If you’re a regular online shopper, then chances are you’ve used PayPal. It’s a quick and easy way to send and receive money using an email address and your credit card, debit card or bank account.
Accepted around the world, people use PayPal to pay for goods in a variety of currencies. Transition seamlessly between euros, pounds, dollars and more than a dozen other currencies for a small transaction fee. The platform even provides valuable security options like buyer’s protection.
What is PayPal?
PayPal is an online payment system, originally created as an electronic alternative to checks and money orders in 1999. Today, the platform boasts more than 240 million active users in 190 countries and is accepted by millions of businesses around the world. It operates as a payment processor for many online retailers, offering perks like one-click transactions and password memory.
How does PayPal work?
PayPal acts as a middleman for payments between two parties with registered accounts. It’s fast and easy to send payments to an individual or retailer without sharing personal details or banking information. All you need is the email address of the person you’re sending money to. If you’re using PayPal to make a purchase online, select the PayPal button at checkout and log in to your account to complete your order quickly.
Which currencies does PayPal support?
You can use your PayPal account to seamlessly complete purchases between multiple currencies. Check out this list of compatible currencies to see if yours is offered:
Australian dollar (AUD)
Brazilian real* (BRL)
Canadian dollar (CAD)
Czech koruna (CZK)
Danish krone (DKK)
Euro (EUR)
Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
Hungarian forint** (HUF)
Israeli new sheqel (ILS)
Japanese yen** (JPY)
Malaysian ringgit* (MYR)
Mexican peso (MXN)
Norwegian krone (NOK)
New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Philippine peso (PHP)
Polish zloty (PLN)
Pound sterling (GBP)
Singapore dollar (SGD)
Swedish krona (SEK)
Swiss franc (CHF)
Taiwan new Dollar** (TWD)
Thai baht (THB)
US dollar (USD)
*This currency is only supported as a payment currency and a currency balance for in-country PayPal accounts. **This currency does not support decimal amounts.
Does PayPal accept cryptocurrency?
Yes! You can use PayPal’s Checkout with Crypto feature, which allows you to convert cryptocurrency holdings to fiat currency at checkout with no additional transactional fees. The option will appear in your PayPal wallet if you have enough funds to cover the purchase.
Is PayPal safe?
PayPal is generally a safe place to send and receive money. PayPal automatically encrypts confidential information sent to or from your computer using industry-standard SSL encryption. Security experts still recommend taking measures to protect your account, like enabling two-factor authentication and using a unique and secure password. Making a purchase using PayPal is arguably safer than placing your order directly through the merchant, since the recipient never has access to your financial information.
You can feel extra secure shopping with PayPal thanks to its online purchase protection program. If an item you ordered never arrives or isn’t what you expected, PayPal arranges for your money to be refunded. This should give you some extra peace of mind when shopping online.
Is there a fee for using PayPal?
It’s free to create a PayPal account and use it to make purchases online at retailers that accept PayPal. However, there are a few fees you may encounter:
Sellers’ fees. If you use PayPal to accept payments, you’ll be charged a fee of 2.9% of the transaction amount plus $0.30 per transaction.
Transfer fees. Sending money from your PayPal balance to your checking account is free, but if you want to instantly send funds to your debit card, you’ll pay a $0.25 fee per transfer.
Person-to-person transfers within US. It’s free to send money for personal reasons from your PayPal balance or linked banked account. However, credit and debit card transactions are subject to a 2.9% fee.
Transfers to Canada or Europe. If you need to send money to someone with a Canadian or European PayPal account, you’ll pay a fee of $2.99. You’re still on the hook for an additional 2.9% credit and debit card payment fee if you don’t pay with your PayPal balance or checking account.
Transfers to other international locations. To send money anywhere except the US, Canada or European country you’ll pay $4.99. You’ll still have to pay the additional 2.9% credit and debit card payment fee if you don’t use your PayPal balance or checking account to pay.
Currency conversion fees. If you’re shopping between two currencies, you’ll have to pay a flat-rate conversion fee.
Australian dollar
0.30 AUD
Brazilian real
0.60 BRL
Canadian dollar
0.30 CAD
Czech koruna
10 CZK
Danish krone
2.60 DKK
Euro
0.35 EUR
Hong Kong dollar
2.35 HKD
Hungarian forint
90 HUF
Israeli shekel
1.20 ILS
Japanese yen
40 JPY
Malaysian ringgit
2 MYR
Mexican peso
4 MXN
New Zealand dollar
0.45 NZD
Norwegian krone
2.80 NOK
Philippine peso
15 PHP
Polish zloty
1.35 PLN
Russian ruble
10 RUB
Singapore dollar
0.50 SGD
Swedish krona
3.25 SEK
Swiss franc
0.55 CHF
Taiwan new dollar
10 TWD
UK pounds sterling
11 THB
UK pounds sterling
0.20 GBP
US dollar
0.30 USD
How do I create a PayPal account?
You can create a PayPal account on your desktop or mobile.
Creating an account on your computer
1. Visit the PayPal site to get started. Select Sign Up in the right-hand corner. 2. Choose between a personal account and a business account. Unless you plan to accept payments for your business through PayPal, you should choose a personal account. But don’t worry, you can always change your mind later. 3. Fill in your personal information and follow the prompts to finish signing up.
Creating an account on your phone
1. To begin, download the PayPal app. The PayPal app is available for both iOS and Android. 2. Once the PayPal app has downloaded, open it. Tap Sign Up on the bottom right-hand corner to get started. 3. Enter your personal information and follow directions to complete signup.
