No bank account? No problem. You can still enjoy the flexibility and convenience of PayPal. Here are the possibilities and the limitations.
Paying online without sharing your details
Do you like to shop online but don’t like the thought of sharing your credit card details? Or you don’t own a credit card? You don’t have to be limited in how (or where) you can pay online. With online payment options such as PayPal you can shop worldwide from a wide range of online stores, without any concerns about your personal data. Paying through PayPal without a bank account is easier than you might think!
What is PayPal?
PayPal is an online service that you can use to shop online and pay for goods. Or, you can use your PayPal without a bank account to split the cost for an evening out and to send out a payment request. If you have your own (online) shop or if you enjoy selling goods on online market places, PayPal offers an easy way to send and receive money. You can even book an Uber, or a Free Now Taxi by using PayPal without a card.
Receiving and paying money
Send someone your unique QR code or PayPal.me link to receive their payment, directly into your own PayPal account. Paying with PayPal without an account is also possible. One of the biggest benefits of using PayPal is being able to send money to anyone anywhere in the world, as long as they’ve got a PayPal account. You may have heard of another online service called Skrill. PayPal and Skrill are similar in a number of ways. Both services can be used to send and receive money and can be used to shop online without using a credit card. To find out more about these two services, check out our review of Skrill vs PayPal.
Can you use PayPal without a bank account?
You can absolutely use PayPal without a bank account. However, you may be somewhat limited in what you can do with your account if you do not link it to your bank account. You can receive payments from others into your account. If you have money in your PayPal account, you can send money to other PayPal account holders. Find out more about making online payments without a bank account.
Setting up a PayPal account
How can you start using PayPal? You sign up with your name and your e-mail address. Add money to your PayPal account – your PayPal Wallet – by linking your bank account, credit card or debit card. You can also choose to fund your PayPal Wallet without your bank account or credit card details, for example by using a prepaid credit card such as the Neosurf code or Transcash. One easy way to send money to your Wallet is by sending cash from paysafecard to PayPal. You transfer money into your PayPal Wallet, after which you are ready to start shopping online, without having to enter your personal and private details (such as credit card details).
Using PayPal privately or commercially
So you can use PayPal without a card, as long as you have money in your PayPal Wallet. You’re able to donate to charities from your account, and pay for services such as taxis. Do you sell goods online? A PayPal merchant account might be right for you. If you provide services or sell goods online you can opt for a merchant account or a private account on PayPal. Signing up for an account is free of charge. You do however pay small fees for any services, such as transferring money to other PayPal account holders.
Using PayPal without a bank account to withdraw money
You don’t need to link a bank account to your PayPal account to receive payments. If you want to use your PayPal account commercially, you might wonder how to withdraw your earnings without using a bank account. One handy option is to buy paysafecard online with the money in your PayPal account.
How to use PayPal without a credit card?
You don’t need to have a credit card to use PayPal. You can use your PayPal account with a bank account or a checking account. And you can choose to use an anonymous prepaid credit card to send money into your PayPal Wallet. Not using a credit card on PayPal is often preferred by people who do not wish to use their private data and credit card details online. Many users of this payment method choose to send money from paysafecard to PayPal Wallets. This way they can guard their privacy and limit the risk of leaking information on the internet. However, using your PayPal account with your credit card does have some advantages, especially if you own a credit card that rewards you for using it with PayPal transactions.
Can you use prepaid credit cards with PayPal?
Yes you can! Choosing to use a prepaid credit card to add funds to your PayPal account is easy. Just make sure to choose the right prepaid card. This way, you won’t have to connect your bank account details or regular credit card details to your PayPal account. Make sure that you are choosing the right prepaid credit card or the right money gift card and simply add the value of the card (or the amount you need to put into your Wallet) to your PayPal account.
Choosing the right prepaid card for you
If you value keeping your personal data safe and want to use a prepaid digital code (or a printed voucher) to top up your PayPal funds, there are a few things to look out for:
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Choose a prepaid card or voucher that you can purchase without giving personal details (name, address, bank account number).
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Choose a prepaid credit card with a Visa or Mastercard logo to be able to withdraw funds from PayPal to your card.
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Buy a prepaid card or code with cash in a shop.
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Choose a prepaid card that you can pay for without a bank account or credit card. You can for example buy prepaid cards and pay for these with other prepaid cards or your PayPal account. The seller of the prepaid card will only see the email address linked to your PayPal account.
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Looking for the handiest option? Choose a prepaid money card that you can top-up online within seconds.
Sending money to your PayPal Wallet from a prepaid credit card
You can top up your prepaid credit card and add the value to your PayPal account whenever you need to. Make sure that the prepaid gift card or credit card has a Visa or Maestro logo. Many people who prefer to use a prepaid credit card to transfer funds into their PayPal account use a paysafecard voucher.
What is paysafecard?
Paysafecard is an online prepaid payment method. It’s easy to use and based on buying a prepaid voucher with a unique 16-digit PIN code. No personal data are needed to buy your code from a retailer, and you don’t need a bank account or a credit card to purchase a paysafecard code. You can buy this code as a printed voucher or as a digital code. Paysafecard has become the leading online payment method for people who prefer to shop online without a credit card. When you shop online (or when you use your paysafecard balance to top up your PayPal Wallet), the amount of money that you spent is deducted from your paysafecard balance.
Using PayPal with a prepaid credit card
You can use a prepaid credit card to top up your PayPal Wallet with funds, but you can’t use a prepaid credit card with Paypal to pay for subscriptions or for other costs that are taken out of your PayPal Wallet automatically. You can choose to use prepaid credit cards with PayPal when the card has an American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa logo on it. Paysafecard is a popular prepaid credit card that you can easily top up online, within seconds. You simply need to order your prepaid paysafecard MasterCard from the paysafecard website first. Then you can easily top up paysafecard online whenever you need to. And you can even buy your paysafecard credit using PayPal!
Why use PayPal without a credit card?
Why would you use PayPal without a credit card? A regular credit card is linked to a lot of personal information, such as your name, address, bank details and more. Prepaid credit cards and money voucher codes offer good payment options for those who are not eligible to receive a regular credit card, for those who simply don’t want to own a regular credit card. By using paysafecard to send money into your PayPal Wallet you can control the amount of information that you share online.
