How to receive money on PayPal in the UK?

Gert Svaiko

28.06.23

3 minute read

If a friend wants to pay their share of a recent restaurant bill, or you’re expecting birthday money from a relative, PayPal could be an option for receiving the money.

PayPal is one of the most popular online payment platforms in the UK, not only for online shopping but for person-to-person transfers too. So, it’s likely that the person sending you the money already has an account.

But what do you need to do to receive money with PayPal? Read on, as we’ll cover everything you need to know here in this guide. With our help, you’ll be all set up to receive your payment in no time.

We’ll even show you an alternative for sending and receiving money, with a financial services provider Wise. Open a Wise account to receive money in many major currencies for free, and send worldwide for low fees.

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

Want to earn a return in multiple currencies? With Wise Interest, you can get a 4.70% variable rate on your GBP balance held in your Wise multi-currency account.

Capital at risk. Current rates do not guarantee future growth.

Variable rate is based on 7 day performance as of 10 Aug 2023. This fund has returned an 0.93% annual average over the last 5 years, excluding Wise and fund manager fees. See full 5 year past performance of funds.

How to receive money on PayPal?

The way PayPal works for personal users in the UK is pretty straightforward. To send or receive money, you first need to sign up for a free online account.

To receive money on PayPal, you simply need to do one of the following:

Give the sender your email address, mobile number or PayPal username - they’ll use one of these to send the payment.
Use the Request Money feature in your PayPal account.
Send the person a PayPal.Me link. They’ll simply click this to pay you.

In either case, you’ll receive a notification (email or message) from PayPal letting you know when someone has sent you money.

Can you receive money on PayPal without paying fees?

Now, you’ll want to know whether there are any fees for receiving money with PayPal in the UK.

The good news is that as a personal user, there’s no fee to receive money within the UK or when no currency conversion is involved.¹

If the money does need to be converted, PayPal will use its own exchange rate - which may not be as favourable as some out there.

Businesses are charged separate fees to receive payments from their customers via PayPal.

Where can you find your PayPal ID to receive money?

You can simply use the email address you used to sign up for your PayPal account. Alternatively, you can use your mobile number.

If you’ve created a PayPal.Me profile, you’ll get a personalised link to send in order to get paid. This will look like this: PayPal.Me/Your Name.

Do you need an account to receive money through PayPal?

Yes, you will need to open a PayPal account in order to receive money sent through the platform.²

If you don’t have one and a payment is sent using your email address, PayPal will email you to let you know - and show you how to sign up for an account.

How to request money with PayPal?

It’s really quick and easy to request money with PayPal. Simply follow these steps:

Sign up or login to your PayPal account online (or use the PayPal app)
Go to ‘Send and Request’ at the top
Select ‘Request’
Enter the name, email address or mobile number of the person you’d like to request money from
Enter the amount you’d like to request. There may also be the option to either ‘Request money’ or ‘Split a bill’.
Add an optional note for what the payment is for, if you wish
Click ‘Request now’.

How long does it take to receive money from PayPal?

It all depends how quickly your recipient pays, and the payment method they use. Many payments arrive instantly after being sent, even when transfers are made internationally.

If you’ve made a withdrawal from your PayPal account to your bank or to another account, you can expect it to take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 working day.³

Wise – money for here, there and everywhere

Looking for a PayPal alternative? Check out the Wise account.

Sign up online and you’ll be able to send, hold, and convert multiple currencies at once. With Wise, you can send money worldwide for low fees and great exchange rates, and receive money for free in many major currencies. There’s even a Wise card for spending worldwide like a local.

If you send or receive money internationally, this could be the ideal solution for you.

Sending GBP to EUR and what it costs

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

Sources used:

Sources last checked on date: 24-May-2023

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.