If you want a fast, easy and secure way to get paid online, look no further than PayPal. With over 400 million active accounts worldwide, PayPal is the go-to platform for everyone from casual sellers to freelancers to small businesses.
In this ultimate guide, we‘ll walk you through exactly how to receive money on PayPal, step-by-step. Whether you‘re brand new to PayPal or looking to optimize your existing account, you‘ll learn everything you need to know. Let‘s dive in!
Why Receive Money with PayPal?
Before we get into the nitty gritty, let‘s quickly go over why you should use PayPal to get paid in the first place:
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Convenience: PayPal payments are instantaneous. No more waiting 3-5 business days for checks to clear or bank transfers to go through.
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Security: PayPal‘s industry-leading encryption and fraud prevention keep your financial information safe. You don‘t have to share your bank details with anyone.
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Flexibility: Need to request money from a client? Send a quick invoice through PayPal. Want to give friends an easy way to pay you back? Just send them your PayPal.me link. PayPal has you covered for any scenario.
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Global reach: PayPal supports payments to and from over 200 countries/regions in 25 currencies. It‘s the simplest way to get paid by anyone, anywhere in the world.
Now that we‘ve covered the "why", let‘s get into the "how". Follow these 6 simple steps to start receiving money like a pro.
Step 1: Sign Up for a PayPal Account
To receive money on PayPal, you‘ll first need to create an account. Go to PayPal.com and click the "Sign Up" button in the top right corner.
[Insert screenshot of PayPal homepage with Sign Up button highlighted]Select your country/region and choose whether you want to create a Personal or Business account. Here‘s how they differ:
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Personal: Use for casual payments between friends/family or occasional online sales. Does not allow you to accept credit card payments directly.
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Business: Use if you‘re a freelancer, sole proprietor, or have a registered company. Allows you to accept credit cards and PayPal payments from customers.
You can always upgrade from Personal to Business later, so if you‘re unsure, start with Personal. Provide the requested info, agree to the terms, and voila – you now have a PayPal account!
Step 2: Verify Your PayPal Account
For your security and to comply with financial regulations, PayPal requires some accounts to be verified with additional info. You may be asked to:
- Confirm your email address by clicking a link sent to your inbox
- Add and confirm your mobile phone number
- Provide your full name, address, and date of birth
- Upload a copy of your photo ID (driver‘s license, passport, etc.)
Verification requirements vary by country and how you use your account. It‘s best to take care of this right away to avoid any interruptions in receiving payments.
[Insert screenshot of verification process]You don‘t have to link your bank account to receive money on PayPal. However, you will need to add and confirm your bank if you want to transfer PayPal funds to your bank later. It only takes a few minutes and you can do it at any time.
Step 3: Share Your PayPal Email, Invoice, or PayPal.me Link
There are several easy ways to get paid on PayPal. Here‘s how and when to use each method:
Share Your PayPal Email
The simplest way to receive money is to give the sender the email address linked to your PayPal account. They can go to Send & Request > Send Money, enter your email, choose an amount, and hit Send. The funds will instantly appear in your PayPal balance.
Use this for: Quick casual payments from people you know and trust. Takes seconds.
[Insert screenshot of Send Money screen with email filled in]Create and Send an Invoice
If you sold an item or completed a freelance project, sending an invoice through PayPal is more professional than requesting money via email.
Go to Send & Request > Invoicing > Create Invoice. Enter your client‘s email, an itemized breakdown of your goods/services, and your payment terms. Hit Send and your client will instantly get an email notification with a secure link to pay the invoice.
[Insert screenshot of Create Invoice screen]Use this for: Billing clients in a formal, trackable way. Ideal for freelancers and small businesses.
Use Your PayPal.me Link
Your PayPal.me link is like a personalized landing page that lets anyone send you money without logging into their PayPal account.
To create your link, go to PayPal.me and enter your desired username. It will generate a unique URL like paypal.me/yourname that you can share however you want – email, text, social media, your website, etc.
When someone clicks your link, it takes them to a page where they simply enter an amount and hit Send. Easy!
[Insert screenshot of PayPal.me page]Use this for: A quick, informal way to request or accept payments from anyone, even if they don‘t have a PayPal account. Great for fundraisers, tips, and everyday transactions.
