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How to buy Bitcoin with PayPal

Step-by-step instructions on how to buy Bitcoin and other cryptos using PayPal.

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PayPal crypto allows you to buy, sell and transfer five cryptocurrencies in the US: bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), litecoin (LTC), bitcoin cash (BCH) and PayPal stablecoin, PayPal USD (PYUSD). Once you verify your identity, you can make a purchase through PayPal’s app or website and get started with as little as $1.

However, if you don’t want to buy cryptocurrency directly through PayPal, there are also exchanges that support PayPal as a deposit method. This allows you to transfer funds from your PayPal account to the exchange and then trade them for crypto.

How to buy Bitcoin with PayPal instantly

Buying and selling cryptocurrencies through PayPal can be done through the PayPal mobile app or by accessing your account via a web browser on your desktop and following a few simple steps.

  1. Sign up for a PayPal account.
    If you do not currently have a PayPal account, you will need to sign up before buying Bitcoin.
  2. Go PayPal’s Finances section.
    At the bottom of the app’s screen, select on the icon that reads ‘Finances’. Once there, select the icon that reads “Crypto’ found at the top of the screen.
  3. Select bitcoin and choose your amount.
    PayPal displays a choice of all their crypto assets which include bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), litecoin (LTC), bitcoin cash (BCH) and PayPal USD (PYUSD). Select Bitcoin and set the quantity you’d like to purchase, then select ‘Buy’. If this is your first purchase, you will need to confirm your account after reading through PayPal’s terms and conditions.
  4. Enter payment method.
    You can typically use bank accounts, debit cards or your PayPal balance to buy cryptocurrencies. Review the details of your purchase and select ‘Buy Now’ to make your purchase. After buying cryptocurrency through PayPal, you’ll be able to see your total balance in your account.

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PayPal crypto fees

Transaction fees are applied to your purchase when you buy or sell. Sometimes you can save on fees by buying a bit more cryptocurrency. For instance, you’ll pay less in fees to buy $201 in crypto than you would to buy $199.

Fees are accurate as of December 13, 2023.

Buy or Sell amountFee
$1 – $4.99$0.49
$5 – $24.99$0.99
$25.00 – $74.99$1.99
$75.00 – $200.00$2.49
$200.01 – $,1000.001.80%
$1,000.011.50%

Pros and cons of buying Bitcoin on PayPal

Pros

  • Easy to use. Buy cryptocurrencies through the PayPal app or through the website in a few steps.
  • Track your portfolio. See your current crypto portfolio’s worth at a glance.
  • Flexible payment options. Pay with a debit card, from your bank account or using your existing PayPal account balance.
  • Instant transactions. Buy and sell crypto through PayPal instantaneously.
  • Purchase with crypto. Make purchases through PayPal’s network using cryptocurrency.
  • Option for self-custody. PayPal recently began allowing users withdraw their BTC from the platform’s custody. However, you can still leave the private keys to your BTC or other crypto assets in PayPal’s custody if that’s more convenient for you. PayPal custodies your crypto through Paxos.

Cons

  • High fees. You’ll be charged a fee based on the total amount of your purchase and the fees are higher than most crypto brokerages and exchanges. The fees get more expensive as your purchases approach the $200 threshold and reduce after said threshold.
  • Limited crypto options. PayPal currently only supports bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), litecoin (LTC), bitcoin cash (BCH) and PayPal USD (PYUSD).

Quick look at PayPal supported cryptocurrencies

Although PayPal may add support for more cryptocurrencies in the future, currently only four are supported.

  • Bitcoin was released in 2009 and it is known as the world’s first cryptocurrency utilizing blockchain technology.
  • Bitcoin Cash was released in 2017 as a hard-fork (copy) of Bitcoin.
  • Ethereum was released in 2015 and has since brought thousands of software applications to the blockchain through the use of smart contracts.
  • Litecoin was released in 2011 and is thought of as the silver to Bitcoin’s gold
  • PayPal USD was released in 2023 and is a stablecoin fully backed by US dollar deposits, short-term US Treasuries and cash equivalents.

