PayPal is among the most well-known ways to send money over the web. Whether buying or selling, spotting the company's button on a site signals to many that they're in for a convenient time seeing a transaction through to the end. PayPal has long offered buyers protection against fraud in the case of tangible goods. Now it will do the same with digital purchases as well in the US.

With Purchase Protection, buyers can file a claim if the product that they receive is significantly different from what was advertised or if they never receive their order at all. This now applies to apps, digital albums, e-books, games, tickets, and services that provide a product you can't physically touch. Sellers looking to dispute claims will need to provide proof of delivery to get PayPal to rule in their favor.

According to the Guardian, this type of protection has been available in the UK for over a year. Nevertheless, it's no small thing to see one of the world's largest online payment companies roll out such expanded protections to a larger market. This change, which brings PayPal in line with the protection some card providers offer, should give millions more consumers peace of mind as they go about shopping on the web. The change in policy will take effect July 1st.