How to Use PayPal to Pay or Receive Money

In a world filled with international purchases, online shopping and bank accounts, it’s not so easy to keep things simple and safe – not when cyberthreats lurk around every corner. Secure online transactions are a must for reputable online traders – that’s where PayPal comes in.

One of the most popular and secure online payment tools available is PayPal. To sign up, users have to give their name, address, an email address and a valid phone number. Anyone above the age of 18 can sign up for an account and use it to pay online.

Before being able to send money, however, users need to provide a source of funds – this can be a linked bank account, a linked credit card or a linked debit card. Linking is by PayPal either debiting or crediting the provided payment source with a small amount – the user enters the exact amount on the website to confirm their ownership of the account.

Another way to pay with PayPal is via PayPal balance. If another user sends funds, they can be used to pay instead of a linked payment method. In order to be able to send and receive money (and to have a PayPal balance) is to confirm the email address under which the account is registered.

This is done by clicking a link in a confirmation email received from PayPal.

Regardless of which payment method a user uses or links, they can then use PayPal for all sorts of activities – including creating and sending invoices, money-pools and more. PayPal also offers business accounts for business customers.

Having such an account allows users to accept credit card payments, and to give employees limited access to the account. For most users, a private account will work just fine. Transaction fees are the same for all account types – the only difference is the purpose of use.

Tip: Using PayPal isn’t a guarantee that you’ll be safe when paying online. Always use caution and don’t send anyone money unless you know them/trust them. PayPal scams are common. Never give anyone your login information and password!