Finder is committed to editorial independence. While we receive compensation when you click links to partners, they do not influence our content.

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

Name Product Welcome Offer Rewards Purchase Interest Rate Annual Fee Min. Credit Score Description
American Express Cobalt Card
30,000 points
Up to 5x points per $1 spent
20.99%
$155.88
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn up to 30,000 Membership Rewards points in your first year. Earn 2,500 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $500 in net purchases on your card (up to 30,000 points). That’s up to $300 towards a weekend getaway or concert tickets.
American Express Green Card
10,000 points
1 point per $1 spent
20.99%
$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.
SimplyCash Card from American Express
$100 in statement credits
Up to 2% cash back
20.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 700
In your first 10 months, earn a $10 statement credit for each monthly billing period in which you spend $300 in purchases. This could add up to $100 in statement credits in the first 10 months.
American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card
115,000 points
Up to 3x points
20.99%
$599
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn up to 115,000 Welcome Bonus Aeroplan points. That's a first year value of up to $3,200. Offer ends July 24, 2023.
American Express Aeroplan Card
50,000 points
Up to 2x points
N/A
$120
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn up to 50,000 welcome bonus Aeroplan points. That's a value of up to $1,100 in your first year.
SimplyCash Preferred Card from American Express
$400 in statement credits
Up to 4% cash back
20.99%
$119.88
Min. recommended credit score: 700
In your first 10 months, earn a $40 statement credit for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in purchases. This could add up to $400 in statement credits in the first 10 months.
American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card
120,000 points
Up to 3x points
19.99%
$599
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn up to 120,000 welcome bonus Aeroplan points. Offer ends June 23, 2023.
American Express Business Edge Card
67,000 points
Up to 10 points per $1 spent
20.99%
$99
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn up to 67,000 Membership Rewards points in your first year. That’s $670 in statement credits you can reinvest into your business.
Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card
75,000 points
Up to 5x points per $1 spent
20.99%
$120
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn up to 75,000 Welcome Bonus points. Offer ends July 24, 2023.
The Platinum Card from American Express
80,000 points
Up to 3x points per $1 spent
N/A
$699
Min. recommended credit score: 700
Earn up to 80,000 Membership Rewards points - that’s up to $800 towards a weekend away.
loading
Name Product Welcome Offer Rewards Purchase Interest Rate Annual Fee Min. Credit Score Description
RBC Avion Visa Infinite
35,000 points
Up to 1 point per $1 spent
20.99%
$120
Min. recommended credit score: 650
Get up to 35,000 Welcome Points.
RBC ION+ Visa
7,000 points
3 points per $1 spent
20.99%
$48
Min. recommended credit score: 660
Get up to 7,000 points. Get 3,500 Welcome Points on approval and earn 3,500 bonus points when you spend $500 in your first 3 months. Apply by July 31, 2023.
RBC ION Visa
3,500 points
1.5 points per $1 spent
20.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 660
Get 3,500 Avion points when you get approved for the card. Apply by July 31, 2023.
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege
90,000 points
5 points per $1 spent
20.99%
$499
Min. recommended credit score: 760
Get up to 90,000 welcome points in your first year.
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: 750
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, 2023.
Scotiabank SCENE Visa Card
5,000 points
Up to 2 points per $1 spent
19.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 660
Earn 5,000 Scene+ points when you spend $750 in the first 3 months. Apply by October 31, 2023.
Scotiabank Value Visa Card
0% on cash advances for 6 months
N/A
12.99%
$0 annual fee for the first year ($29 thereafter)
Min. recommended credit score: 660
Get a 0% introductory interest rate on cash advances for the first 6 months. Plus, pay no annual fee in the first year. Apply by October 31, 2023.
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: 750
Earn 10% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months. Plus, pay no annual fee in the first year. Apply by June 30, 2023.
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 in the first year.
Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa Card
Up to 5% cash back
1% cash back
19.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 660
Earn 5% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months (up to $2,000 spend). Plus, get a 0.99% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first 6 months with no balance transfer fee (22.99% after that). Apply by June 30, 2023.
loading
Name Product Welcome Offer Rewards Purchase Interest Rate Annual Fee Min. Credit Score Description
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.
OFFER
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 July 5, 2023. Plus, get a 1.95% interest rate on balance transfers for the first 6 months.
OFFER
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 July 5, 2023. Plus, get a 1.95% interest rate on balance transfers for the first 6 months.
Neo Financial Mastercard
Get $25.00 + up to 15% cash back
Average 5% cash back
19.99% - 26.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 600
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 thousands of partners and at least 0.5% cashback guaranteed.
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 in the first year.
Neo Secured Card
15% cash back
5% cash back
19.99% - 26.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 600
Earn bonuses like 15% cashback on your first purchase at most partners, and earn an average of 5% cashback at thousands of partners and at least 0.5% cashback guaranteed.
BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard
60,000 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 60,000 points and get the $150 annual fee waived in the first year.
BMO Rewards Mastercard
10,000 points
Up to 1 points per $1 spent
20.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 725
Get a bonus of 10,000 BMO Rewards points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months. Plus, get a rate of 0.99% on balance transfers for 9 months. A 2% fee applies to transferred balances.
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 in the first year.
BMO Cashback Business Mastercard
10% cash back
Up to 1.75% cash back
19.99%
$0
Min. recommended credit score: 650
Get 10% cash back on gas, office supplies, cell phone bills and internet bills for 3 months. Plus, get a 0.00% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for 9 months with a 3% transfer fee. Valid until November 30, 2023.
loading

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.

Back to top

Frequently asked questions

More guides on Finder

  • Bad credit loans in Edmonton, Alberta

    From personal and payday loans to lines of credit, compare loans for bad credit in Edmonton.

  • How to buy Sui (SUI) in Canada

    This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to buy Sui, lists some exchanges where you can get it and provides daily price data on (SUI).

  • How to buy Pepe (PEPE) in Canada

    This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to buy Pepe, lists some exchanges where you can get it and provides daily price data on (PEPE).

  • How to buy Arbitrum (ARB) in Canada

    This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to buy Arbitrum, lists some exchanges where you can get it and provides daily price data on (ARB).

  • How to buy SSV Network (SSV) in Canada

    This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to buy SSV Network, lists some exchanges where you can get it and provides daily price data on (SSV).

  • How to buy USDD (USDD) in Canada

    This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to buy USDD, lists some exchanges where you can get it and provides daily price data on (USDD).

  • How to buy Blur (BLUR) in Canada

    This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to buy Blur, lists some exchanges where you can get it and provides daily price data on (BLUR).

  • How to buy FLOKI Inu (FLOKI) in Canada

    This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to buy FLOKI Inu, lists some exchanges where you can get it and provides daily price data on (FLOKI).

  • How to buy Aptos (APT) in Canada

    This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to buy Aptos, lists some exchanges where you can get it and provides daily price data on (APT).

  • How to buy EthereumPoW (ETHW) in Canada

    This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to buy EthereumPoW, lists some exchanges where you can get it and provides daily price data on (ETHW).

Go to site