Can you use PayPal on Amazon? Not directly, but there are a few workarounds
- Amazon doesn't let you pay with PayPal when making purchases.
- However, you can use the PayPal Cash Card or PayPal Key to make purchases on Amazon.
- You can also use PayPal to buy an Amazon gift card, and then make purchases on Amazon.
In the world of online shopping, Amazon and PayPal are widely used. However, if you've tried to use your PayPal balance to purchase something on Amazon, you'll already know that PayPal is not an accepted payment method.
Of course, you can transfer your PayPal balance to your bank account to use those funds however you please, but if you're set on using it to buy things on Amazon, there are some workarounds to make it happen.
Can you use PayPal on Amazon?
Amazon doesn't let you pay with PayPal directly, but you can use the PayPal Cash Card or PayPal Key to make purchases. You can also use PayPal to buy Amazon gift cards.
Here's how to do it all.
Pay with the PayPal Cash Card
PayPal Cash Card is a debit card that draws funds from your PayPal account, and it works anywhere (online and physical stores) that accepts Mastercard payments (like Amazon). Since it's a debit card, not a credit card, you need to have a balance on your PayPal account to use a PayPal Cash Card.
To apply for a PayPal Cash Card, simply go to this link, log in to your PayPal account, and follow the on-screen prompts. While there isn't a credit check involved in the application process, note that PayPal charges fees for adding money to your account.
Once approved for a PayPal Cash Card, you can use it as a payment method on Amazon the way you would with any other credit or debit card.
Use PayPal Key
PayPal Key is a virtual card that gives you access to your PayPal account when shopping online from vendors that accept Mastercard. It's similar to the PayPal Cash Card with the key difference being that there's no physical card; just a card number, expiration date, and security code. Essentially, it's a virtual card number that lets you use your PayPal balance with online merchants that don't directly accept PayPal as a payment method.
To apply for PayPal Key, log in to your PayPal account and look for the PayPal Key option. Since this is a new product, it's not currently available to everyone just yet.
Once approved for PayPal Key, you can use it to buy things on Amazon as if it were any other credit or debit card.
Buy Amazon gift cards
One of the easiest ways to use PayPal to buy from Amazon is to purchase Amazon gift cards with your PayPal account. You can buy an Amazon gift card from a site like eGifter.com using a PayPal balance and then use that gift card to shop normally on Amazon.
Just be sure you verify that the site from which you're buying a gift card is safe and secure.
Quick tip: For more places to buy an Amazon gift card, see our article here.
Why doesn't Amazon accept PayPal directly?
There are two major reasons that Amazon does not work with PayPal. First, historically PayPal was a part of eBay, one of Amazon's direct competitors. From 2002 to 2015, PayPal and eBay were linked together. PayPal has since split into an independent brand, but their partnership with eBay remains strong.
Second, PayPal is a direct competitor to Amazon's own payment service, the rather bluntly named Amazon Pay. Just as with PayPal, Amazon Pay is accepted by numerous third-party retailers, letting you use Amazon payment methods beyond the immediate orbit of Amazon itself.