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What credit cards does PayPal accept?

Find out which credit cards you can use with PayPal and how you can continue to earn rewards for purchases.

PayPal lets you link all major credit cards in Canada to your PayPal account. This includes Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards. You’ll still earn rewards when you make purchases with your card through your PayPal account – just be prepared to pay an additional fee on your PayPal credit card for making certain types of transactions.

Major credit cards issuers accepted at PayPal

Credit card typeAccepted at PayPal
American Express
Visa
Mastercard

Compare credit cards for PayPal

1 - 10 of 12
Name Product CACCF Welcome Offer Rewards Purchase Interest Rate Annual Fee Min. Credit Score Description
American Express Cobalt Card
15,000 points
Up to 5x points per $1 spent
21.99%
$155.88
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points in your first year. Earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in purchases. That’s up to $150 towards a weekend getaway or concert tickets.
American Express Green Card
10,000 points
1 point per $1 spent
21.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn a Welcome Bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards points when you charge $1,000 in purchases to your card in the first 3 months as a new Cardmember. That’s $100 towards groceries or concert tickets.
More Info
SimplyCash Card from American Express
Up to $100 in bonus cash back
Up to 2% cash back
21.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 700
In your first 3 months earn a bonus 5% cash back on all purchases, on top of your everyday cash back earn rates (up to $2,000 in purchases). That’s up to $100 in bonus cash back.