Step 4: Accept the Payment (If Needed)
The vast majority of the time, payments you receive on PayPal will instantly land in your balance with no action needed from you. However, in a few cases you may need to manually review and accept the payment:
- You received funds in a foreign currency and need to accept the exchange rate
- The sender paid with a method that requires extra security checks (uncommon)
- You‘re a new seller and PayPal is verifying it‘s really you (only happens when first starting out)
If a payment is pending for your review, you‘ll get an email notification and see an alert when you log into your account. Just open the transaction details and click Accept.
[Insert screenshot of pending payment with Accept button]Step 5: View Your Payment Details and Receipt
Congrats, you‘ve officially received money on PayPal! To view the details, log into your account and go to your Activity page. Click the transaction to open a pop-up with key info like:
- Sender‘s name and email
- Date and time
- Payment amount (and currency exchange rate if applicable)
- PayPal fees
- Transaction ID for your records
From here you can also print a receipt, issue a refund, or contact the sender if needed. Everything is neatly documented in one place.
Step 6: Manage Your Balance or Transfer to Bank
You‘ve got money in your PayPal account – now what? You have two options:
Keep Funds in Your PayPal Balance
If you regularly use PayPal to shop online or send money to others, you may want to just keep your balance in your PayPal account for convenience. You can spend it anytime at millions of websites that accept PayPal at checkout.
Think of it as a digital wallet: earning, holding, and spending money without it ever having to touch your bank account.
Transfer Funds to Your Bank
Need your money in cold, hard cash? No problem. Just transfer your PayPal balance to the bank account linked to your profile.
Go to Wallet > Transfer Money > Transfer to your bank. Enter the amount, select your account, and click Transfer Now. Transfers to your bank usually take 1 business day (though an instant transfer option is available for a 1% fee).
[Insert screenshot of Transfer Money screen]Note: You must have a confirmed bank account linked to your PayPal to transfer money out of your PayPal balance.
Bonus Tips for Receiving Money Like a Pro
Basic setup is fine for casual users, but if you get paid through PayPal frequently, optimizing your account can make life much easier. Here are a few pro tips:
Upload Your Logo and Business Info
Give your customer-facing payment pages a professional polish by customizing your invoices and PayPal.me page with your business name, logo, brand colors, and contact info. It only takes a few clicks and can boost perceived credibility.
[Insert before/after screenshot of branded invoice]Speed Through Checkout with PayPal Checkout
If you have an ecommerce store, simplify the payment process for your customers with PayPal Checkout. It‘s a smart payment button you can add to your site that auto-fills their shipping/billing details from their PayPal account.
Integrating it is a breeze and you still get paid the same way, just with better conversion rates and happier customers!
Automate with Recurring Invoices and Subscriptions
Chasing down late-paying clients is a pain. Let PayPal do the nagging for you with recurring invoices. Ideal for subscriptions, payment plans, or any ongoing service.
Just create your invoice as usual and toggle "Make this a recurring series." Choose the frequency (weekly, monthly, etc.), duration, and start date. PayPal will automatically send the invoice on a recurring basis so you can get paid on time without lifting a finger.
Frequently Asked Questions
We covered all the essentials of receiving money on PayPal, but you may still have a few burning questions. Here are the most common queries and their answers:
Is there a fee to receive money on PayPal?
It depends on the type of transaction:
- Personal payments from friends/family are always free
- Selling goods or services incurs a fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Note that the sender can choose to pay the fee themselves so you get the full amount.
How much are PayPal‘s currency conversion fees?
If you receive money in a foreign currency, PayPal charges a 4.0% fee above their base exchange rate to convert it to your local currency. The sender also pays a small fee for sending money abroad.
Is there a limit to how much I can receive?
Verified PayPal accounts have no receiving limits. Unverified accounts may have account-specific receiving limits, but these are often in the thousands of dollars.
How long does it take to receive money on PayPal?
Payments usually show up in your PayPal balance within seconds of the sender submitting the transaction, unless it is flagged for review (very rare).
Transferring money from your PayPal account to your bank takes 1 business day in most cases, or a few minutes if you pay the 1% fee for an Instant Transfer.
Start Getting Paid Today
There you have it – everything you need to know to receive money on PayPal like a pro. Whether you‘re an occasional seller or full-time freelancer, PayPal makes getting paid unbelievably fast and simple.
So what are you waiting for? Create your account, customize your profile, and start sharing those payment links. Your bank account will thank you.
If you have any other questions about using PayPal for online payments, feel free to ask in the comments. Now go get that money!
