Does PayPal accept American Express?

You can use credit cards from all major providers, but you may pay a fee depending on the transaction.

Major credit cards issuers accepted at PayPal

Compare credit cards for PayPal

PayPal’s cobranded credit cards can be solid financing options. With the PayPal Cashback Mastercard®, you’ll earn 2% cash back on every purchase. And the PayPal Extras Mastercard® offers 2x points on PayPal purchases.

As alternatives, look for cards that offer solid flat-rate rewards on every purchase.

• PayPal
• Rewards

Sort by:

Name	Product	Welcome offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
PayPal Extras Mastercard®		N/A	3x points on gas and dining, x points on PayPal and eBay and 1x points on all other purchases	$0		Earn 3x points on gas and dining, x points on PayPal and eBay and 1x points on all other purchases.	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
PayPal Cashback Mastercard®		N/A	2% cash back on all purchases	$0		Earn 2% cash back on all purchases. Rates & fees	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
PayPal Credit		N/A	N/A	$0		Get 6 months special financing on purchases of $99+ everywhere PayPal is accepted. Rates & fees	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

loading

Prev

1

Next

Compare up to 4 providers

Clear selection

Compare

Sort by:

Name	Product	Welcome offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express		Up to $350: 20% back on Amazon.com purchases in the first 6 months for up to $200 back, plus $150 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in the first 6 months	6% on select US streaming services, 3% on transit and US gas stations, 6% at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 annually, then 1% after that and on all other purchases (redeem as statement credit)	$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter)		Earn up to $350. In your first 6 months, you can earn a $150 statement credit when you spend $3,000, and earn 20% back on Amazon purchases made with your card, up to $200 total. Having 6 months to earn a welcome offer is a rare benefit as most cards give you only 3. Terms apply, see rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express		Up to $250: 20% back on Amazon.com purchases in the first 6 months for up to $150 back, plus $100 statement credit after spending $2,000 within the first 6 months	3% at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year (then 1%), 2% at US gas stations and select US department stores and 1% on all other purchases (redeem as statement credit)	$0		Earn up to $250. You'll get 20% back on Amazon.com purchases in the first six months for up to $150 back, and $100 after you spend $2,000 in the first six months. This is a higher-than-average welcome offer for a card with no annual fee. Terms apply, see rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Freedom Unlimited®		$200 after spending $500 in the first 3 months, plus 5% cash back at grocery stores (not including Target® or Walmart®) on up to $12,000 in the first yeares) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year	5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase, 5% on Lyft, 3% on dining and drugstores and 1.5% on all other purchases	$0		This solid 1.5% cashback card gets even better with the addition of up to 5% back in categories like travel, drug stores and dining.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

loading

Prev

1 2 3 4 5 6

Next

Compare up to 4 providers

Clear selection

Compare

Should I use my Amex credit card for PayPal?

Though Amex credit cards are valid for PayPal transactions, watch out for fees.

• If you’re buying a product or service through PayPal with your Amex credit card, you won’t pay any fee.
• However, you’ll pay a fee when you send money to friends or family within the US at 2.9% of each transaction.
• The fee is higher when you send money abroad. You’ll pay a fixed fee, a 2.9% transaction fee and a fee depending on the currency.

Will my PayPal transaction trigger a cash advance?

Typically goods-and-services payments through PayPal aren’t classified as cash advances.

However, your card provider may charge a fee if you use PayPal for a transaction typically associated with cash advances — such as buying chips at a casino.

Sending money to family and friends may or may not trigger a cash advance. If you’re worried about cash advance fees or APRs, contact your card provider.

What you need to know about cash advance interest rates

Consider these American Express credit cards for PayPal

With an American Express card, you’re unlikely to earn significant elevated rewards through PayPal spending. Still, a few cards can help you earn decent cash back or travel rewards you’ll earn as statment credit.

When comparing which Amex cards work well with Paypal, look at the cashback or rewards value per dollar spent, as well as the annual fee, welcome offer value, and associated fees when using an Amex card through Paypal. The Amex cards below show a sampling of cards that provide value for purchases made through Paypal.

American Express Cash Magnet® Card

Read review

Read review

This is a great Amex product you can use with PayPal. You’ll earn a solid 1.5% cash back on your purchases that you’ll recieve as statement credit.

• No annual fee (Terms apply, see rates & fees)
• 1.5% cash back on your purchases
• $150 back after you make $1,000 or more in purchases within the first three months of card membership

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

Read review

Read review

Most of your PayPal purchases probably won’t fall in this card’s elevated-rewards categories. But you’ll still earn a solid 3x points on eligible purchases.

• 12x Hilton Honors points at participating Hilton properties; 6x points at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations; 3x points on all other eligible purchases(Terms apply, see rates & fees).
• Complimentary Gold Status in Hilton Honors
• 130,000 Hilton Honors points after you make $2,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card

Apply now

Read review

Earn a solid base rewards rate of 2x points on eligible purchases. Though the card costs $450 a year, it offers high-class travel benefits (Terms apply, see rates & fees).

• 6x points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels; 3x points at US restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines; 2x points on all other eligible purchases
• $300 in Marriott Bonvoy statement credit every card year
• Free Night Award every card year
• Elite Status in Marriott Bonvoy

Payment options for PayPal

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

Bottom line

You can use your American Express card with PayPal. Consider only using it when paying for products or services to avoid paying a transaction fee.

If you’re sending money, you’ll pay a transaction fee of at least 2.9%. Also, watch out for potential cash advance fees and interest rates.
Flat-rate cashback cards are typically the best choice for PayPal transactions. You can find many of them for no annual fee.

Frequently asked questions

• Does PayPal have a membership fee?

  No. However, you may pay fees depending on your PayPal transactions.

• What's the PayPal fee to send money to another country?

  The fee is a flat rate 2.9%, plus a fee based on the amount sent that ranges from $0.99 to $4.99 and a fixed fee based on the currency.

• How do credit card providers determine whether a transaction is a cash advance?

  Card providers assign four-digit numbers — called merchant category codes (MCCs) — to businesses that want to accept credit cards. They use these codes to classify certain transactions as cash advances.

• Do cash advances come with higher APRs?

  Yes. You’ll usually find one APR for purchases and balance transfers, and another one for cash advances. The cash advance APR is typically higher.