PayPal has made a lot of people’s lives easier. It’s a simple process to get paid from your company or for freelancing work now.
And your PayPal money becomes immediately available to you. A unique thing about PayPal is the ease and convenience it brings.
So does that mean you can use it when shopping online on sites like Amazon? Yes, but not in a straightforward way; there are a few workarounds you need to do to get it to work.
PayPal has been around for more than twenty years and has built up quite a bit of trust for being a secure place to store money and financial information. It’s made a lot of sending and receiving money processes simpler.
With Amazon being just as famous and a place that many people shop, are you wondering if you can use PayPal on Amazon? I’ll answer some commonly asked questions and show you what’s possible for PayPal and Amazon.
Can You Link a PayPal to Amazon?
You may want to know if you can directly link your PayPal account to Amazon, making the transaction process smooth and efficient. The answer is, no, there isn’t currently a way to connect the two.
But that doesn’t mean that using PayPal is out of the question! It just means you need to be a bit creative and it takes a small amount of time.
How Do You Pay with PayPal on Amazon?
1. Use a PayPal cash card.
So if you can’t directly link your account, how do you use PayPal on Amazon? By using a PayPal cash card.
The PayPal cash card is linked with your PayPal account and can be used to pay for things just like a debit card. Here are a few great things:
It’s completely free. You don’t need to pay anything to get this card. The money comes directly from your PayPal account, so you can see how much is available to be spent.
No fees are associated with this, making it simple to set up. Next, it’s also very easy to use in various locations and websites.
It can be used just like a Mastercard, so it’s easy to use on Amazon and many other places, too.
A couple of cautions for this: your PayPal account must be in good standing. You won’t be able to get the PayPal cash card for your account if there are problems with it.
The card is free, but keep in mind you may get fees for foreign transactions, or if you decide to add money to your account at a register. So there are a few possible but non-typical fees to be aware of.
2. Use a PayPal business debit card.
This type of card works pretty much the same way that a PayPal cash card does. The difference is that this card is for a business account.
If you have a PayPal business account, consider getting the business debit card to simplify purchasing.
This can also help you separate your personal expenses from your business ones, especially if most of your earnings come to you through PayPal. It’s one of the best ways to stay organized without taking too much time or setup.
3. PayPal Key.
PayPal Key is a somewhat elusive virtual card that may or may not be available to you, depending on several factors. You will know if you have the option to use it because it will show up in your account.
You can use PayPal Key in most locations as long as you are shopping online; it has the same access as a Mastercard. This means you can easily use it on Amazon.
It can also be used even if the payment process doesn’t have a PayPal button.
4. Buy Amazon gift cards with PayPal.
This is a roundabout way to use your PayPal money on Amazon. Although it requires a few extra steps, it can be an excellent option to easily use your funds at this online retailer.
The first step is to buy an Amazon gift card from a reputable retailer that accepts PayPal. My favorite is GiftCard Granny.
You can then link the gift card to your Amazon account. From there, it’s all pretty simple.
5. Transfer funds from PayPal directly to your bank account.
The last way you can use PayPal on Amazon is one of the easiest. You just need to transfer money from your PayPal account to your bank account.
From there, you can easily purchase items from anywhere, including Amazon.
Typically, if you don’t want any fees, the process of transferring takes a few days. But you can do an instant transfer if you want immediate access to the funds; you’ll just get a small fee with it.
Can You Use PayPal on Amazon without a card?
What if you don’t have a PayPal card or business card? Are there other ways to use your PayPal account money on Amazon?
Yes. If you don’t want to or can’t use a card, use PayPal Key if it is an option for your account.
If that option isn’t available, consider purchasing Amazon gift cards using your PayPal account and then using those to buy things on Amazon. If you prefer to stay away from PayPal cards and don’t want to use a bank account, these are your best bets.
Is PayPal Worth Using?
Since Amazon is so widely used, if you can’t directly pay from PayPal, is it still worth it to use it? I say yes because first, there are many ways to transfer money or use cards to pay for things on Amazon. And second, PayPal is beneficial in many circumstances beyond just Amazon.
There are a lot of other places that accept PayPal, not to mention it is one of the simplest places to receive payments online, especially for people who work remotely or work for multiple companies through freelancing.
But PayPal is not without its drawbacks, as you cannot use PayPal directly for Amazon. It also takes a percentage for each transaction. Depending on the amount of money you are working with in PayPal, this could become quite frustrating and costly.
So, is PayPal worth using? In many cases, yes, for those that aren’t making large amounts of money, or if you don’t mind paying fees for the convenience.
But others may turn to alternative forms of collecting payment if the amounts become too much or it doesn’t suit their purposes.
Other Methods for Payment on Amazon
Amazon offers a lot of options for paying for items, including all of the ways mentioned above in this article. In addition to many major credit and debit cards like Mastercard and American Express, Amazon also accepts many other methods, which you can check out here.
Amazon is very versatile, and you can buy virtually anything you’re looking for through this site. Because of this, having easy payment access is essential for many people.
What is PayPal Mainly Used For?
PayPal is considered a safe way to handle finances online. You can add your bank account information and send money to your account.
You can send money to others and they can also send money to you without needing details like account information. PayPal keeps everything secure, and you can use it in many ways.
The PayPal App
With all this talk about PayPal, you might be wondering about the PayPal app. What does it do? Will it help with Amazon purchases?
The app is for your phone and makes payments extremely convenient. You can send money to others and pay for things through this app and use the many other features it offers.
While the app is still PayPal and you can’t directly buy from Amazon, there are many ways around that, like the ones I mentioned earlier, including gift cards and PayPal cards.
Is It Worth Buying Items Online?
When you are buying items online, there are some costs to consider and some other factors that might influence your choices.
First, shipping costs. When you buy from Amazon or any other online site, you will likely have shipping costs unless you manage to get free shipping.
You need to add this to your budget when deciding what to buy, knowing that this fee will be part of the total.
Related: Extra Ways to Save Money Using Amazon Prime That You’re Not Doing
Next, ask yourself if you are paying for convenience. For example, if you are buying something that you could quickly get from the store down the street, decide if the extra time and possibly money are worth the convenience of not going to the store.
If yes, that’s fine, but remember to consider these things before buying to make sure you aren’t wasting money, especially if your budget is tight.
You can’t use PayPal on Amazon directly, but there are ways to use the money in your PayPal account to pay for your Amazon purchases.
While no, you cannot use PayPal in a direct way to buy from Amazon, there are plenty of ways that you can still use your PayPal account in an indirect way to make your purchases.
It can mean you need to get creative, but you can do it, and you may find that the extra steps are totally worth it.
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