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PayPal Debit Card review

Access your PayPal Balance account at retailers and ATMs with this reloadable debit card.

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By

Steven Dashiell

&

Kimberly Ellis

Reviewed by

Alexa Serrano Cruz

Updated

Fact checked
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Our verdict

PayPal Debit Card gives you easy access to your PayPal balance to make purchases wherever Mastercard is accepted. There's no monthly maintenance fee or opening deposit requirement and you get access to over 37,000 ATMs in the MoneyPass network. Notably, this debit card offers 1% to 9% cash back on eligible retail purchases. This makes the PayPal Debit Card a useful way to gain more value out of your PayPal account. However, there are a few areas to watch out for with this card: you have a $400 daily limit for ATM withdrawals and you might pay $2.50 for each withdrawal made at non-MoneyPass ATMs. Overall, it's a solid addition to any heavy PayPal user's wallet, but won't replace your existing debit cards.

Best for: Consumers who frequently rely on PayPal for storing their income.

Pros
  • Earn cash back at participating retailers
  • Large ATM network through MoneyPass
  • Pass-through FDIC insurance for $250,000
Cons
  • Only connects to your PayPal account
  • No check-writing abilities
  • No overdraft without a linked bank account or debit card
4.3

★★★★★

Finder rating

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on PayPal's secure site

Fee

$0 per month

Minimum deposit to open

$0

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PayPal Debit Card

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Who is the PayPal Debit Card best for?

Given the reliance on an active PayPal account, the PayPal Debit Card is best for those who frequently use PayPal and want to use those funds on purchases in store. The potential cash back on the card is also a nice bonus: the higher rates of 4% to 9% are higher than what you’d find on even the best rewards credit cards.

What makes it shine

The PayPal Debit Card‘s big draw is the easy access you get to your PayPal funds. While PayPal lets you use your funds when making online purchases, the debit card lets you use those funds for in-store purchases.
Cash back is another big perk. It’s not often that debit cards offer cash back opportunities, and when they do, you can expect rates of around 1% to 2%. The PayPal Debit Card‘s cashback rate ranges from 1% to 9%, depending on the retailer, which is some mighty value if you can take advantage. Paypal gives you a variety of ways to redeem your points, including cash, shopping credit and gift cards. However, the exact cash back earned depends on the retailer.
Finally, opening a PayPal Debit Card gives you pass-through insurance from the FDIC for up to $250,000. Typically, your PayPal funds aren’t insured by the FDIC since PayPal isn’t a bank. But with the PayPal Debit Card, your funds are held by one or more of PayPal’s partner banks, making your PayPal account balance eligible for FDIC insurance.

Where it falls short

While the PayPal Debit Card has distinctive perks, it may not replace your traditional bank account. You can’t write checks, and if you don’t have enough money in your PayPal balance to cover a transaction, PayPal will automatically debit your linked bank account or debit card to cover the difference. Otherwise, the purchase may be declined entirely if you opt to not link a bank account.

PayPal Debit Card fees and access

Type of feeFee details
ATM withdrawal, out-of-network$2.50
ATM international withdrawal$2.50
Foreign transaction fee2.50% of the purchase
Teller withdrawal$3
Over the counter cash withdrawal$3
Cash reload at participating storeUp to $4.95

4 ways to load your debit card

Add funds to your PayPal account balance in four ways:

  1. Direct deposit
  2. Cash at over 90,000 participating retailers for a fee up to $4.95
  3. Mobile check deposit
  4. Bank transfer

Customer experience

There aren’t many consumer reviews available on social media, though thoughts on other PayPal products are generally positive. However, a few consumers are wary of its security strength.
PayPal is accredited with the Better Business Bureau and has an A rating. It earns a 1.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot, with consumer reviews complaining of poor customer service.
Contact PayPal at 844-896-4937 weekdays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., or through your account’s help center for support.

Compare PayPal Debit Card to other debit cards

Narrow down your debit card options by fees, APY and more. Select Compare on up to four accounts to see their features side-by-side.

Name Product Fee Minimum deposit to open Annual Percentage Yield (APY) Offer
Discover® Cashback Debit
Finder Rating: 4.8 / 5: ★★★★★
Discover® Cashback Debit
$0 per month
$0
N/A
The Discover® Cashback Debit account earns 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month.
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BMO Relationship Checking
Finder Rating: 3.4 / 5: ★★★★★
Bonus
BMO Relationship Checking
$25 per month
(can be waived)
$25
0.01% on balances of $0.01+
Earn a $600 cash bonus when you have a total of at least $7,500 in qualifying direct deposits within the first 120 days
Make your money work for you with a Relationship Checking account from BMO, which offers interest earnings, quarterly credit card spend bonuses, ATM surcharge rebates and lending benefits such as a closing cost credit and home equity interest rate discount. FDIC insured.
Go to site
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Current
Finder Rating: 4.6 / 5: ★★★★★
Bonus
Current
$0 per month
$0
4.00% on balances of $0.01 to $2,000
Get a $50 referral bonus by inviting your friends to join Current. Once the person receives the invite link and makes qualifying deposits of at least $200 within 45 days of opening the account, you and the referred friend each earn $50.
Earn 4% APY on the first $2,000 in each savings pods. Also get budgeting tools, early direct deposit and up to 15x cashback points. All with no monthly fee or opening deposit requirement. Member FDIC.
Go to site
View details
SoFi Checking and Savings
Finder Rating: 4.5 / 5: ★★★★★
Bonus
SoFi Checking and Savings
$0 per month
$0
4.50% on balances of $0+
0.50% on balances of $0+
1.20% on balances of $0+
Get up to $250 with qualifying direct deposit. Terms apply. This offer is available until December 31, 2023.
Earn up to 4.50% APY on savings by meeting deposit requirements, and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Members without deposit requirements will earn 0.50% APY on both savings and checking balances. Turn on automatic savings or use the Roundups feature to help you reach your savings goals faster. Get up to $2M of additional FDIC insurance through a network of participating banks.
Go to site
View details
Chime Checking account
Finder Rating: 4.7 / 5: ★★★★★
Chime Checking account
$0 per month
$0
N/A
Save easily and access your paycheck up to 2 days early with direct deposit. Pay $0 monthly fees, and no minimum balance is required. Access 24/7 support and get daily balance and transaction alerts. FDIC insured.
Go to site
View details
NBKC Everything Account
Finder Rating: 4.6 / 5: ★★★★★
NBKC Everything Account
$0 per month
$0
1.50% on balances of $0.01+
Earn 1.5% APY and set up savings goals. Plus, access to 37,000+ no-fee ATMs and get reimbursed up to $12/month in fees for out-of-network ATMs. FDIC insured.
Go to site
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