PayPal is among the best money transfer platforms in the world. The company operates in the US, and its headquarters are in San Jose, California. You can carry out various kinds of transactions with the company as long as you open an account with them. PayPal account opening happens online, whereby you should use a secure internet connection to effect the transfer. So how do I add money to my PayPal account?
We all know that you require money in your account to effect various kinds of transfers. Therefore, there must be ways you can add money to your account. Today’s article explains how you can add money to your account to ensure that you can do transactions when the need arises. For your understanding, PayPal is among the cheapest platforms that you can use for your day-to-day transactions.
PayPal also owns Venmo, another money transfer company that allows you to send and receive money. However, unlike PayPal, Venmo only operates in the United States, and you must be living within the country to open and operate an account. Despite the shortcoming, the company still strives to impact money transfer services. Therefore, when you hear PayPal, know that it is a big company that is positively changing the lives of human beings.
How to open a PayPal account?
PayPal account opening usually happens online, and you can get started with a smartphone, computer, or tablet. You also need a secure internet connection. Since you will deal with money, you should avoid public WiFis to ensure that hackers do not get your information. Public WiFis are very dangerous since they expose personal information, and you can quickly lose money from your account.
To open your account, you should have various details, including the following.
- Email account
- Phone number
- An identification document
- Bank account
Once you have all that with you, you can start the application process. You should first visit the PayPal account registration page, then follow the given steps to get started. The steps include the following.
- Go to the PayPal Sign Up page.
- Choose which account category you want to open.
- Click Sign Up Now.
- Enter your information, such as your full email address, then choose a password (it should contain at least eight characters and be case sensitive).
- Click Next.
- Tap Agree and Create Account.
Once your account is up and about, you will be able to send money through PayPal to friends and family and buy goods and services.
How do I add money to my PayPal account?
You cannot do any transaction without having money in your account. There are various ways you can add finances to PayPal, including the following.
i) Receive money from others
You can receive money into your account when others send you your account. You need to provide your email ID, phone number, or username to the sender. Funds sent through PayPal arrive immediately or within a few minutes. Again, it does not matter your location as PayPal operates in more than 200 destinations.
ii) Add money from your bank account
You can add money to your account using your bank account. I mentioned that you require a bank account when opening a PayPal profile so that you can add funds to your PayPal when you do not have enough money. You can add money using the process below.
- Log into your PayPal account
- Tap on Wallet.
- Click Transfer Money.
- Tap Add money to your balance.
- Select the bank and enter the amount of money you want to transfer
- Click Add.
The above procedure is applicable when adding money using your computer. When adding funds to your PayPal profile using your smartphone, you can follow the procedure below.
- Tap on your Dashboard.
- Hit on your PayPal balance.
- Select Add Money.
- Select your preferred way of adding money.
Remember that before you use your bank to add money to PayPal, you should ensure that you link it to your PayPal account.
iii) Check deposit
When you deposit a check in your PayPal, the funds reflect your account within the stipulated time. If you only knew about depositing checks in bank accounts, you are wrong since things have changed. Mobile money wallets allow you to deposit money. You can follow the guidelines below.
- Log into your account
- Tap Wallet.
- Tap Cash a check (PayPal then asks for permission to access your location plus camera).
- PayPal will then ask you to set up a PayPal Balance account if you don’t have one already.
- Enter the check value, and take a photo of the front and back of your check with your mobile phone device
- Tap Next.
- Select how quickly you want your money and tap Confirm.
Remember that you should make sure you endorse your check so that PayPal accepts it. Endorsing your check means signing the back of your check. It usually takes a few minutes, usually between 3-5 minutes, although, in most cases, the transactions happen in minutes. Sometimes it can take approximately an hour to check information and approve your check.
Upon approval, you will need to write “VOID” across the front of your check upon prompt, then submit another photo showing that it has been voided. You should never write “VOID” on the check until PayPal prompts you.
That is after receiving a confirmation that your check was approved. You will also see a confirmation page showing the amount of the money and when it will be available in your PayPal account.
iv) Direct deposit
Another unique way to add money to your account is via direct deposit. The method allows you to receive funds in your account from your employer or government agency. The process requires filling out a direct deposit form and submitting it to the source you would like to receive funds.
Generally, direct deposit allows you to get paychecks or government payments automatically to your PayPal Balance account up to 2 days earlier than traditional banks. With the PayPal direct deposit, there is no more waiting for checks in the mail or walking to the bank every time you need to deposit one.
You can then use the funds in your PayPal balance to purchase goods online and send money. To set up direct deposit, you only need to follow a few steps, and you are good to go. They include the following.
- Identify your employer or government agency.
- Choose how much money to add to each paycheck.
- Add your e-Signature.
- Confirm and submit the Direct Deposit form by selecting “Review Form.”
To set up a direct deposit, you need to provide your routing and account numbers available in your PayPal account once logged in and navigate to the direct deposit section. Follow the steps below to get the numbers and set your direct deposit.
- Navigate to your Profile.
- Select Set up or view Direct Deposit.
- The routing number and account number will display if Direct Deposit is available on your account. You can print the information by clicking the Print Direct Deposit form.
How to send money through PayPal?
PayPal allows you to send money to others online using a few steps. For your understanding, PayPal’s primary use is to transfer money to one another. You can send finances to other PayPal recipients in the following manner.
- Log into your account
- Tap on Send & Request at the top of the page.
- Choose from the three options.
- Enter the email address or phone number of the recipient.
- Enter the amount to send
- Click Continue.
- Review and confirm the details on the screen
- Click Send Money Now.
Remember that you can send money to people without a PayPal account. They need to follow the link sent to them, then open an account to claim the funds. When you send money, you cannot reverse it, and thus it is vital to check the details correctly.
How to transfer funds from PayPal to a bank account?
I can quickly transfer money from PayPal to my bank account if I have already linked it with PayPal. You will not require PayPal online transactions all the time as you should sometimes transfer money to your bank to save or make some recurring bill payments that you cannot pay with PayPal.
There are two main ways one can use it to transfer money to a bank account. They include instant and standard transfers, whereby the instant transfers come at a fee, while the standard ones are free. You can follow the process below to transfer money.
- Log into your Paypal account
- Navigate to My wallet.
- Click Transfer Money.
- Tap Transfer to your bank.
- Select the bank account to deposit the amount
- Click Continue.
- Enter the amount and tap Next.
- Review your transfer and tap Transfer Now.
Instant transfer applies to both bank accounts and debit cards. To transfer money from PayPal to your debit card instantly, you will have to part with a fee of 1.5% of the transfer amount.
Bottom line
Paypal is a money transfer service that has headquarters in the United States. However, it operates globally, whereby users can send and receive money, buy goods, transfer money to bank accounts, etc.
You should create an account online using either a smartphone, computer, or tablet. Once your account is ready, you can then add money using various ways such as direct deposit, check deposit, adding from a bank, or receiving from others.
