PayPal
Payment Processor
TL;DR
PayPal offers consumer wallets, merchant checkout solutions (online & in-store), PayPal Commerce Platform for marketplaces, PayPal Checkout/Pay Later/Buy Now Pay Later, invoicing, payouts, tap-to-pay/point-of-sale hardware and SDKs, and developer APIs & sandbox/test environments. PayPal integrates with major ecommerce platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce), supports multi-currency acceptance, and includes risk/fraud protection tools and seller/buyer protection programs. For many merchants, PayPal is an easy way to accept cards and wallet payments and reach international customers quickly. Strengths: scale, global reach, brand trust, broad payment methods (cards, PayPal wallet, Venmo/BNPL in some markets), and rich developer/partner ecosystem. Weaknesses: fee complexity (different rates by product/market/transaction type), publicly visible complaints about account limitations/funds holds and dispute outcomes, and some merchants find chargeback/dispute resolution difficult or slow. Enterprise/custom pricing and seller protection caveats exist, so merchants should read fee tables and terms carefully.
About
PayPal is a global, feature-rich digital payments platform (consumer wallet + merchant services) with extensive integrations and brand reach. It is trusted by many businesses but criticized in public reviews for dispute handling and account-hold practices.
Products & Services
No products or services information available.
Platform Ratings
bbb
1,624 reviews
Reviewer Notes
complaints overwhelmingly focus on account holds/limitations, disputes/refunds, perceived unfair outcomes in buyer/seller disputes, and billing/withdrawal issues. There are also many merchant and consumer praise posts, but the complaint volume drives the BBB rating commentary. PayPal typically responds on the BBB profile for many of the complaints.
trustpilot
35,758 reviews
Reviewer Notes
Most reviewers were disappointed with their overall experience. Many customers voiced frustration about several parts of the service, especially payment-related issues. Common complaints include high fees, unclear exchange rates, and trouble getting refunds.
g2
2,700 reviews
Reviewer Notes
Business reviewers praise ease of use, multi-currency support, checkout options, and analytics; common negatives are fees, occasional holds/chargeback handling, and some support experiences. Overall G2 reviewers rate PayPal highly for product features but point to customer-service / dispute friction as a downside.
Pricing Details
Important: PayPal’s pricing is region and product specific. The following are typical starting prices.
- Online processing (card): 2.89% + $0.29 per transaction.
- PayPal / Venmo checkout: 3.49% + fixed fee (PayPal/Venmo checkout products show separate guest/PayPal/Venmo rates).
- In-person processing (Tap to Pay / POS):starting 2.29% + $0.09 per transaction (PayPal POS/Tap-to-Pay pricing starts lower for in-person).
- International processing / cross-border: additional cross-border and currency conversion fees apply (region/product dependent; e.g., currency conversion fees around 3% in many markets + possible cross-border surcharge).
- Monthly fees: Many PayPal Business services have $0 monthly fee by default (pay-as-you-go). Some products (Payments Pro / advanced tools) or enterprise agreements can carry monthly fees.
- Setup fee: Typically $0 (no setup fee for standard accounts).
- Chargeback fee: Example: US chargeback fee around $20 (region-dependent; fee tables list chargeback fees by currency/market).
- Early termination fee: Usually not applicable for standard pay-as-you-go accounts; enterprise/reseller contracts may have terms.
Processing Rates
Online
2.89% + $0.29 per transaction
In-Person
starting at 2.29% + $0.09 per transaction (PayPal POS/Tap-to-Pay pricing starts lower for in-person)
Keyed
Rates Vary
International
Currency conversion fees around 3% in many markets + possible cross-border surcharge
Fees
Monthly
$0 Pay-as-you-go | Enterprise agreements have monthly fees
Setup
Typically $0
PCI
None
Statement
Varies by product/region
Chargeback
Region dependent ($20 US)
Early Termination
Not applicable for standard pay as you go accounts; enterprise/reseller contracts may have terms
Payouts
Standard Time
Standard Bank Transfer: 1 - 3 Business days
Expedited Time
Instant transfers: Subject to fees (up to 30 minutes)
Minimum Amount
Varies by country and product
Contract Terms
Length
Pay as you go or month-to-month business accounts
Cancellation Process
Close your account in the PayPal account settings or contact PayPal Support via the Help Center / Resolution Center
Security & Compliance
PCI Compliance
PCI Level 1 certified (highest level)
Data Encryption
Supported
Fraud Prevention
Seller/Buyer Protection programs, risk/fraud tools and filters, and optional advanced fraud offerings
Tokenization
Supported
Accepted Payment Types
Credit Cards
- Visa
- Mastercard
- AmEx
- Discover
- Maestro
Digital Wallets
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Venmo
Bank Transfers
- Bank transfers
- ACH
- PayPal Payouts
Alternative Methods
- BNPL (PayPal Pay Later)
- Local payment methods in certain regions
Integrations
E-commerce
- Shopify
- WooCommerce
- Magento
- BigCommerce
- Etsy
- TikTok Shop
- Shopware
- Adobe Commerce
- Wix
- Bluepark
- 123 Reg
- CubeCart
- eBay
Accounting
- QuickBooks (through partners and connectors)
CRM
- Salesforce
Other
- ActiveCampaign
- Gmail
- Google Sheets
- Slack
- Mailchimp
Special Features
Subscription Management
Supported
Invoicing
Supported
Marketplace Tools
Supported
Virtual Terminal
Supported
Recurring Billing
Supported
Multi-Currency
Supported
Top Competitors
Competitor 1
No comparison available
Competitor 2
No comparison available
Competitor 3
No comparison available
Competitor 4
No comparison available
Competitor 5
No comparison available
Support & Contact
Support Types
phonechatkbvideo
Quality Assessment
PayPal maintains extensive documentation and 24/7/region support options. Many businesses praise the platform’s tooling, but public reviews frequently report variability in dispute/hold resolution and wait times for account limitation issues.