American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card
85,000 points
Up to 3x points
21.99%
$599
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn up to 85,000 welcome bonus Aeroplan points. That's a value of up to $2,600 or more when you combine your welcome bonus points and card benefits.
American Express Aeroplan Card
40,000 points
Up to 2x points
N/A
$120
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn up to 40,000 welcome bonus Aeroplan points. That’s up to $900 or more in value when you combine your welcome bonus points and card benefits.
SimplyCash Preferred Card from American Express
Up to $250 in bonus value
Up to 4% cash back
21.99%
$119.88
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn a bonus 10% cash back on all purchases for your first 3 months (up to $2,000 in purchases). Plus, earn a $50 statement credit when you make a purchase in month 13. This could add up to $250 in bonus value in your first 13 months.
American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card
90,000 points
Up to 3x points
21.99%
$599
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn up to 90,000 welcome bonus Aeroplan points.
Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card
50,000 points
Up to 5x points per $1 spent
21.99%
$120
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn up to 50,000 welcome bonus points.
The Platinum Card from American Express
100,000 points
Up to 2x points per $1 spent
N/A
$799
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points - that’s up to $1,000 towards a weekend away.
Business Platinum Card from American Express
120,000 points
1.25 points per $1 spent
21.99% - 28.99%
$799
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn a Welcome Bonus of 120,000 Membership Rewards points. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you charge $15,000 in net purchases to your card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn 40,000 points when you make a purchase between 14 and 17 months of cardmembership. That’s up to $1,200 in statement credit that can be reinvested in your business.
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1 - 10 of 12
Name Product CACCF Welcome Offer Rewards Purchase Interest Rate Annual Fee Min. Credit Score Description
RBC ION Visa
6,000 points
1.5 points per $1 spent
20.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 660
Get 6,000 Avion points when you get approved for the card.
BMO eclipse rise Visa Card
25,000
Up to 5 points per $2 spent
20.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 660
Earn up to 25,000 bonus points.
RBC Avion Visa Infinite
55,000 points
Up to 1 point per $1 spent
20.99%
$120
Min. recommended credit score: 650
Get up to 55,000 Welcome Points. Get 35,000 Welcome Points on approval and 20,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 in your first 6 months. Apply by November 25, 2024.
RBC ION+ Visa
12,000 points
3 points per $1 spent
20.99%
$48
Min. recommended credit score: 660
Get 12,000 Avion points when you get approved for the card.
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege
120,000 points
5 points per $1 spent
20.99%
$499
Min. recommended credit score: 760
Get up to 120,000 welcome points.
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card
35,000 points
Up to 3 points per $1 spent
20.99%
$0 annual fee for the first year ($150 thereafter)
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn up to 35,000 bonus Scene+ points and get the first year annual fee waived (that’s up to $1,100 in value in the first 12 months). Apply by October 31, 2024.
Scotiabank SCENE+ Visa Card
5,000 points
Up to 2 points per $1 spent
20.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 660
Earn up to 5,000 Scene+ points in the first 3 months. Apply by October 31, 2024.
Scotiabank Value Visa Card
0% on balance transfers for 10 months
N/A
13.99%
$0 annual fee for the first year ($29 thereafter)
Min. recommended credit score: 670
Get a 0% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first 10 months. Plus, pay no annual fee in the first year. Apply by October 31, 2024.
Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card
10% cash back
Up to 4% cash back
20.99%
$0 annual fee for the first year ($120 thereafter)
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn 10% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months. Plus, pay no annual fee in the first year. Apply by October 31, 2024.
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite
60,000 points
Up to 5 points per $1 spent
20.99%
$0 annual fee for the first year ($120 thereafter)
Min. recommended credit score: 760
Get up to 60,000 points, a $50 lifestyle credit and the $120 annual fee waived by your first anniversary.
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1 - 10 of 18
Name Product CACCF Welcome Offer Rewards Purchase Interest Rate Annual Fee Min. Credit Score Description
RBC Cash Back Mastercard
N/A
Up to 2% cash back
20.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 650
Get up to 2% unlimited cash back on grocery store purchases, and up to 1% cash back on all other qualifying purchases and pre-authorized payments.
Neo Credit Mastercard
Get $25.00 + up to 15% cash back
Up to 5% cash back
19.99% - 29.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 710
Get $25 when you sign up for the Neo Financial Mastercard. Plus, earn bonuses like 15% cashback on your first purchase at most partners, and earn an average of 5% cashback at partner stores and at least 1% cashback guaranteed.
Tangerine World Mastercard
10% cash back
Up to 2% cash back
19.95%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 600
Earn 10% cash back (up to $100) when you spend $1,000 in the first 2 months. Valid until October 31, 2024. Plus, get a 1.95% interest rate on balance transfers for the first 6 months.
BMO CashBack Mastercard
5% cash back
Up to 3% cash back
20.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 660
Get 5% cash back on all eligible purchases in the first three months of card membership (up to max. spend of $2,500). Plus, get a rate of 0.99% on balance transfers for 9 months. A 2% fee applies to transferred balances.
Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
10% cash back
Up to 2% cash back
19.95%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 600
Earn 10% cash back (up to $100) when you spend $1,000 in the first 2 months. Valid until October 31, 2024. Plus, get a 1.95% interest rate on balance transfers for the first 6 months.
BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard
0.99% rate on balance transfers for 9 months
N/A
13.99%
$0 annual fee for the first year ($29 thereafter)
Min. recommended credit score: 660
Get a rate of 0.99% on balance transfers for 9 months with a 2% transfer fee. Plus, get the $29 annual fee waived by your first anniversary.
Neo Secured Credit Card
Get $25.00
5% cash back
19.99%-29.99%
$60
No credit check
Earn up to 5% cashback at partner restaurants & bars, up to 4% on partner apps & streaming services, up to 3% on partner gas & grocery purchases and 0.5% back on everything else. No credit check required.
BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard
90,000 points
Up to 5x points per $1 spent
20.99%
$0 annual fee for the first year ($150 thereafter)
Min. recommended credit score: 760
Get up to 90,000 points and get the $150 annual fee waived by your first anniversary.
BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard
Up to 10% cash back
1% cash back
20.99%
$0 annual fee for the first year ($120 thereafter)
Min. recommended credit score: 760
Get up to 10% cash back in your first 3 months and the $120 annual fee waived by your first anniversary.
BMO U.S. Dollar Mastercard
N/A
N/A
20.99%
$49 USD
Min. recommended credit score: 725
When your purchases total US$1,000 or more in a year, the next year's annual fee (US$49) is rebated to your card.
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Does PayPal accept credit cards?

PayPal accepts credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express. You can link these credit cards to your PayPal account, which allows PayPal to draw from your card to pay for authorized purchases. This option lets you earn PayPal credit card rewards as you make purchases. You won’t be able to top up your PayPal account balance with a credit or debit card.

What purchases can I make with my PayPal credit card?

You can only use the money from your PayPal credit card transactions to make micropayments – such as to send small amounts of money to a friend or to purchase goods and services at an online store. It’s not possible to use the funds to send a mass payment.

