PayPal
Payment Processor
Reading Progress0%
5 min read
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
Aggregated Trust Score
Based on 40,082 reviews across 3 rating platforms
2.3
out of 5
Overall Rating
Better Business Bureau
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 Transactions
Card-not-present, e-commerce, and online payments
2.89% + $0.29 per transaction
Per transaction
In-Person Transactions
Card-present retail and point-of-sale transactions
starting at 2.29% + $0.09 per transaction (PayPal POS/Tap-to-Pay pricing starts lower for in-person)
Per transaction
Keyed Transactions
Manually entered card-not-present transactions
Rates Vary
Per transaction
International Transactions
Cross-border and foreign currency transactions
Currency conversion fees around 3% in many markets + possible cross-border surcharge
Per transaction
Fees
Monthly Fee
$0 Pay-as-you-go | Enterprise agreements have monthly fees
Recurring monthly account fee
Setup Fee
Typically $0
One-time account setup and onboarding fee
PCI Compliance Fee
None
Annual PCI DSS compliance and security fee
Statement Fee
Varies by product/region
Monthly account statement and reporting fee
Chargeback Fee
Region dependent ($20 US)
Per-incident chargeback dispute fee
Early Termination Fee
Not applicable for standard pay as you go accounts; enterprise/reseller contracts may have terms
Fee for canceling before contract end
Payouts
Standard Payout Time
Standard Bank Transfer: 1 - 3 Business days
Regular deposit schedule to your bank account
Expedited Payout Time
Instant transfers: Subject to fees (up to 30 minutes)
Faster deposit option (may have additional fees)
Minimum Payout Amount
Varies by country and product
Minimum balance required before payout
Contract Terms
Flexible Contract Terms
This provider offers month-to-month terms with no long-term commitment.
Contract Length
Required commitment period
Pay as you go or month-to-month business accounts
Cancellation Process
How to terminate your account
Close your account in the PayPal account settings or contact PayPal Support via the Help Center / Resolution Center
Security & Compliance
PCI Compliance
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard compliance level
PCI Level 1 certified (highest level)
Fraud Prevention
Fraud detection and prevention tools
Seller/Buyer Protection programs, risk/fraud tools and filters, and optional advanced fraud offerings
Data Encryption
Encryption standards for data at rest and in transit
Supported
Tokenization
Supported
Replace sensitive card data with secure tokens
Accepted Payment Types
Credit & Debit Cards
Visa
Mastercard
AmEx
Discover
Maestro
Digital Wallets
Apple Pay
Google Pay
Venmo
Bank Transfers
Bank transfers
ACH
PayPal Payouts
Alternative Payment Methods
BNPL (PayPal Pay Later)
Local payment methods in certain regions
Integrations
E-commerce Platforms
Compatible shopping cart and online store platforms
ShopifyWooCommerceMagentoBigCommerceEtsyTikTok ShopShopwareAdobe CommerceWixBluepark123 RegCubeCarteBay
13 integrations available
Accounting Software
Sync transactions with your accounting tools
QuickBooks (through partners and connectors)
1 integration available
CRM Systems
Connect with customer relationship management platforms
Salesforce
1 integration available
Other Integrations
Additional third-party integrations and tools
ActiveCampaignGmailGoogle SheetsSlackMailchimp
5 integrations available
Special Features
Subscription Management
Manage recurring subscriptions and billing cycles
Supported
Invoicing
Create and send professional invoices
Supported
Marketplace Tools
Multi-vendor marketplace functionality
Supported
Virtual Terminal
Accept payments manually via web interface
Supported
Recurring Billing
Automated recurring payment processing
Supported
Multi-Currency Support
Accept and process multiple currencies
Supported
Top Competitors
No comparison available
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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.
PayPal Pricing Calculator
Estimate your monthly costs
This calculator provides an estimate based on available pricing information. Actual costs may vary. Contact PayPal for a personalized quote.
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Estimated Monthly Cost
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Effective Rate
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Number of Transactions200