How to open paypal account

How PayPal works

Your PayPal journey starts here.

Join the millions of people who trust PayPal to send, spend, and manage their money quickly and securely.

PayPal helps simplify your life

Create an account for free

Shop online and in person, and send and receive money—all from one account. 1

Send money securely

Whether you’re splitting the bill or planning a vacation, send money across the table or around the globe with confidence. 1

Receive money with ease

Get paid fast by creating and sharing a unique PayPal.Me link or QR code with any PayPal user. 1

Shop online or in person

Check out with PayPal online or pay in person with QR codes. No matter how you shop, we help make purchasing secure. 2

Add payment options to your digital wallet

Link your cards and bank account info in one place so that checkout’s a breeze.

Do even more with your money

Cash a check from your couch. 3 Explore the world of crypto. 4 Get paid before payday. 5 Or build out your side hustle. An account with PayPal is just the beginning.

How to sign up for PayPal

Download the free app and create an account

Enter and confirm your number

Link your card or bank account

Explore the app or get started right away

Join the millions around the world who love PayPal

Easily and securely spend, send, and manage your transactions—all in one place. Download the app on your phone or sign up for free online.

Scan the code or enter your number to get the app.

By clicking Send Link you agree to receive a text message with a link to the PayPal app. Message and data rates may apply.

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1 An account with PayPal is required to send and receive money, and use PayPal.Me.

2 Purchase Protection is available on eligible purchases. Terms and limitations apply.

3 The Cash a Check feature is a service provided by First Century Bank, N.A. and Ingo Money, Inc., subject to the First Century Bank and Ingo Money Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Fees and terms apply. All checks subject to review for approval. Unapproved checks will not be funded to your account.If your check isn’t approved to be cashed, no fees will be assessed. Effective February 14, 2022, Cash a Check is no longer available to PayPal customers located in New York.

4 When you buy or sell cryptocurrency, including when you check out with crypto, we will disclose an exchange rate and any fees you will be charged for that transaction. The exchange rate includes a spread that PayPal earns on each purchase and sale. See cryptocurrency fees.

Buying and selling cryptocurrency is subject to a number of risks and may result in significant losses. Please see our disclosure here for more details. PayPal does not make any recommendations regarding buying or selling cryptocurrency. Consider seeking advice from your financial and tax advisor. All custody of and buying and selling in cryptocurrency is performed for PayPal by its licensed service provider, Paxos Trust Company, LLC. Buying, selling, and holding cryptocurrencies is not regulated in many states, including the State of California. PayPal, Inc. is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Buying, selling, and holding cryptocurrency with PayPal is not available in Hawaii and where prohibited by law.

5 Direct Deposit is subject to the payor’s support of this feature. Funds deposited via Direct Deposit will generally be available on the day we receive the funds transfer. You may review activity on your periodic statements or transaction history on www.PayPal.com, or call Customer Service at 1-888-221-1161 to verify receipt. We reserve the right to accept, reject, or limit transfers via Direct Deposit in our sole discretion. If you wish to cancel Direct Deposits, you must contact your employer. PayPal does not charge any fee to set up or maintain Direct Deposit. Refer to your PayPal User Agreement for complete Direct Deposit details.

Once it’s set up, Direct Deposit usually takes two (2) pay cycles to begin, but can vary across employers. Please check with your employer for specific timing.

New Direct Deposit enrollees will be eligible for early access, subject to the terms and conditions. The early access feature will be made available to all eligible Direct Deposit customers in the coming months. Early access can allow a user to access their funds up to 2 days early. Early access to funds depends on when we get payment instructions from the payor (your employer or government agency). When we get funds before the scheduled payment date, your money can be made available up to 2 days sooner than scheduled. Availability and timing can vary based on the payor and when we get payment instructions. Once the funds are received, they will be deposited directly into your PayPal balance.

Start shopping safer with PayPal at millions of stores around the world.

Set up your PayPal account with just a few clicks. Read on to learn more about how you can shop and pay with ease.

