Skip to content
SuperMoney logo
SuperMoney logo

Can You Use PayPal On Amazon?

Last updated 03/15/2024 by

Ossiana Tepfenhart

Edited by

Fact checked by

Summary:
Unfortunately, Amazon doesn’t accept PayPal payments directly. However, there are several ways to get around this, such as buying Amazon gift cards with PayPal, using a PayPal Cash Card or Business MasterCard, or using PayPal Key. You can also always transfer money from your PayPal account to your bank account.
Did you know that PayPal is currently one of the largest payment platforms in the world? It’s true, and it’s been a darling of e-commerce since the dawn of eBay. Unsurprisingly, almost everyone has a PayPal account.
However, PayPal is not a universal payment method. (It’s actually been losing ground since the mid-2010s.) Amazon remains one of the largest e-commerce juggernauts on the net, but it’s not exactly on good terms with PayPal.
That leads us to a major question: Can you use PayPal on Amazon? You might be surprised at the answer.

Compare Credit Cards

Compare the rates, fees, and rewards of leading credit cards.
Compare Credit Cards

Can you use PayPal on Amazon?

Officially, Amazon does not allow you to use your PayPal account to pay for goods or services directly. This is true of using the direct PayPal account option, PayPal Cash, as well as the PayPal Credit option.
However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t use PayPal to indirectly pay for the goods you want. It just means that you might have to get a bit more creative with how you do things.

Why can’t you use PayPal on Amazon?

The reason for this is simple: PayPal is a major competitor of Amazon. At one point, eBay and PayPal were the same company. While the payment platform branched off, Amazon still views them as competition.
Amazon rolled out its own payment methods and options, including several credit cards. So it’s not in its best interest to support PayPal users knowing that they could be using Amazon Pay, its own proprietary payment method, instead.

How to get around Amazon’s PayPal ban

Though Amazon doesn’t accept PayPal payments, there are ways to get around the lack of PayPal in Amazon purchases. These tips can help you get the goods using a PayPal balance.
  • Amazon gift cards. Many sites offer Amazon gift cards payable via PayPal. So you can use your PayPal account to purchase Amazon gift cards and then use the gift card balance to purchase your products.
  • PayPal Business Debit MasterCard. PayPal has a business debit card backed by MasterCard. While it’s still a PayPal debit card and product, the physical card is also a MasterCard product. Since Amazon accepts MasterCard, you can use the debit card like any other credit card on Amazon.
  • PayPal Cashback MasterCard. This does not use your PayPal funds like other options on this list, but it’s still a PayPal payment option that is usable on Amazon.
  • PayPal Cash Card. This is a prepaid credit card (or cash card) that you can use just like a typical debit card. It’s just linked to your PayPal account. Since PayPal Cash Card acts like a typical debit card, Amazon will accept it for online purchases without issue.
  • PayPal Key. PayPal Key is a virtual card that has all the traits of a regular credit card but doesn’t have a physical card associated with it. This is actually one of the only fully virtual ways that you can pay with a PayPal account.
  • Transfer money from PayPal to your regular bank account. While Amazon will not accept PayPal, the money you have in your PayPal balance is still legal tender. You can just transfer money into a bank account and use your bank as your payment method.

Pro Tip

You don’t need to pass a credit check to use a PayPal Cash Card, nor is there a credit check involved with a PayPal Business Debit Card. If you were denied for a PayPal Credit Card, then these two options will work better.

What PayPal payment types can’t you use on Amazon?

Amazon won’t directly accept PayPal, nor will it accept PayPal Credit as a virtual card alternative. To bypass Amazon’s bar against this payment platform, you have to get a physical card with a card number, expiration date, security code, and name attached to it. The only virtual option to use PayPal on Amazon is PayPal Key.

Which method is best?

