PayPal Cash Card review and an alternative

The PayPal Cash Card has recently been rebranded, so is now called the PayPal Debit Card.

It is a real debit card, but is only linked to your PayPal balance account. It’s free to get, although there are some fees to use it.

In this guide, we'll show you how it works. Plus, we’ll even show you a low-fee¹ alternative which you can use for international purchases and payments in lots of different currencies - the Wise debit card.

But more on this later. For now, let’s get back to looking at the PayPal card.

How do you get a PayPal cash card?

You can apply for the PayPal debit card online, at the PayPal website, or by logging into your account.

You’ll need to have a PayPal Balance account to get the card. ID will be required, but the good news is that no credit checks are involved during application².

Does it cost money to use a PayPal cash card?

The PayPal debit card is free to get, but there are fees involved to use it. You’ll definitely need to watch out for those international fees, if you plan on using it in another country.

Let’s take a look:

Order a Wise debit card to spend in 174 countries

Love the idea of spending abroad without worrying about getting ripped off by poor exchange rates? Take the Wise debit card with you the next time you travel.

The Wise debit card is available for a one-time fee of just $9¹ when you open a Wise account. You can use it to spend and withdraw cash from ATMs in 174 countries. Your USD is automatically converted to the local currency at the mid-market exchange rate, whenever you spend. There’s just a small fee¹ to convert the currency.

Order a Wise debit card today

PayPal cash card: Pros & Cons

Is the PayPal debit card right for you? Here are some pros and cons to bear in mind:

How does the PayPal cash card work?

Now, exactly what is the PayPal cash card, and how does it work? In short, it’s a debit card you can use to spend your PayPal balance. You can use it wherever Mastercard is accepted, which includes stores, restaurants and transport hubs - and online too.

Another thing that many people ask about this particular product is - can you use a PayPal card at an ATM? This is another clever feature of the PayPal Debit Card, that you can in fact use it for ATM withdrawals. This means you can access what is normally an online-only balance and turn it into cold, hard cash.

How do I put money on my PayPal cash card?

Your PayPal debit card is linked to your PayPal balance. This means you can spend money that other people send you via PayPal.

Alternatively, you can top up your balance via your linked bank account or debit/credit card.

There’s one more way you can put money on your PayPal debit card. It’s possible to add cash to your PayPal balance at around 90,000 retailers nationwide². All you need is your PayPal card or the app and the cash you’d like to deposit.

How do I get money off my PayPal cash card?

This is as simple as managing your PayPal balance. Log into your PayPal account and simply transfer the desired amount to your linked bank account.

Bear in mind though that this will leave you with less or perhaps no money to spend using your PayPal card.

How do I send and receive money with a PayPal cash card?

The PayPal debit card is only for spending and cash withdrawals. That means you can’t use it to send money to another person. However, you always can use your PayPal account to send and receive money.

Is the PayPal cash card safe?

Lastly, how does the PayPal card work in terms of security - is your money safe? According to PayPal, there are lots of reassuring safety features associated with its debit card. These include²:

• The option to temporarily lock and unlock your card in the PayPal app - just in case it’s lost or stolen.
• Mastercard Zero Liability and built-in chip technology.
• Protection against unauthorized payments being sent from your account³.

Bottom line

In this guide, we’ve hopefully answered your question - what is a PayPal debit card? We’ve shown you how it works, how to get one, the fees involved and much more.

If you’re a regular PayPal user, you get some good use out of the PayPal debit card. Just be careful not to use it for transactions where fees can be charged, such as using a non-MoneyPass ATM.

For international spending and cash withdrawals, an alternative like the Wise debit card could be a much better option.

Frequently asked questions

What are the benefits of a PayPal card?

The PayPal debit card offers the following benefits:

• Withdraw your PayPal balance in cash at ATMs
• Spend anywhere Mastercard is accepted
• Pay no annual or monthly fees
• Apply with no credit check.

Are PayPal cards worth it?

If you’re a big PayPal user, and you can steer clear of fee-charging transactions, you could find it useful. It’s especially handy if you want to withdraw your PayPal balance in cash. There’s no fee to get a PayPal card, so you could give it a try.

How do I contact PayPal customer support?

If you have further questions about the PayPal card, such as how to activate your card or whether you can use it abroad, here’s how to contact customer services⁴:

• Call 1-888-221-1161
• Message PayPal online.

Sources checked on 21-Oct-2022.