Can I Add Money To My Paypal Account With A Debit Card

4 Min. Read

How to Add Money to PayPal From Debit Card Instantly

If you frequently make and accept payments via PayPal, you may want to maintain a balance in your account. For most people, this is just a matter of convenience. By keeping some money in PayPal at all times, you can use the platform more easily without delays. This is particularly helpful if you've integrated PayPal into your ordinary accounting system.

There are two ways to make PayPal payments: using your existing balance and email address, or choosing an alternative like a bank or a credit card. Here's how to do both, and how to add money to your account when needed.

Here's What We'll Cover:

How to Add Money to PayPal From Your Bank

How to Use Your Debit Card for PayPal Purchases

Doesn't PayPal Have Instant Transfer?

What if I Want to Add Cash to My PayPal Balance?

Key Takeaways

How to Add Money to PayPal From Your Bank

The easiest way to add money to PayPal is to use a direct bank transfer. First, you'll need to create a PayPal Cash or PayPal Cash Plus account. This is free, but it requires PayPal to verify some of your personal information to comply with Know Your Customer regulations.

Next, you'll need to have a linked bank account. This will take a few days to set up, since PayPal will need to verify that the account is yours. They'll make a deposit of a few pennies, and ask you to confirm the amount. When that's done, you'll be able to freely transfer money back and forth.

To transfer money from a bank account, log into PayPal and navigate to your wallet. Now, click "Transfer Money," and select the "Add money to your balance" option. With the app, the process is even easier. You click on your balance and select "Add Money."

Either way, the rest of the process is simple. You enter the amount you want to transfer, confirm the money transfer, and you're all set.

How to Use Your Debit Card for PayPal Purchases

You can't actually use a credit or debit card to transfer funds to your PayPal balance. On the other hand, you shouldn't really have to. When you make a PayPal payment, you can use your credit or bank card instead of your PayPal balance.

As a result, you don't need to maintain a balance if you link a card to your account. You can get money from friends or pay your vendors directly from your card. Keep in mind that as with any card payment service, this will incur some fees, and those fees are tax deductible.

For this to work, you'll first need to set up a linked card. Log in, go to your wallet, and click on the link to add a debit or credit card. Follow the instructions, enter your card details and billing address, and the card will be linked. The whole process only takes a few minutes.

Doesn't PayPal Have Instant Transfer?

Yes, PayPal does have an option for instant transfer. However, that option is available for withdrawals, not for deposits.

To get your money in minutes, log into your account and click the link that says "Transfer money." Select the account or card you want to transfer to, and choose the option for an instant transfer. This will work for any bank accounts and eligible debit cards. At this time, instant transfers are not available for credit cards.

Keep in mind that instant PayPal transfers incur a service fee.

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What if I Want to Add Cash to My PayPal Balance?

PayPal users with a Cash or Cash Plus account can apply for a PayPal Cash Card. With a Cash Card, you go to a participating retailer, and hand the cash to the cashier along with your card. They'll swipe your card, take your cash, and give you a receipt for the deposit. If you have the PayPal app, you'll also get a push notification.

The Cash Card is accepted at tens of thousands of retail locations throughout North America. Participating retailers include Rite Aid, Dollar General, 7-Eleven, Walmart, and Dollar Tree.

Some retailers charge a fee for cash deposits, while others don't. The daily deposit limit for Cash Cards is $1,500.

Key Takeaways

Unfortunately, there's no way to add money to your PayPal account from a debit or credit card. That said, debit and credit cards serve as an instantly-available payment method. For most purposes, an instant deposit will not be necessary. There are plenty of other ways to move your money around.

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