Want to receive payments with PayPal?
Go to our Business page.

How to get started.

1. Create Your PayPal Account

Signing up for a PayPal account is an easy process. Make sure you have your personal details ready.

2. Link your Credit/Debit Card

Linking a credit card or debit card takes only a few minutes. Make sure you have your card details ready.

3. Pay with PayPal

Now that you’ve setup your account, you can pay online in seconds, safely and securely.

Pro-Tip: Activate your card for international payments

Make sure to link a valid card to your PayPal account. We accept cards across all leading banks & networks.

Before linking, check if your bank accepts international transactions through PayPal

Activate your card for international payments and check with your issuing bank for your spending limit.​

Get started with our 1-minute video guides.

Activate your credit card for international purchases.

Start selling with PayPal – even if without a website.

Set up a PayPal.Me link for yourself, and share it with your friends, family, clients or customers to get paid.
Learn more about PayPal.Me.

Happy shopping with PayPal.

PayPal Services in India are provided by PayPal Payments Private Limited (CIN U74990MH2009PTC194653). Users are advised to read the terms and conditions carefully.

When you visit or interact with our sites, services, applications, tools or messaging, we or our authorised service providers may use cookies, web beacons, and other similar technologies for storing information to help provide you with a better, faster and safer experience and for advertising purposes. Learn more here.

It’s free to create a PayPal account.

For you

A PayPal personal account

Shop, send money to a friend or receive payments. We’ll keep your financial information secure.

For your business

A PayPal business account

A faster and safer way to accept credit card and PayPal payments online, via invoice or in person.

For you

A PayPal personal account

Shop, send money to a friend or receive payments. We’ll keep your financial information secure.

For your business

A PayPal business account

A faster and safer way to accept credit card and PayPal payments online, via invoice or in person.

The PayPal service is provided by PayPal Australia Pty Limited (ABN 93 111 195 389) which holds Australian Financial Services Licence number 304962. Any information provided is general only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Please read and consider the Combined Financial Services Guide and Product Disclosure Statement before acquiring or using the service. PayPal credit services are provided by PayPal Credit Pty Limited (ACN 600 629 258).

When you visit or interact with our sites, services, applications, tools or messaging, we or our authorised service providers may use cookies, web beacons, and other similar technologies for storing information to help provide you with a better, faster and safer experience and for advertising purposes. Learn more here.

How to Get Started with Your PayPal Account

Sign up to pay securely and have all your cards and rewards in one place when you shop online.

Why PayPal?

Having a PayPal account is like getting a digital wallet that protects your data and helps you get more out of your payments. Not only does it allow you to shop and pay without typing in your payment card details each time, you keep your financial details stored and unshared on an encrypted network. And if you’re still wondering why you should get one, here are more reasons to:

TIME

Flash deals and tickets get snapped up fast. Typing your credit or debit card details is slow and time-consuming. PayPal helps you score more buys with speedier checkouts.

SECURITY

Each time you disclose your financial details is another exposure to risk. Using PayPal keeps your financial information more secure no matter which website you shop on.

CARD REWARDS

PayPal lets you link all your cards to one place and choose your preferred card to pay. You’ll still earn reward points* for purchases.

PROTECTED PURCHASES

You’ll also enjoy Buyer Protection # for your payments, as well as refunds on return shipping for eligible goods^.

INTERNATIONAL WALLET

With PayPal accepted in more than 200 countries and regions, you can shop brands across the globe and pay in your preferred currency.

DO MORE WITH YOUR ACCOUNT

You can also send money, receive payments, and more with your account. Shopping is just the start.

FREE

Yes, it is absolutely free to set up your PayPal personal account, and you can do it right now! Read on to find out how.

Already have one? Link your cards to start shopping and earning reward points.

How To Sign Up

Signing up is easy and we’ve broken down the steps to guide you through the process.

When you see the PayPal button while checking out:

You can choose to sign up while checking out on any online store that accepts PayPal. All you need to do is to choose PayPal as your payment option, and you will be brought to PayPal’s secure network where you can enter your personal and billing information.

