How PayPal Works
Millions of people trust PayPal to buy, sell, and send money—without sharing their financial information.
PayPal simplifies your life
We believe it should be simple to get, spend, and send your money. That’s why our services are designed to fit into your everyday life. Whether you’re shopping, splitting expenses, or getting paid for sales, we’re here to help make it as easy as possible.
There's a world of ways to use PayPal
Shop and buy online or in person
Choose PayPal at checkout and you can skip entering your financial info when you make a purchase. PayPal Purchase Protection1 helps you shop with confidence. You can also use PayPal to pay in person with QR codes.
See how to shop with PayPal
Send money securely
Across the table or around the globe, we make it simple to transfer money to anyone who uses PayPal. Our advanced search makes it easy to find and know who you’re sending money to. If they don’t have an account with PayPal, it’s easy to open one.
See how to send moneyReceive and collect money
It’s easy for anyone using PayPal to securely send money to your account with PayPal. Share your unique PayPal.me link or QR code to make it even easier. When you need to collect money from groups, set up a Money Pool.2
See how to receive money
Get paid by customers
Whether you’re selling on a marketplace, offering a service online, or setting up a store, we can help you get paid online and in person.
Learn moreJoin over 300 million PayPal users
Users and merchants in our growing network count on us to help them securely spend, send, and get their money. Our focus on fraud protection, 24/7 monitoring, and secure encryption technology is one reason why we've been a trusted brand for over 20 years.
Create an account in seconds
It’s free to open an account and buy something using PayPal.3 Sign up quickly with your name and email address, then add your bank account, debit, or credit card—and you’re ready to start using PayPal online, in our PayPal app, or in person.??Sign up
Add payment methods to your wallet
Your PayPal wallet securely stores your credit card, debit card, and bank account info in one place, so choosing your payment option at checkout is a breeze. You can even select PayPal to pay with credit card points.
Easily and securely spend, send, and manage your money with just one account.
Sign Up for Free1 Terms and limitations apply to PayPal Purchase Protection.
2 An account with PayPal is required to send and receive money using PayPal, the PayPal app, Money Pools and PayPal.Me.
3 If your purchase involves currency conversion, a fee will apply.
Must have a PayPal Cash or PayPal Cash Plus account to maintain and use a balance with PayPal.
We’ll use cookies to improve and customize your experience if you continue to browse. Is it OK if we also use cookies to show you personalized ads? Learn more and manage your cookies