What Is PayPal Credit & How Does It Work?

PayPal has expanded its payment options over the years to include customer financing. PayPal Credit, a line of credit that can be used at checkout to pay for goods and services, provides an alternative to paying by card or wallet.

How does PayPal Credit work, and is it a good deal for customers and businesses? For those with a PayPal business account, PayPal Credit is another way that you can accept payments from your customers. (We have a post that can walk you through how to set up a PayPal business account if you haven’t done so before.)

Below, we’ll discuss how PayPal Credit works, the pros and cons, how much it costs, and who can benefit from the service.

What Is PayPal Credit?

PayPal Credit is a line of credit issued by Synchrony Bank. Approved PayPal users can use this virtual line of credit to pay for online purchases over time instead of upfront.

Note that PayPal Credit is not the same as a PayPal debit or credit card. Despite filling a very similar niche, PayPal Credit is also not the same thing as PayPal’s Pay in 4 feature. You can think of PayPal Credit as closer to a credit card, while Pay in 4 is more akin to POS financing.

With PayPal Credit, you’ll have gone through the vetting process in advance and can utilize your revolving line of credit at will. You also have more flexibility in how and when you pay off your balance. In the case of Pay in 4, the financing decision is approved (or denied) at checkout, after which you’ll have a very structured repayment plan.

How Does PayPal Credit Work?

Approved PayPal users can use PayPal Credit as a payment option whenever they check out using PayPal, either from a website or at a brick-and-mortar store that accepts PayPal.

A line of credit works under a similar principle to a credit card. You’ll be extended a credit limit that you can borrow against. As you pay your balance off, your credit becomes available again.

PayPal Credit Pros & Cons

PayPal Credit occupies an interesting niche in the consumer financing world, combining the advantages of a line of credit with some of the conveniences of a credit card:

Pros Of PayPal Credit

Cons Of PayPal Credit

*Note that this pro/con list is from a PayPal Credit user’s point of view. From a merchant’s point of view, there are no major downsides to PayPal Credit other than the downsides of using PayPal in general (namely, high PayPal transaction fees). However, a potential upside of advertising promotional financing with PayPal Credit as a merchant that already offers PayPal as a checkout option is that PayPal users typically spend more with PayPal Credit.

How To Apply & Use PayPal Credit

PayPal Credit is easy to apply for and start using. But it’s important that you understand a little bit about how PayPal Credit works before you start using this service.

Applying For PayPal Credit

Most PayPal users can apply, though approval depends on creditworthiness. If you don’t have a PayPal account already, you will be prompted to create one when applying for PayPal Credit. The application is quick and simple: you only have to supply your date of birth, your income after taxes, and the last four digits of your Social Security number.

Be warned that PayPal performs a hard credit inquiry during the application process, which might ding your credit score a few points. Typically you’ll have your approval answer within seconds.

PayPal doesn’t have any clearly stated applicant criteria, but since Synchrony Bank will be doing a hard pull on your credit, it’s safe to assume applicants with poor credit or limited credit history may be declined.

Once you have been approved and accepted the terms of use, PayPal will give you a credit limit of at least $250. PayPal will periodically review your account and may increase or decrease your credit limit.

Note that PayPal Credit is the new name for Bill Me Later, which has been around for more than ten years. If you already had a Bill Me Later account, you now have a PayPal Credit account.

Using PayPal Credit

Once you have your PayPal Credit account set up, you can use PayPal Credit in conjunction with your PayPal account anywhere PayPal is accepted. You simply need to set up PayPal Credit as your default “preferred” payment option for PayPal or select PayPal Credit as your payment option when checking out.

Some merchants may also prompt you to pay using PayPal Credit instead of your regular PayPal preferred payment option (which is usually linked to a credit or debit card or your bank account).

You can manage your PayPal Credit settings using a web browser or with the PayPal app. You can also make payments on your balance and see your current credit limit — just like you would for any credit card app you might already use.

In some cases, PayPal Credit may be used to send money to others, though this may be treated as a cash advance and include additional fees.

PayPal Credit Terms & Conditions

PayPal Credit requires monthly payments on your balance. You can make the minimum payment at the end of the month, make payments in any other amount whenever you like, or pay your balance in full at any time, similar to a credit card.

For new accounts, PayPal Credit has a variable APR around 30% on standard purchases and cash advances (at the time of update). Being variable, the APR will fluctuate with the Prime interest rate. The minimum interest charge is $2.

As is the case with credit cards, PayPal Credit may offer an interest-free grace period on standard purchases if the balance is paid in full by the due date. You will not be charged interest if you:

• Have no balance at the start of your billing cycle OR
• You had a balance at the start of the billing cycle, and you paid the balance in full by the due date in that billing cycle.

To send money (Cash Advance) with PayPal Credit, PayPal will charge a flat fee. This is the same fee you’d pay when you use a debit or credit card to send money through PayPal.

For late payment fees, PayPal charges up to $41 depending on your state and account terms.