Paying your credit card bill on time each month is crucial for maintaining good credit and avoiding late fees or interest charges But what if paying by check or automatic bank draft isn’t convenient? Can you use PayPal to pay your credit card bill instead?
The short answer is yes, you can use PayPal to pay your credit card bill. However, it takes a few extra steps compared to paying directly from your bank account.
In this detailed guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about using PayPal to pay credit card bills We’ll cover
- How to link a credit card bill to your PayPal account
- The pros and cons of using PayPal for credit card payments
- Step-by-step instructions for paying bills through PayPal
- Tips and best practices for hassle-free PayPal credit card payments
- Answers to frequently asked questions about paying credit cards with PayPal
Let’s dive in!
How To Link a Credit Card Bill to Your PayPal Account
The first step in paying your credit card with PayPal is to link the card issuer as a “biller” within your PayPal account.
Here is how to add a credit card biller on PayPal’s website:
- Go to your PayPal account Dashboard
- Click “More” near the top right of the screen
- Select “Pay your bills”
- Search for your credit card issuer or brand (e.g. Chase, Bank of America, Citi, American Express)
- Choose your card issuer from the list
- Enter your credit card account number and other billing details
- Click “Add Your Bill” to link the account
And here are the steps for linking a biller on the PayPal mobile app:
- Tap the “Payments” tab
- Select “Bills”
- Tap “Pay your first bill”
- Search for your credit card issuer and select it
- Enter your credit card account details
- Tap “Link Card” to add the bill
Once the card issuer is linked as a biller, you can start making payments to your credit card right from PayPal.
The Pros and Cons of Paying Credit Cards with PayPal
Using PayPal to pay your credit card bill offers some nice conveniences but also has a few drawbacks to note.
Pros
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Consolidates payments in one place – You can pay all your bills, including credit cards, from the same PayPal account.
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Flexible funding sources – PayPal lets you pay bills from multiple sources like bank accounts, debit/credit cards, PayPal balance, or PayPal Credit.
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Schedules future payments – You can pick a future date for PayPal bill payments to set up automatic or recurring payments.
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Payment tracking – PayPal shows your payment history and confirmation details all in one place.
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Access anywhere – Pay bills on the go with the PayPal mobile app for Android and iOS.
Cons
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Processing delays – Payments via PayPal may take a few extra days to process compared to direct bank payments.
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No cash back rewards – Paying through PayPal means you don’t earn credit card rewards on the transaction.
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Fees for instant transfers – To quickly move money from PayPal to a bank account costs a 1% fee (minimum $0.25).
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Limited biller availability – Not all credit card companies can be added as PayPal billers.
Step-By-Step Guide To Paying Credit Cards With PayPal
Paying your credit card bill through PayPal only takes a few quick steps. We’ll walk through how to pay bills on both the PayPal website and mobile app.
Website Instructions
- Log into your PayPal account and go to your account Dashboard
- Click “More” near the top right of the screen
- Select “Pay your bills” from the menu
- Locate the credit card biller you want to pay
- Click “Pay” next to the credit card biller name
- Review the payment details and enter the amount to pay
- Select a payment method, like bank account, PayPal balance, etc.
- Choose the date you want the payment to be sent
- Click “Send Payment” or “Schedule Payment” if picking a future date
- Review the confirmation page and you’re done! Payment is complete.
Mobile App Instructions
- Open the PayPal app and tap on “Payments”
- Select the “Bills” tab
- Locate the credit card bill you want to pay and tap on it
- Tap “Pay”
- Review payment details and enter the amount to pay if required
- Select a payment method from your PayPal wallet
- Tap “Pay Now” or schedule a future payment date
- Confirm the payment details and your transaction will be complete!
As you can see, paying a credit card through PayPal only takes a few quick taps or clicks. The convenience is great, but be sure to account for any processing delays.
Tips for Smooth PayPal Credit Card Payments
Follow these tips and best practices when using PayPal to pay your credit card bills:
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Double check your credit card account number, billing address, and other details when first linking the card issuer to avoid problems.
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Note that it can take up to 5 days for PayPal credit card payments to show up with your card issuer, longer than direct bank payments.
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If you don’t see the card issuer you want within PayPal’s biller list, try searching for the full legal name or using broader keywords.
