3 Ways to Buy Bitcoin with PayPal
To buy bitcoins with PayPal is easy. Find an exchange that allows PayPal to Bitcoin, deposit, and then purchase bitcoins.
In our testing, we found three solid choices for purchasing bitcoin with PayPal online.
We made a tutorial of how to buy on PayPal.com below. If you want other exchanges, keep reading.
List of PayPal exchanges
eToro
- The most common way to buy bitcoins with PayPal for many years
- Free Bitcoin and crypto wallet included
- Supports US and global customers
- Withdrawing can be complicated
- PayPal and credit card are not available for the FCA and UK users
Don't invest unless you're prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong.
Bitpanda
- Trusted global European exchange
- Free crypto wallet included
- Not direct from PayPal
- Only supports Europe
PayPal
- Ability to acquire bitcoins from PayPal directly
- Free Bitcoin and crypto wallet included
- Only supports US customers
- Fees are high
Gemini
- Trusted exchange
- Free crypto wallet included
- App available on Apple App Store & Play Store
- Lack of support for some countries
- Not direct from PayPal
Coinbase
- Trusted PayPal to Bitcoin exchange with 100 million+ users
- Free crypto wallet included
- App available on Apple App Store & Play Store
- Lack of support for some countries
- Not direct from PayPal
Bitstamp
- Trusted global crypto exchange
- Free crypto wallet included
- Support for most countries
- Not direct from PayPal
How to Buy Bitcoin on PayPal.com
Here are the exact steps you can use to buy on PayPal.com.
Step 1
Log in to your PayPal.com account. Once you do that, click the three-dots icon on the right side of the screen. I've indicated the icon in the image below with a red arrow.
Step 2
Once you have clicked the icon, you should see a new menu come up with crypto at the bottom. I've indicated the "Crypto" button below in a red box. Click the box that says "Crypto".
Step 3
You should now see a menu with different crypto options. Since we're buying bitcoin in this tutorial, click "Bitcoin". However, you can click on any coin that PayPal offers if you want to buy a coin other than Bitcoin.
Step 4
Once you click on Bitcoin, you should now see a chart with a big "Buy" button below it. Click the blue buy button.
Step 5
Once you click the buy button, you will see a field that allows you to enter the amount of Bitcoins you want to buy.
Step 6 - Choose Your Payment Method
Now, you need to select which payment method you want to use. PayPal will automatically let you use already connected accounts.
Step 7 - Confirmation
PayPal will now ask you to confirm the amount you are buying, with a clear breakdown of the fees and amount of Bitcoin you are getting.
Step 8 - You Bought Crypto!
That's it! You bought bitcoin (BTC) using PayPal.
Note: If you want to send your bitcoin to another address after buying on PayPal.com, read our guide here. Only USA users can send bitcoins to an external address.
Here's our guide on how to receive crypto into PayPal.com with a crypto address.
PayPal also allows you to acquire PUSD. PayPal [PUSD] is a stablecoin tied to the US dollar, providing a stable alternative to volatile crypto. It's only available for USA customers with plans for global expansion down the line.
In our testing, buying with PayPal works fast but has high fees:
| Purchase amount | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1 – 4.99 USD | 0.49 USD |
| 5 – 24.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| 25 – 74.99 USD | 1.99 USD |
| 75 – 200 USD | 2.49 USD |
| 200 – 1000 USD | 1.80% |
| 1000.01 USD + | 1.50% |
How to Buy Bitcoin on Venmo
1. Login to Venmo and Select Crypto from the hamburger menu
You should see the option for crypto near the top.
Note that you must verify your identity with the settings of the app, and you still may not see a crypto option, as it is being rolled out slowly.
2. Select 'Bitcoin'
Or choose any of the other coins listed.
3. Select 'Buy'
4. Choose How Much You Want to Buy and hit 'Buy Bitcoin' to finalize the sale.
For Venmo, you can use your existing Venmo balance to pay for the bitcoins or add funds to your Venmo account.
That's all there is to it!
Frequently Asked Questions
What cryptocurrencies does PayPal support in the USA?
