Can you send money from CashApp to PayPal?

CashApp®¹ is a fast, easy and popular way to make payments to and from accounts and cards in the US - plus there’s a limited option to send money to other CashApp users in the UK.

PayPal®² is well known for global coverage, and supports ecommerce services as well as peer to peer payments from one PayPal account to another.

But what about moving money from CashApp to PayPal? Can I simply connect my two accounts and make a transfer between them? This guide walks through what you’ll need to do.

Can you send money directly from CashApp to PayPal?

Unfortunately there’s no simple one step way to move money from CashApp to PayPal³. Instead you’ll need an extra step - usually withdrawing funds from CashApp to a bank and then using that money to pay for your PayPal transfer. This guide looks at how this works in practice, and what you might pay.

Why are CashApp and PayPal not compatible?

CashApp and PayPal are different companies and are not designed to work together. While both offer overlapping payment options in the US, you can’t directly link a CashApp account to a PayPal account, so you’ll need to cash out any CashApp balance to then use it on PayPal later.

Alternative ways of sending money from CashApp to PayPal?

So, CashApp and PayPal aren’t directly compatible. However, it doesn’t mean you can’t send money from one to the other at all. You’ll just need a simple workaround. In most cases this means linking one bank or credit union account to both CashApp and PayPal, to withdraw from CashApp to your bank, and then use the money to fund your next PayPal payment directly from that same bank account.

Bear in mind costs may apply here. While CashApp does have a free standard cash out service, there’s a fee if you’re in a hurry - plus PayPal has fees if you’re sending money overseas from your linked bank. We’ll look at the costs in detail a little later - first, here’s what you’ll need to do to send money from CashApp to PayPal via your bank.

Withdraw to your bank, then send to PayPal

In most cases the easiest way to move money from CashApp to PayPal is to add both to the same bank account and then use that account as the middleman.

Here’s how to link a bank account to CashApp⁴:
Log into CashApp and tap the Profile Icon Select Linked Banks then Link Bank Follow the prompts to link your preferred account

Once you have your bank account linked to CashApp, you can cash out your balance like this⁵:

1. Log into CashApp and tap the Money tab

2. Press Cash Out

3. Enter the amount to cash out

4. Select a deposit speed

5. Confirm with your PIN or Touch ID

Your balance will be deposited to your linked account. You can now link PayPal to your bank account, as follows⁶:

To link your bank account to PayPal, take the following steps:
Log into your PayPal account and go to Wallet Click Link a card or bank, then Link a bank account. Search for your bank or select it from the list. Enter your bank login details when prompted, to automatically link your account

Set up your PayPal payment online or in the app, and choose your bank account as the funding method. That way you can use the money you’ve just withdrawn from CashApp to cover the payment.

Sending money to a PayPal account overseas? Check out Wise

If you’re cashing out of CashApp, and need to move your money to a foreign currency account, see if you can save one fees, with Wise.

While PayPal lets you send money to other PayPal accounts globally, the costs can be high. With Wise you can deposit money to bank accounts in 160+ countries, and you’ll get the mid-market rate, with low fees for your payment*. Just like PayPal, Wise offers fast digital payments you can set up with just your phone or laptop, but you might find you save more in the end with Wise.

How much does it cost to send money between CashApp and PayPal?

You may pay one or more fees when moving money from CashApp to a PayPal account. What it costs you depends on the details of the transfer.

CashApp offers a free standard cash out service, but this may take several days. If you’re in a hurry to move your money to your bank you can pay for an instant service - with variable fees from 0.5% to 1.75%⁷.

You’ll then need to consider the costs of your onward PayPal payment. We’ve looked at the costs of both domestic and international payments, funded from a bank account here - bear in mind that sending and paying by card can have higher charges.

Service	PayPal US fee⁸
Sending a domestic payment from a bank account to a US PayPal account	No PayPal fee
Sending an international payment from a bank account to a PayPal account overseas	5%, from 0.99 USD to 4.99 USD + currency conversion if needed
Currency conversion	3% or 4% where required

Common questions about sending money from CashApp to PayPal

How long does it typically take for the transfer to complete?

You can cash out of CashApp on a standard withdrawal in 1 to 3 days, or choose an instant withdrawal for a fee. Once you have your balance in your bank account you can set up your PayPal transfer, which may take a day or two to deposit, depending on your bank’s own processes.

Can you use the same bank account linked to both platforms for easier transfers?

Yes. Often the easiest way to work with CashApp and PayPal side by side is to link both to the same US bank account and use this as an intermediary.

How long does it take to transfer money from CashApp to a bank and then to PayPal?

If you choose an instant cash out from CashApp your money might be ready to transfer out from your bank on PayPal more or less instantly. Once you’ve set up your PayPal payment you can track it - this could be quick, or may take a day or two, depending on how long it takes your own bank to pass the funds to PayPal for deposit.

Are there limits on how much you can transfer between these providers?

If you’ve not verified your CashApp account yet you’ll usually have a 1,000 USD limit on how much you can send or receive⁹. However, once you’ve completed this verification process you’ll find limits are increased - or even removed entirely.

Verified PayPal accounts may have no upper payment limit¹⁰ - but it’s common to find accounts have a maximum transfer level of 10,000 USD per transfer, for security reasons.

Can CashApp send money to a PayPal email?

You can’t send money from CashApp to PayPal emails directly. Instead you’ll need to cash out your CashApp balance to your bank and then use the money to set up a PayPal payment once it’s cleared to your account.

Are there any risks in transferring money from CashApp to PayPal through a bank?

As long as you’ve verified your bank account with both CashApp and PayPal the service should be safe and secure. Both CashApp and PayPal are responsible and regulated providers - but as always, use common sense to make sure you don’t fall victim to fraud.

Can you reverse a transaction from CashApp to PayPal once initiated?

No. Both CashApp¹¹ and PayPal¹² usually process transactions instantly as soon as you confirm them. This means you can’t usually cancel or reverse your transaction once it’s made. If you’ve sent money to someone by accident, you may need to ask for a refund or open a dispute. If you think you’ve been the victim of fraud, get in touch with both the app in question, and your local police to ask for advice.

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CashApp and PayPal have some similar services for P2P payments in the US. But they’re different companies and so can’t be linked together smoothly to allow payments to flow from one to the other.

Instead, you’ll need a middleman - usually your bank. Cash out of CashApp and use the money for a PayPal payment - or choose Wise if you’re sending money overseas, for low fees and the mid-market rate*.

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Sources:

1. CashApp
2. PayPal US
3. PayPal community - CashApp/PayPal (Moderator comment)
4. CashApp - add bank account
5. CashApp - cash out
6. PayPal help - link bank account
7. CashApp cash out fees
8. PayPal US fees
9. CashApp limits
10. PayPal limits
11. CashApp - cancel a payment
12. PayPal help - cancel a payment

Sources checked on 06.19.2024