Buying crypto from an exchange using PayPal as a payment method

You can now use PayPal as a payment method on a number of different crypto exchanges and brokerages. These include but aren’t not limited to Binance.US, bitFlyer, Bitstamp, CEX.IO, Coinbase, eToro, Gemini, Huobi, KuCoin, Revolut and SoFi.

When you are ready to make your crypto purchases at these exchanges, select PayPal as the payment option. PayPal will then deduct the money from the balance that you hold on the app or the primary bank account or credit/debit card that you have linked to your PayPal account.

Compare exchanges that allow PayPal as a payment method

There are many crypto exchanges and platforms that accept PayPal as a deposit method where you can use your PayPal funds to purchase Bitcoin.

1 - 4 of 4
Name Product Deposit methods Fiat Currencies Cryptocurrencies Offer Disclaimer Link
Finder Award
OFFER
eToro USA LLC Cryptocurrency Trading
Bank transfer, Debit card, PayPal, Wire transfer
USD

80
cryptocurrencies

Get $15 when you sign up and buy $100 of crypto. T&Cs apply.
Disclaimer: eToro USA LLC does not offer CFDs and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this publication, which has been prepared by our partner utilizing publicly available non-entity specific information about eToro. Your capital is at risk.

Capital at risk

View details
Finder Award
Coinbase Digital Currency Exchange
Bank transfer (ACH), Debit card, PayPal, Wire transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay
USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, MXN, HRK, CZK, DKK, CLP, BGN

239
cryptocurrencies

Capital at risk

View details
OFFER
Gemini Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer (ACH), Cryptocurrency, Debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SWIFT
USD, AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, SGD, HKD, COP

141
cryptocurrencies

Capital at risk

View details
Finder Award
Crypto.com App
Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, PayPal, Wire transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SWIFT
USD, EUR, GBP, COP, CHF, HKD, SGD, AUD, CAD, KRW, SEK, CNY, TRY, RON, JPY, NOK, MYR, BRL, DKK, ZAR, BGN, THB, INR, TWD, PHP, IDR, MOP, MDL, SAR, MXN, CLP

318
cryptocurrencies

Capital at risk

View details
Disclaimer: Star ratings are only displayed for products with 10 or more reviews.
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How to sell Bitcoin on PayPal

To sell cryptocurrency using either the app or web browser version of PayPal:

  1. Select the ‘Finances’ icon.
  2. Under ‘Crypto,’ select one of your existing crypto holdings and select ‘Sell’.
  3. Confirm your tax information (if it’s your first time selling).
  4. Enter the amount you want to sell and select ‘Next’.
  5. If you are sure of the amount you’d like to sell, select ‘Sell Now’.

Bottom line

Buying BTC or other cryptocurrencies on PayPal is easy and convenient, but the transaction costs are high.

If being able to hold your BTC self-custody is important to you and you still want to use PayPal to purchase your BTC, PayPal now enables you to move your BTC from it’s custody to an external Bitcoin address.

You can also use PayPal to purchase BTC via crypto exchanges including Coinbase, Gemini and Kraken.

FAQs

Disclaimer: Cryptocurrencies are speculative, complex and involve significant risks – they are highly volatile and sensitive to secondary activity. Performance is unpredictable and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before relying on this information. You should also verify the nature of any product or service (including its legal status and relevant regulatory requirements) and consult the relevant Regulators' websites before making any decision. Finder, or the author, may have holdings in the cryptocurrencies discussed.

Whether products shown are available to you is subject to individual provider sole approval and discretion in accordance with the eligibility criteria and T&Cs on the provider website.

Name Product Deposit methods Fiat Currencies Cryptocurrencies Offer Disclaimer Link
eToro Cryptocurrency Trading
eToro Cryptocurrency Trading
Bank transfer, Credit card, Debit card, Neteller, Skrill
EUR, GBP, NZD, USD, AUD, HKD, SGD, CHF, NOK & 5+ more

78
cryptocurrencies

Disclaimer: Cryptoasset investing is highly volatile and unregulated in the UK and some EU countries. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.

