out of it

  • Meet the response deadline

    Having the dispute in your inbox within moments gives you the full window to answer. A disputed sale answered on day one with a tracking link is far more likely to be settled in your favor.

  • Lose less money to unanswered claims

    Disputes that go unanswered are typically decided for the buyer. Quick notice lets you send evidence, offer a partial refund or settle, rather than losing both the item and the payment.

  • Everything needed in one email

    The reason code, amount and dispute id are fetched and included, so you do not need to click through several PayPal screens to learn what the case is about. You can decide your response from the email itself.

  • Spot fraud and patterns sooner

    Several disputes on similar items or from one region in a week point to a problem with a product, a courier or a fraudster. Instant alerts make that pattern visible while you can still act on it.

  • Protect your account standing

    A high dispute rate can hurt a seller's standing with PayPal. Responding promptly keeps the number of lost cases low, which helps preserve your ability to keep taking payments without extra holds.

How it works

What happens, step by step

  1. When a customer opens a dispute in PayPal, PayPal tells ClickRuntime straight away.

  2. ClickRuntime fetches the full dispute, including the reason, the amount and the date you must respond by.

  3. You get an email with those details, so you can reply before the deadline.

Before it runs live

  • Connect PayPal
  • Paste your automation's link into the other app's webhook settings

What you get

RunsThe moment it happens
Get dispute details before the deadlinejust nowSucceeded
Email · PayPal dispute openedReason: MERCHANDISE_OR_SERVICE_NOT_RECEIVED Amount: USD 129.00 · Respond by: 2026-10-29

Build your own

Need it to work differently?

This template is a starting point. Copy the prompt and change it, or describe a different automation from scratch, with your own conditions, more apps or an AI step. Your assistant writes it, tests it and runs it on ClickRuntime.
  • Your own rules

    Conditions, thresholds, filters and exceptions, written the way you'd explain them to a colleague.

  • Any number of apps

    One automation can read from one app and update several others. Over 248 apps are ready, and anything with an API works too.

  • AI where it helps

    Summaries, classification, extraction and drafts use ClickRuntime's built-in AI, with no extra key.

  • On a schedule or on each event

    Runs as often as every 5 minutes, or the moment an app sends an event, and keeps track of what it already handled.

Changes you can ask for

  • Act only on the items that match your own rules, and skip the rest
  • Add an AI step, for example to summarize, sort or draft a reply
  • Add another app, for example also send it to Slack
  • Combine it with other PayPal steps into one automation

Under the hood

The code that runs this automation

This is the Python script that runs each time the automation starts. Your AI assistant writes it for you when you send the prompt, and you allow each step in your assistant. To change how the automation works, describe the change to your assistant and it updates the script for you. For every function it can use, see the script reference.
dispute_opened_alert.pyexample
from clickruntime import on_event, credentials, http, notify

API = "https://api-m.paypal.com"

def paypal_headers():
    resp = http.post(f"{API}/v1/oauth2/token", data={"grant_type": "client_credentials"},
                     auth=(credentials.secret("PAYPAL_CLIENT_ID"), credentials.secret("PAYPAL_CLIENT_SECRET")))
    resp.raise_for_status()
    return {"Authorization": f"Bearer {resp.json()['access_token']}"}

@on_event
def handle(event):
    body = event.json
    if body.get("event_type") != "CUSTOMER.DISPUTE.CREATED":
        return {"emailed": False}
    d = http.get(f"{API}/v1/customer/disputes/{body['resource']['dispute_id']}", headers=paypal_headers()).json()
    amount = d["dispute_amount"]
    txn = d["disputed_transactions"][0]["seller_transaction_id"]
    notify.email_me(f"PayPal dispute opened: {amount['currency_code']} {amount['value']}",
                    f"Reason: {d['reason']}\nAmount: {amount['currency_code']} {amount['value']}\n"
                    f"Transaction: {txn}\nRespond by: {d.get('seller_response_due_date', 'not set')}\n"
                    f"https://www.paypal.com/resolutioncenter")
    return {"dispute": d["dispute_id"]}

FAQ

Common questions

Which kinds of disputes trigger the email?
PayPal sends a notification whenever a dispute is created, whether it is an item not received, not as described or an unauthorized transaction claim. Each one produces an email, with the reason shown so you can tell them apart.
How quickly will I be told?
The email goes out as soon as PayPal sends the event, which is usually within seconds of the buyer opening the case. After the event arrives, it takes a moment more to fetch the full dispute details and write the message.
Do I need a business account?
Disputes and the webhook events for them are part of PayPal's seller tools, so you need an account that can receive payments and a REST app with webhook access. The credentials are stored as secrets in ClickRuntime.
What permissions does it need?
REST app with disputes feature. Nothing else in your accounts is used.
Does it need AI?
No. It runs without AI, so it doesn't use your plan's AI allowance.
How many runs does it use?
One run for each event the app sends.
Can I change how it works?
Yes. Describe the change to your AI assistant, for example a different schedule, channel or filter. It updates the automation, tests it and tells you what changed.

Set up “Get dispute details before the deadline” from your assistant

Copy the prompt above, or connect your assistant first. Free plan, no credit card.