“Best” is in the eye of the user, but there are perks to many payment options when you use a PayPal product to pay for Amazon goods. Here are some things you may want to keep in mind:
  • Gift cards may be discounted. Multiple websites sell gift cards at a discount, which means that using the gift card method could translate into getting more bang for your buck. The discount for Amazon cards is rarely ever very high, but it’s still a discount that can shave off money.
  • Earn cash back with PayPal Cashback MasterCard. If you use a PayPal card that has cash back, then you’ll still earn cash back from that purchase. This usually isn’t much. For example, the PayPal Business Debit Card only offers about 1% cash back. Even so, it can still snag a discount that wouldn’t be there if you stuck to traditional payment methods.
  • Credit and debit cards are still convenient. When it comes to convenience, credit cards and debit cards tend to be best. Since PayPal has a ton of MasterCard products under its umbrella, which means that Amazon won’t reject them simply because they accept MasterCard payments too. When in doubt, a solid card will work.
  • Refunds are easiest with credit and gift cards. If you’re worried about refunds, use a credit card or an Amazon gift card. It can take longer to refund a debit card.
If you’re looking for a new credit card to use on Amazon, you may want to consider one of the cards below.

SuperMoney may receive compensation from some or all of the companies featured, and the order of results are influenced by advertising bids, with exception for mortgage and home lending related products. Learn more

Loading results ...

Pro Tip

If at all possible, consider signing up for an Amazon Rewards card or similar. Amazon often rewards people who pay for purchases on their sites with a payment option made by them through cash back on future purchases.

FAQs

Does Amazon accept PayPal Credit?

Unfortunately, Amazon does not accept PayPal Credit. This service acts as a virtual card, which means that it doesn’t have the necessary card details to act like a regular card. Amazon won’t see it.

Where can I use PayPal to pay?

Most people associate PayPal with eBay, but it can be used in so many more locations. If you have a physical credit or debit card from PayPal, then you can use it in retail stores across the country. The vast majority of online vendors also accept PayPal, including major stores like Fashion Nova.

What types of financing does Amazon offer?

Amazon purchases can be financed online through several different methods, including Amazon’s Store Card and the Amazon Chase card. They’re also rolling out several “buy now, pay later” options to help people afford larger purchases.

Can I use Venmo on Amazon?

For the longest time, Venmo wasn’t usable on Amazon. However, in late October 2022, Amazon announced that they added Venmo as a payment method on their site. To use it, you’ll have to connect your Venmo account to your Amazon account.

What forms of payment does Amazon accept?

Amazon accepts all major credit cards. If you want to shop without a card, it’s worth noting that HSAs, EBT cards, SNAP cards, Venmo, and JCB are also accepted as a form of payment. Others exist, though they tend to be more obscure.

Key Takeaways

  • Amazon does not allow you to directly pay for products using PayPal. However, you can use a credit or debit card that is issued by PayPal to pay for your goods.
  • Another popular option is to buy Amazon gift cards from a site that accepts PayPal. You can then use the gift cards to pay for Amazon purchases.
  • Amazon also accepts all major credit cards, JCB, Amazon gift cards, NYCE, SNAP/EBT, and HSA accounts.
  • It’s unlikely that Amazon will ever accept PayPal because it’s a direct competitor to their platform.
  • Even so, it makes sense to have a PayPal account if you’re a fan of online shopping because so many online stores use it.
  • If you’re a fan of shopping on Amazon, it usually makes sense to sign up for one of Amazon’s payment options due to their rewards and speedy returns.

Take advantage of different payment methods

Amazon is one of the world’s largest e-commerce platforms, but that doesn’t mean that it will accept every payment service out there. Amazon still has bad blood with PayPal, and it also doesn’t seem too keen on accepting cryptocurrency. If you’re new to the world of e-commerce, you might want to read up on different payment methods, including Shop Pay and Afterpay.
Not sure if you want to use a checking account for a food order, or curious about how you could learn to get working capital for your own online store? SuperMoney has what you need. Check out our latest article on the PayPal working capital loan program.

SuperMoney may receive compensation from some or all of the companies featured, and the order of results are influenced by advertising bids, with exception for mortgage and home lending related products. Learn more

Loading results ...

Share this post:

You might also like