Capital at risk

View details
Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users)
Bank transfer, Cryptocurrency
-

369
cryptocurrencies

Capital at risk

View details
KuCoin Cryptocurrency Exchange
KuCoin Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, PayPal, P2P
USD, EUR, GBP, RUB, CNY, AUD, KRW, JPY, TRY, VND

743
cryptocurrencies

Capital at risk

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Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, P2P
USD, AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, NZD, HKD, JPY, SGD, PHP

279
cryptocurrencies

Disclaimer: Highly volatile investment product. Your capital is at risk.

Capital at risk

View details
Gate.io Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card

1607
cryptocurrencies

Capital at risk

View details
Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SWIFT
USD, EUR, CAD, GBP, CHF, AUD

222
cryptocurrencies

Capital at risk

View details
OKX Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer, Cryptocurrency, iDEAL, PayPal, POLi, SEPA, Faster Payments (FPS)
CNY, EUR, ARS, AUD, BGN, BRL, CAD, CHF, COP

338
cryptocurrencies

Capital at risk

View details
Uphold
Uphold
Bank transfer (ACH), Credit card, Debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay
USD, GBP, AUD, EUR, CAD, CNY, JPY, SGD, INR, NZD

237
cryptocurrencies

Capital at risk

View details
Paybis Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer, Credit card, Debit card, Neteller
EUR, GBP, USD, AUD, CAD, PHP, SGD, CHF, HKD, JPY & 30+ more

357
cryptocurrencies

US residents: Restricted in the following states - NY, CT, NM, WA, HI, AL, VT, FL, AK, NV.

Capital at risk

View details
Finder Award
Bitstamp Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, SEPA, Faster Payments (FPS)
USD, EUR, GBP

79
cryptocurrencies

Capital at risk

View details
Coinmama Cryptocurrency Marketplace
Credit card, Fedwire, SEPA, Google Pay, SWIFT, Bank card
USD, EUR, AUD, CAD, GBP, JPY

16
cryptocurrencies

Capital at risk

View details
OFFER
Gemini Cryptocurrency Exchange
Bank transfer (ACH), Cryptocurrency, Debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SWIFT
USD, AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, SGD, HKD, COP

141
cryptocurrencies

Capital at risk

View details
Finder Award
Crypto.com App
Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, PayPal, Wire transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SWIFT
USD, EUR, GBP, COP, CHF, HKD, SGD, AUD, CAD, KRW, SEK, CNY, TRY, RON, JPY, NOK, MYR, BRL, DKK, ZAR, BGN, THB, INR, TWD, PHP, IDR, MOP, MDL, SAR, MXN, CLP

318
cryptocurrencies

Capital at risk

View details
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Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange

Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange logo
  • Offers leverage and derivative trading
  • Supports EUR, GBP and CHF
  • Licensed to operate in all European countries
Go to site
Disclaimer: Highly volatile investment product. Your capital is at risk.

Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange

Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange logo
  • Large selection of cryptocurrencies
  • Low fees for active traders
  • Pleasant UI for new traders
Go to site

KuCoin Cryptocurrency Exchange

KuCoin Cryptocurrency Exchange logo
  • Buy, sell and trade over 700 crypto assets
  • Supports 10 Asian fiat currencies
  • Offers crypto futures trading
Go to site

Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange

Kraken Cryptocurrency Exchange logo
  • Buy, sell and trade over 200 crypto assets
  • Licensed to operate in 17 jurisdictions in Oceania
  • Supports AUD
Go to site

Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users)

Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users) logo
  • Supports over 300 crypto assets
  • Binance Pay enables users spend their crypto
  • Binance P2P supports multiple African fiat currencies
Go to site

Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users)

Binance Cryptocurrency Exchange (Not available to US users) logo
  • Supports over 300 crypto assets
  • Binance Pay works with Credencial Payments to support crypto payments
  • Binance P2P supports five Latin American fiat currencies
Go to site

Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange

Bybit Cryptocurrency Exchange logo
  • Supports leverage and derivative trading
  • Supports 300 spot trading pairs
  • Low-to-non-existent trading fees
Go to site
Disclaimer: Highly volatile investment product. Your capital is at risk.

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