How to Use a Credit Card to Add Funds to a PayPal Account

PayPal allows you to make purchases without giving your credit card information to the merchant.

There is no way to add funds to your PayPal account via a credit card. The only means of directly adding funds to your account is to link your PayPal account to a verified bank account and transfer funds over. However, this does not mean that there is no way to use a credit card to pay for a purchase through PayPal. To allow PayPal to use your credit card, you simply need to link a credit card to your PayPal account, ensure that your PayPal account balance is $0, and make a purchase.

Instructions

1. Login to your PayPal account and make sure that you are on the "Account Overview" page. Mouse over the "Profile" option in the account menu and choose "Add or Edit Credit Card."

2. Click the orange "Add Card" button to open the new card form. Enter your credit card information and double check for accuracy. Click the "Add Card" button when you are finished.

3. Click "Edit" under the Action section next to the credit card that you just added. Check the "Make primary card" check box. This ensures that, when your PayPal account balance is too low, this card is used for backup funding automatically. Click the "Save" button.

4. Make sure that your PayPal balance is $0 before you make your next purchase. Whenever you buy something online and your PayPal balance is too low, your credit card will be billed. This allows you to effectively use a credit card to fund your PayPal account.

Tips & Warnings

• If you link your PayPal account to your bank account, you can add funds directly to your PayPal balance.

• You can only link a credit card to one PayPal account at a time, and the card must be in your name.

• Keep in mind that, if you link your account to a bank account, it will automatically become your primary funding source and you will need to actively select your credit card on any future purchases.

References

• PayPal