Why can’t I create an account?
Make sure you’re using your legal first and last name when you sign up — no pseudonyms allowed. If you’re still having trouble signing up, contact PayPal directly for assistance.
How do you pay through PayPal using a credit card?
When you create your PayPal account, you’re given the option to link your credit and debit cards to your account. You can also link your bank accounts directly to avoid paying additional fees. When you transfer money or make a payment, choose to pay from one of your cards or through your bank account.
What are PayPal coupons?
Like other online stores, PayPal occasionally offers extra savings through coupons. You’ll also find signup deals for new customers — you could save $10 or more off your first purchase through PayPal by using a PayPal promo code.
What stores accept PayPal 4 in 4?
Use PayPal’s buy now, pay later solution, called PayPal 4 in 4, wherever PayPal is accepted at checkout. Millions of stores, including Best Buy, Bose and Vineyard Vines, to name a few, accept the interest-free financing option.
Why should I choose PayPal?
Pros
Highly secure. Industry-standard protective technology and buyer protection help you shop with peace of mind.
No Purchase fees. You won’t pay to make purchases with PayPal.
Accepted around the world. PayPal is accepted by thousands of retailers worldwide and used by millions of shoppers.
Cons
Transaction fees can be high. A fee of almost 3% can add up, particularly when transferring large amounts
Other buy now, pay later solutions
If PayPal isn’t the right option for you, consider other buy now, pay later solutions that better suit your financial needs. For example, you might consider these options:
Select your desired buy now, pay later programs, and select “Compare” to check out their features side-by-side.
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Bottom line
If you’re wary about shopping online, PayPal is one of the safest ways to pay. It makes shopping more convenient with a quick log in and payment without entering your credit card every time.
Gabrielle Pastorek is an SEO strategist and publisher at Finder, specializing in banking. She's written more than 800 articles on the site and is a quoted expert in Best Company, HuffPost, Reader's Digest, MSN and MarketWatch. She's secured interviews with key stakeholders in the consumer insights industry, including a senior director at the National Retail Federation. Gabrielle has edited several creative manuscripts and holds an MFA from the University of Pittsburgh and BAs in English and French from Ohio University.
If I get a refund from a retailer and it is credited to my Paypal Account, can I then in turn move this refunded money back to my credit card or bank account attached to my account? If not, how do you can you use this credit ?
Yes, you may have the money deposited back to your enrolled credit card or you may withdraw the money through your bank account/ debit card registered on your Paypal Account. I highly recommend that you gather more information about the services that Paypal offers.
I hope this helps.
Please do not hesitate to reach out again to us if you have additional questions.
Thanks for getting in touch! Amazon does not accept PayPal credit, including the credit line granted to the PP Bus. Debit MasterCard. Customer Service said there is no alternative card, such as a PayPal credit-only card, that can be linked to an existing PayPal credit line so Amazon would accept and process the transaction as credit, not debit.
Thanks for your inquiry and for visiting our page. It’s great to know of our intentions! I’ve checked Scriptures for America’s website and it doesn’t show the reason for donations via Paypal. Kindly keep in touch with them to find out and you can visit their website to get their contact details. Sorry I couldn’t be of help at this time. For any clarifications, feel free to message us again.
You can buy food from walmart.com. To get started, please go to their website. Click on the menu button on the top left and choose “Food” in the department section.
Please send me a message if you need anything else.
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Hello!
If I send money from my PayPal account to another PayPal account, what fees will apply to me?
Hi Fatma,
Thanks for getting in touch with finder. I hope all is well with you. :)
The fee that you would be paying would depend on various factors:
– payment method
– country of the recipient
– exchange rates
For this reason, it is not easy to provide a straightforward answer to your question. However, you may want to learn more about PayPal fees.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Joshua
If I get a refund from a retailer and it is credited to my Paypal Account, can I then in turn move this refunded money back to my credit card or bank account attached to my account? If not, how do you can you use this credit ?
Hi Ryan,
Thank you for reaching out to Finder.
Yes, you may have the money deposited back to your enrolled credit card or you may withdraw the money through your bank account/ debit card registered on your Paypal Account. I highly recommend that you gather more information about the services that Paypal offers.
I hope this helps.
Please do not hesitate to reach out again to us if you have additional questions.
Cheers,
Ash
Can I use PayPal credit on Amazon?
Hi Jbibo,
Thanks for getting in touch! Amazon does not accept PayPal credit, including the credit line granted to the PP Bus. Debit MasterCard. Customer Service said there is no alternative card, such as a PayPal credit-only card, that can be linked to an existing PayPal credit line so Amazon would accept and process the transaction as credit, not debit.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Nikki
Why can’t you donate to Christian sites like Scriptures for America through PayPal anymore?
Hi Ann,
Thanks for your inquiry and for visiting our page. It’s great to know of our intentions! I’ve checked Scriptures for America’s website and it doesn’t show the reason for donations via Paypal. Kindly keep in touch with them to find out and you can visit their website to get their contact details. Sorry I couldn’t be of help at this time. For any clarifications, feel free to message us again.
Best,
Nikki
Can i buy food from walmart.com
Hi Nicole,
Thanks for leaving a question on finder.
You can buy food from walmart.com. To get started, please go to their website. Click on the menu button on the top left and choose “Food” in the department section.
Please send me a message if you need anything else.
Cheers,
Joel