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Schedule recurring payments to have your credit card bill automatically paid through PayPal on the same date each month.
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Transfer money from PayPal to your bank a few days before your credit card due date to avoid delays in the money reaching your bank.
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Monitor both your PayPal payments and credit card account to confirm the payment goes through as scheduled.
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Contact PayPal customer service if your payment is delayed past the scheduled date to resolve problems.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about using PayPal to pay credit card bills:
Can I pay any credit card with PayPal?
No, you can only pay credit cards from issuers that PayPal has added as bill pay merchants. Not all major card brands may be available.
Is there a fee to pay credit cards with PayPal?
PayPal does not charge a fee to pay bills. But if you transfer money from PayPal to your bank account quickly, fees of 1% or more could apply.
How long does it take for PayPal credit card payments to process?
It can take 3-5 business days for payments to show up in your credit card account once the money leaves your PayPal balance or linked bank account.
Can I earn credit card rewards when paying through PayPal?
Unfortunately no, PayPal bill payments do not qualify you to earn rewards like cashback or miles that you may get when paying directly with a rewards credit card.
What if my payment is late because I used PayPal?
Contact both PayPal and your credit card issuer if a payment is past due because of PayPal delays. You can request they waive any late fees or interest charges.
Is it safe to link my credit card account to PayPal?
Yes, PayPal utilizes industry-standard encryption and security measures to keep your account and payment details safe when linked to billers like credit cards.
The Bottom Line
Paying your credit card bills through PayPal is convenient, easy, and generally secure. But some drawbacks exist around slower processing times, fees, and connectivity issues.
Carefully consider if the pros of using PayPal outweigh any cons based on your personal payment needs and preferences. We recommend first testing PayPal for small credit card payments to see how smoothly it works before relying on it for large monthly bills.
Overall, PayPal does provide a solid payment option for credit cards bills if you take some precautions around processing delays. With the tips in this guide, you can feel confident using PayPal to pay your credit card and avoid any issues.
Can I pay my bills with PayPal?
Yes. You can use PayPal to link, pay, and manage your bills from the PayPal app or the PayPal website. For more information on Bill Pay, please see our user agreement.
Linking a Bill
On our website:
- Go to your Dashboard.
- Click More near the top right of the screen.
- Click Pay your bills.
- Search for your biller. If youve previously added a biller, click Add a New Bill first.
- Select your biller and enter your bill account details.
- Click Add Your Bill.
On the PayPal app:
- Tap
Payments. - Tap Bills.
- Tap Pay your first bill.
Tips:
- If your biller doesnt appear in the search results, try typing the billers full name or using more precise keywords. If the biller still doesnt appear, we may not have them available this time.
- When linking a biller, please have your latest paper or online bill statement available to ensure you have the correct account number and billers information.
- The ability to link and pay a bill through your PayPal account is only available for Personal users.
Paying a Bill On our website:
- Go to your Dashboard.
- Click More near the top right of the screen.
- Click Pay your bills.
- Click Pay next to the billers name.
- Review the bill details and click Pay.
- If prompted, enter the payment amount, and click Next.
- Select your payment method and payment date.
- Click Send Payment or Schedule Payment for a future payment.
On the app:
- Tap Payments.
- TapBills.
- Tap the bill you want to pay.
- Tap Pay.
Tips:
- You can pay your bill with any suitable payment method in your Wallet, including a bank account, debit or credit card, your PayPal balance, or PayPal Credit.
- Once a bill is linked, some billers will display the amount due and due date information. Please check your statement to confirm how much you need to pay and when if this information doesnt appear.
- Some billers may not allow you to schedule payments for a future date.
- Once youve paid your bill, it can take up to 5 days to appear on the billers system. Depending on the billers, sometimes it can be credited right away.
Why is my bill showing as unpaid or overdue after I paid it through another channel? If you paid your bill using another channel it can take additional time to reach our system and show as “paid”.You can disregard the due or overdue information showing in your PayPal account. Why was I charged a late fee when I paid my bill on time? Some billers may not consider your bill paid until 5 days after it has been sent. Depending on the billers, sometimes it can be credited right away. Please contact your biller directly to find out why your payment was considered late and to request a correction or late fee refund. The biller may ask you to provide your payment confirmation email.