I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.
See all posts Frank GogolHow Does PayPal Work?
Updated on April 10, 2024
Written by
Written by
Reviewed by
Rohit Mittal
Reviewed by
Rohit Mittal
Rohit Mittal is the co-founder and CEO of Stilt. Rohit has extensive experience in credit risk analytics and data science. He spent years building credit risk and fraud models for top U.S. banks. In his current role, he defines the overall business strategy, leads debt and capital fundraising efforts, leads product development, and leads other customer-related aspects for the company. Stilt is backed by Y Combinator and has raised a total of $275M in debt and equity funding to date.
See all posts Rohit MittalAt a Glance
- PayPal is a widely used online payment method enabling secure digital transactions and money transfers for personal or business purposes.
- It provides buyer protection, convenience by eliminating the need to enter bank details for each transaction, and is accepted by numerous online retailers.
- Creating a PayPal account is simple, and the platform offers features like OneTouch payments and a loyalty program, making it widely available across stores and websites.
With digital transactions taking over the world of banking, several online payment methods have cropped up. One of the first among them is PayPal, which has been operating in the world of online payment for more than two decades. But what exactly is PayPal, and how does it work? How does a beginner go about creating an account on this platform? These are some of the questions we will be exploring here.
What Is PayPal?
PayPal is an online payment method that allows you to make financial transactions digitally. Using a secure internet account, you can use PayPal to make purchases from vendors.
PayPal is not just restricted to making payments. This platform also allows you to send and receive money from others as well. And whatever money you receive through your PayPal account can be used to make purchases (which can, of course, be supplemented with the balance that is available to you in your linked bank accounts and assigned cards).
Early on in its history, PayPal was acquired by the famous online auction house, eBay. However, PayPal was separated from eBay in 2015 and has been running as an independent company ever since.
Most of the services on PayPal are free to use. For example, you do not need to pay any fees to make transfers to your friends or family. However, you might be charged a small transaction fee if your transfer involves the conversion of currencies. You might also be charged a fee if you receive payment to your account from online business platforms. For example, selling items on eBay usually involves being charged a fee by PayPal.
While you can use this online banking method for your own personal use, PayPal can also be used for business. You can set up a business PayPal account and accept card payments from your clients and customers.
Who Uses PayPal?
PayPal is one of the original online payment solutions that has been operating for quite a long time now. As such, this platform has established its reputation and increased its adoption over the years. This is why you will find a PayPal option integrated with almost any online purchase.
PayPal is a widely accepted digital payment method used even by small retailers and is integrated into thousands of websites on the internet. This is advantageous when it comes to PayPal, especially because other digital payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay are not as widely adopted across the internet.
PayPal has implemented strict security measures to safeguard you as a buyer. For instance, if the item you purchased through PayPal does not arrive or appears different from the seller’s description, PayPal ensures you get a full refund. This is a highly beneficial feature, especially for buyers on platforms that do not offer any buyer guarantees (such as eBay, for example).
PayPal also offers an extra layer of security by eliminating the need for you to enter your bank details and CVV number every time you make a purchase. All you need to do is enter your PayPal login ID and password (or mobile and PIN) and make the payment.
People who wish to make quick and easy payments can also activate OneTouch payments on PayPal. OneTouch payments are specific to a device, which means you can use your PayPal account on the same device every time to buy something online. You do not need to enter all of your details every time you make a purchase.
Of course, if buyers on the internet are using PayPal to make their purchases, that naturally means even sellers use PayPal for their own personal use or for their corporate business. PayPal allows sellers to conduct their business by offering excellent security measures. Not only does it protect their customers’ data, but it also allows for easy subscriptions and regular payments. Sellers can even use PayPal to accept online payments in brick-and-mortar stores.
PayPal offers a number of payment options for sellers to incorporate into their business (such as allowing customers to pay later if required or allowing them to transfer money directly to the business’ PayPal account), which is why PayPal has emerged as the leading online payment method for both small sellers and big multinational retailers online.
How Does PayPal Work?
The way PayPal works is pretty simple. Whenever someone sends you money to your PayPal account (either to your mobile number or email address), you will receive the funds into your account along with a message from PayPal that lets you know you have received the funds.
Similarly, you can choose PayPal as your payment method whenever you wish to make purchases online. All you need to do is enter your login ID and password to complete the payment.
How to Create a PayPal Account
You can create a PayPal account in a few simple steps. All you need to do is:
- Head on over to the PayPal official website and click on the “Sign Up” button.
- Choose whether you want a personal or business account.
- Enter your bank details or your credit and debit card details and link them to your account.
And that’s pretty much it! You can now use your PayPal account to make payments and receive funds from others.
How to Pay With PayPal
Making payments with PayPal is a simple affair. Since this financial service is accepted in most stores, you will be able to use the PayPal app or a mobile browser to make your payments almost anywhere.
All you need to do is keep an eye out for the PayPal symbol and click on it whenever you wish to check out of an online store. You will be provided with a set of simple instructions on the screen you can follow to make your payment.
PayPal allows you to see what vendors accept the PayPal option as a payment method. Because of the numerous partnerships this platform has with restaurants and stores, you will be provided with several options to pay for food or products. You can even use PayPal to order in advance in various coffee shops and food establishments.
PayPal also has a loyalty program for regular users that you can use to get rewards and cashback. In other words, every single time you pay for something using PayPal, your account will be credited with loyalty points you can redeem at a later date. This can be accessed by adding loyalty cards to your account.
Read More
- How to Cancel a Paypal Payment
- How to Use PayPal
- How to Close a PayPal Account
- How to Withdraw Money From PayPal
- How to Set Up a PayPal Account
- How to Add Money to PayPal
Conclusion
So are you ready to get started with your own PayPal account? PayPal makes your transactions simple and easy, so if you are a seller trying to get started with your business or simply just a buyer out to do some online shopping, PayPal might be a good way to go.
Frank Gogol
I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.