Why are there different buyer and seller transaction IDs for the same transaction?
The transaction ID shown to the buyer differs from the one sent to the seller.
We intentionally generate two unique transaction IDs, one for the buyer and one for the seller. These IDs represent the movement of funds between a buyer and seller:
- The seller’s transaction ID represents a credit.
- The buyer’s transaction ID represents a debit.
Even though they refer to the same transaction, the IDs are different to help facilitate backend processing. For example, information regarding the payment method is reported with the buyer's transaction ID, and information regarding the fees is reported with the seller’s transaction ID. The system requires these different reference points to make associations within the system.
If your buyer gives you a transaction ID, you can find transaction information as follows:
- Go to your Activity.
- Enter the buyer’s transaction ID in the Search for Transactions box.
- The corresponding transaction appears.