On the PayPal website

STEP 1: Select your account type: Select your account type

Signing up can also be done on our website. Simply select For You in the left box option.

STEP 2: Create your login details

Make sure you get your personal information right when you sign up for your PayPal account.

Let us know the email address and the password you want to use. These will be what you need to log into your account in the future, so make sure to choose a password only you know.

If you’ve already got a business account set up, you’ll need to set up your new account with a personal email address, bank account and credit or debit card. You can also choose to upgrade your personal account to a business one if you don’t already have one.

STEP 3: Tell us more about yourself

Let us know more details such as your name, date of birth, address and contact details. Do ensure the details are the same as those in your National ID or passport, and check the box to accept our Terms and Conditions.

STEP 4: Link your credit or debit card

Adding a credit or debit card to your PayPal account not only saves you time when you shop online, but safeguards your financial information and purchases against potential fraud. You can link your credit or debit cards to start shopping immediately.

STEP 5: Verify your email address

Once your account is created, we will send you an email to confirm your email address. We’ll also email you each time you make a payment so you can easily track your shopping.

Click on Confirm Email Address to verify your email address on our network. And that’s it, you now have your account set up and ready to go!

(Optional) STEP 6: Verify your mobile phone number

For added security, you may choose to verify your mobile phone number.

Still unsure of how you can use PayPal? Here’s a video to find out more.

*Reward schemes may differ when using PayPal. Please refer to your credit card provider for details

#For eligible orders within 180 days of payment. See Terms and Conditions for further information

Useful Resources

Online Shopping

Discover the deals and rewards you can get when you shop worldwide with PayPal.

Safety and Security

Transactions with PayPal enjoy world-class security with 24/7 fraud monitoring.

Buyer Protection

How you can get full refunds on eligible purchases that do not arrive or isn’t as described.

Refunded Returns

Here’s how you can get refunds for your return shipping costs on eligible purchases.

Related Articles

How to Link Credit or Debit Cards to Your PayPal

Save yourself the risk and hassle of entering your financial details each time you shop and pay online.

How to Link a Bank Account to Your PayPal

Add another way to pay online and to withdraw money you receive to your account.

PayPal Pte. Ltd. (“3PL”) has applied for a license under the Singapore Payment Services Act (“PS Act”) with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. During this statutory transitional period, 3PL is operating under an exemption from holding a license and is allowed to continue to provide specific payment services.

When you visit or interact with our sites, services, tools or messaging, we or our authorised service providers may use cookies, web beacons, and other similar technologies for storing information to help provide you with a better, faster and safer experience and for advertising purposes. Learn more here.

Selling with PayPal part 1: Opening an account.

Jun 14 2021 | Chase Jones, PayPal Editorial Staff

Step-by-step instructions.

4. Now, create a login ID and Password and enter your business contact information.

6. Next, tell us about your business: Enter your employer ID number or if you’ re a sole proprietor, enter your social security number.

8. We’ll ask for some additional personal information that will be used to verify your identity.

10. Then your account is ready to use.

Linking your bank account (total time:

Step-by-step instructions for linking a bank account

1. Log into your PayPal Business account.

2. Click Money on the top of the page.

4. Select your bank or click Don’t see your bank? at the bottom.

5. Depending on the bank you select, you may have the option to link your bank instantly using your online banking login information.

Once you see the deposits in your bank account, the last step is confirming the deposits.

1. Log into your PayPal Business account.

2. Click Money on the top of the page.

6. Watch how to link and confirm your bank account.

Once you’ve created an account and linked it to your bank, you’re ready to:

Create a link you can share in email, text message, or social media channels.

The contents of this site are provided for informational purposes only. You should always obtain independent, professional accounting, financial, and legal advice before making any business decision.

1 To be eligible for d iscounted credit card processing fees for registered charities, 501(c)(3) status must first be verified by PayPal. Learn more.