You also won’t be able to use your PayPal credit card to load funds into your account, transfer money to your bank account or withdraw money from an ATM or as a cash advance.

What PayPal credit card fees will I have to pay?

PayPal credit card fees

You won’t need to pay PayPal credit card fees for normal transactions with PayPal. There are only two instances when drawing from a PayPal credit card in Canada might cost you more:

  • If you send money overseas. You’ll pay PayPal credit card fees when you send a payment to someone in another country when you use your PayPal credit card to carry out the transaction.
  • When you send personal payments using your credit card. You won’t pay more for making purchases in store but you will pay PayPal credit card fees if you use your PayPal credit card to send money to family and friends in Canada.

Will my PayPal credit card transaction trigger a cash advance?

Typically PayPal payments for goods and services aren’t classified as cash advance transactions. However, your card provider may charge a fee if you use your PayPal credit card for transactions typically associated with cash advances — such as buying chips at an online casino or purchasing gift cards.

What you need to know about cash advance interest rates

Can I still earn credit card rewards when I use my PayPal credit card?

You can still earn credit card PayPal rewards when you link your credit card to PayPal. The only issue is that you may not get accelerated rewards for certain purchases. This is because your statement will usually list your transaction under PayPal instead of the actual company name.

For example, you could lose points on travel purchases or bill payments if they come listed under PayPal rewards rather than a travel agency or a subscription service.

What purchases will earn me points through PayPal?

With most PayPal rewards credit cards, you’ll earn points when you buy clothes, mobile devices, makeup, music or for any other retail purchases. You may not earn credit card PayPal rewards for purchases such as gambling transactions, foreign currency purchases, gift cards and any other transactions that may be processed as cash advances.

Is it safer to use PayPal or a credit card?

Here’s a summary of the pros and cons of using PayPal vs a credit card:

ProsCons
  • Secure transactions
  • Convenient payments
  • No need to input card details
  • Easy to link bank account or credit card
  • Not a payment option on some websites
  • More difficult to track purchases using your credit card statement
  • May cause you to lose out on rewards for accelerated categories of spending

You’ll need to link your credit card to PayPal if you want to use it to make purchases through PayPal. You won’t be able to load funds into your account or top up your account balance with a PayPal credit card.

Linking and confirming your PayPal credit card helps protect your account and increase security within the PayPal community. Confirming your PayPal credit card in Canada also makes it much harder for someone to carry out fraudulent transactions on your account.

You can link your credit card to your PayPal account by following the steps below:

  1. Log in to your PayPal account.
  2. Click on Wallet at the top of the page.
  3. Select “Link a card”.
  4. Fill in your card details and follow the prompts to confirm your account.

Confirming your PayPal credit card in Canada

Once you’ve linked your account, you may notice a charge of around $2 on your credit card. This is a temporary authorization that PayPal uses to make sure your card is valid. The charge appears on your card statement with a 4-digit code and the word PAYPAL.

Once you get this code, you need to click on your PayPal wallet. You then select the PayPal credit card that needs to be confirmed and enter the 4-digit code when prompted. Once your account is confirmed, the charge will be refunded to you.

How can I remove a credit card from PayPal?

It’s fairly easy to remove a credit card from PayPal if it’s expired or you’d like to move it over to a different PayPal account. All you have to do is open your PayPal wallet, select the card you want to remove and click “Remove card”.

Just be aware that you may not be able to remove a card if you have a pending transaction or a negative balance on your account.

Payment options for PayPal

  • PayPal balance
  • Bank account linked to your PayPal account
  • Credit card linked to your PayPal balance
  • Debit cards linked to your PayPal balance

Bottom line

PayPal accepts major credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express. You can link a credit card to your account to make payments directly, but you won’t be able to use your credit card to load funds into your PayPal account balance. Find out more about how you can link and confirm a PayPal credit card in Canada.

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Frequently asked questions

Claire Horwood's headshot
Written by

Associate editor

Claire Horwood was a writer at Finder, specializing in credit cards, loans and other financial products. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Gender Studies from the University of Victoria, and an Associate’s Degree in Science from Camosun College. Much of Claire’s coursework has focused on writing and statistics, with a healthy dose of social and cultural analysis mixed in for good measure. In her spare time, Claire enjoys rock climbing, travelling and drinking inordinate amounts of coffee. See full bio

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