Customers (except Hawaii) can buy, sell, and hold four cryptocurrencies on PayPal: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash.
Can You Buy Bitcoin with PayPal on Binance?
Answer: No, as of now Binance does not work with PayPal for buying or selling. Binance.us was also recently shut down from dealing with USD in the USA.
Does PayPal offer a bitcoin wallet?
Answer: Yes, PayPal offers a free built-in Bitcoin and crypto wallet. It also supports Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash.
Does PayPal offer crypto wallet addresses?
Answer: Yes, PayPal offers addresses as part of its built-in crypto wallet.
Does PayPal support business accounts?
Answer: PayPal only supports personal accounts at this time, and not business accounts.
Can I buy bitcoin on Venmo?
Last year, Venmo announced it would be adding Bitcoin and a few other cryptos to its platform.
This allows their 70 million users to buy Bitcoin directly after going through a short verification process.
The interesting thing about Venmo Bitcoin purchases is that users can use their existing Venmo balance to make the buy instantly. However, like PayPal, users cannot withdraw bitcoin from their Venmo wallet.
See our tutorial above, where we downloaded the Venmo app and tested buying crypto. Having used the Venmo app to buy bitcoin, I'm happy to report it's easy to buy and also send to friends.
Compared to buying with PayPal, it is a more smooth process. A co-worker who watched me test also felt the process was quick.
Does PayPal Accept Bitcoin as a Deposit Method?
You can't fund your PayPal account using Bitcoin from within PayPal.
However:
Using an exchange like Coinbase you can sell bitcoins to your PayPal account.
Can you use PayPal to receive money for selling Bitcoin?
Yes of course!
As mentioned above, you can sell cryptocurrencies to Coinbase and receive cash in your PayPal account. This works in the USA and some of Europe. The fee for selling bitcoins to PayPal is 3.75% using Coinbase.
Other Exchanges We Considered
Binance - Binance used to be popular, but now long supports PayPal.
Local Exchanges: We tested local exchanges, but didn't determine that local exchanges had proper scam prevention features in place.
Full List and Description of Exchanges
eToro
eToro is one of the most popular methods for PayPal. The company has been around since 2007, serving other clients before it introduced crypto trading in 2013. (Note: PayPal and credit card payments are not available for FCA-regulated UK users)
Bitpanda
As of 2024, users in Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain can use Bitpanda to buy bitcoin using PayPal.
PayPal
PayPal.com direct buying is ONLY available in the USA. Customers in the USA (besides Hawaii) can easily buy bitcoin and other crypto on PayPal.
Gemini
Gemini allows USA residents only to buy with PayPal. Residents from other countries are not able to use this feature.
Coinbase
Coinbase is one of the largest exchanges that supports buying and selling with PayPal. Coinbase has over 100 million users.
Residents of many countries can buy bitcoins and crypto fast and easily using Coinbase's free app or on its website.
Coinbase offers a free wallet for all of its users.
Bitstamp
Bitstamp is a respected cryptocurrency exchange that has been operating since 2011. For residents in the US or EU, Bitstamp supports PayPal for Bitcoin purchases when paying with EUR, USD, and GBP.
There's a daily limit of up to $2,500 and a monthly cap of $20,000. A 5% fee is charged on PayPal purchases.
Users cannot directly withdraw money to their PayPal account after selling their Bitcoin; they must choose an alternative fiat withdrawal method.
BuyBitcoinWorldWide writers are subject-matter experts and base their articles on firsthand information, like interviews with experts, white papers or original studies and experience. We also use trusted research and studies from other well-known sources. You can learn more about our editorial guidelines.
- Understanding PayPal PUSD: A Stablecoin for Secure and Convenient Payments - Coincapture, https://coinscapture.medium.com/understanding-paypal-pusd-a-stablecoin-for-secure-and-convenient-payments-95788774c308
- PayPal expands the ability to buy, hold and sell cryptocurrency to the UK - Techcrunch, https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/23/paypal-expands-the-ability-to-buy-hold-and-sell-cryptocurrency-to-the-u-k/
- PayPal launches crypto stablecoin - Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/08/07/paypal-stablecoin-crypto/