Key Takeaways
To add money via bank transfer, you'll need to link your bank account to your PayPal account and follow the steps to transfer funds. Please note that it takes approximately 3-5 business days to receive the funds.
To add money via credit or debit card, you can link your card to your PayPal account and then make a transfer. Keep in mind that there may be fees associated with this option.
PayPal CASH allows you to add cash to your PayPal account at select retailers by generating a barcode in your PayPal app and presenting it at the retailer's checkout.
Lastly, you can ask family or friends to send you some money but make sure the sender has the email address linked to your PayPal account.
PayPal is an efficient service, as long as you always make sure to have a cushion of money in your account.
Not having enough cash in your PayPal balance can lead to late payments or prevent you from making quick transactions to other accounts.
There are several ways to add money to your PayPal account, so here are 4 ways to add cash right into your Paypal account.
Add more options to your PayPal account
Upgrade your PayPal business account by connecting it to a digital business account in Hong Kong.
Getting virtual access to a Hong Kong business account gives your business multi-currency goodness that helps make it easier to side-step foreign exchange fees and makes life much easier when making payments.
When you top up your PayPal business account, you should do it on your terms.
Set up a PayPal Cash account first
In March 2019, PayPal introduced PayPal Cash and PayPal Cash Plus accounts.
These accounts are designed as a place within PayPal where users can store money.
You don’t need one of these accounts to use PayPal itself. You can continue to send and receive money if you have a bank account or credit/debit card linked to your account.
But if you want to hold a balance of money in PayPal you need to either have a PayPal Cash or PayPal Cash Plus account.
PayPal automatically opened a Cash account for all active accounts created before the March 2019 cut-off.
If you are new to PayPal, you need to open a cash account before you can start adding a balance to your account.
Method #1: Add money to your balance using a linked bank account
If you want to top up your PayPal balance online, you can rely on several options.
Follow these steps to top-up your PayPal cash balance using your linked bank account:
- You need to link your local bank account to your PayPal account to be able to complete this process. The name on your PayPal account needs to match the name on your bank account. If not, transfers between your bank account and PayPal account will fail.
- Log into your PayPal account and click ‘Transfer Money’, situated under your PayPal balance on the summary home page.
- On the next page, select ‘Add money to your balance’
- Then follow the instructions on-screen to make a transfer from your bank account to your PayPal account. You can choose to do this using online banking or by visiting your local bank branch.
- Note that it will take about 3 to 5 business days for your money to appear in your PayPal balance. You will receive an email from PayPal to let you know when the transfer is complete.
PayPal does not charge any fees for this service. However, your bank may charge you fees for transfers. What's important to keep in mind is they have limits on how much money you can add to your account.
- Up to USD 5,000 per day.
- Up to USD 10,000 per week.
- Up to USD 20,000 per month.
Check with your bank before making any payments to confirm what these fees are, so you don’t get any horrible surprises after your transfer!
🔍Statrys Tools: Use our free PayPal fee calculator to get an estimate on how much fees you will be paying when invoicing clients using PayPal. This tool is suitable for businesses and freelancers.
Method #2: Add money from the PayPal app
Another quick and efficient method to add money to your PayPal account is to use the PayPal app.
Designed specifically to make topping up your PayPal balance easy!
The app is available both on the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
Follow these steps to top-up your PayPal cash balance using your linked bank account via the PayPal app:
- Open the application on your device
- Tap 'PayPal balance'
- Select 'Add money
- Confirm the amount of money you want to transfer into your PayPal account.
- Follow the next prompts in the application to finalize your transfer
Method #3: Add money using the PayPal Cash card
This service is only available to users with a PayPal Cash Plus account and that are located in the US.
There is a fee of USD 4.95 to use this service.
A PayPal Cash card is a debit card that lets you use your PayPal balance to make regular debit/credit card purchases.
It also lets you add money to your PayPal balance.
- Sign up for a PayPal Cash card. Once PayPal has processed your request, they will send you a card within 7 to 10 business days.
- Activate your PayPal Cash card when it arrives. You can do this via your phone, tablet, or on computer.
- Open up the PayPal app and tap ‘PayPal balance’
- Tap ‘Add money’, then select ‘Add Cash’.
- Select a retail location near you that supports the PayPal Cash card. It’s recommended to follow the next steps only when you’re close to the location. You’ll create a barcode and only have one hour to complete the transaction at the location you select. If you don’t get to the location in time, you’ll have to create a new barcode.
- Tap ‘Generate Barcode’ at the bottom of the screen.
- Show the barcode to the cashier so they can scan it and process your payment. Your money will be available in your PayPal account within 15 minutes!
Method #4: Receiving money from friends and family into your PayPal account
This method is particularly useful if you can’t add money to your PayPal account using a bank account.
Alternatively, to top-up your PayPal balance online you can get your friends and family to send you money through PayPal.
Money sent to your account will automatically be added to your PayPal balance.
Receiving money is easy, just make sure that the sender has the email address linked to your PayPal account.
This will guarantee that the money is sent on time and to the right account.
The only disadvantage to using this method is that whoever is sending you money may end up paying a fee to complete the transaction.
If the sender transfers from their own PayPal account, using their balance or a linked bank account, and in the same currency as yours, then they won’t pay any fees.
However, fees apply when the sender uses a credit or debit card to transfer money to your account.
They may also incur a fee to cover a currency conversion, based on the currency they are sending.
The costs of sending money are therefore higher if the sender is transferring money from abroad.
💡Tip: Learn how to make a payment via PayPal, even without an account.
Why you’re unable to add money to your PayPal balance
If you keep trying to add money to your PayPal account but the transfer isn’t going through, it could be because:
- You haven't set up a PayPal Cash or PayPal Cash Plus account
- There is a limitation placed on your account
- The feature you’re trying to use is not available for your region or country.
Alternatively, if you are looking to withdraw cash from PayPal instead, we have a detailed guide on how to do just that.
💡Tip: Learn how to withdraw money from PayPal with our step-by-step guide.
Although PayPal is still a convenient way for individuals to pay for goods and services online, as well as make or receive transfers, it is certainly not the best option if you are a business owner because wire transfer and telegraphic transfer are still the go-to methods for businesses due to their safety and reliability.
FAQs
How do I add money to PayPal?
You need to link your local bank account to your PayPal account to be able to successfully complete this process. The name on your PayPal account needs to match the name on your bank account. If not, transfers between your bank account and PayPal account will fail.
Why can't I add money to my PayPal account?
How much money can I add to PayPal via a Bank?
