William Lipovsky
Short Answer — The only way to get cash from PayPal Credit is to send money to another person’s PayPal account and have them send it back to you. This process comes with cash advance fees, high interest rates, and transaction fees. PayPal credit cards, debit cards, or prepaid cards allow you to withdraw cash more easily at an ATM or point-of-sale register.
How to Get Cash Using PayPal Credit
You cannot get cash directly from your PayPal Credit account; the company does not offer traditional cash advances like many credit card issuers do.
PayPal Credit (backed by Synchrony Bank) is an exclusively digital line of credit. Since there is no physical card, you cannot use the account for withdrawals at ATMs or point-of-sale registers.
The only way to access money from this line of credit is to send money to someone else’s PayPal account and have them send it back, customer service representatives told us. You cannot send money to yourself.
Note that transfers to PayPal accounts are not subject to PayPal’s six-month deferred interest promotion. Interest accrues on these cash advances from the moment you make the payment with an APR of around 25%; this interest will show up on your statement.
PayPal also charges a fee for this type of cash advance, amounting to about 3% of the transaction amount.
The maximum amount of funds you can send is typically the amount of available credit in your PayPal Credit account. There may be additional limits if PayPal Credit determines that there is extra risk in the transaction, a PayPal customer service representative said.
How to Send Money Using PayPal Credit
If you know someone with a PayPal account who is trustworthy and willing to help you, you can send them money from your PayPal Credit account and have them send it back using the following steps:
- Log in to PayPal.com
- Select “Send or Request Money” then further select “Send Money”
- Enter the recipient’s email address
- When the screen prompts you to choose a payment method, select PayPal Credit
- Select “Send”
- Once the funds appear in the recipient’s account (this should happen immediately), ask them to repeat the steps above, but paying from their PayPal balance instead of Credit.
- Note: The person sending your money back to you will likely incur a small fee for the transfer, which you may want to pay back to them.
- Now, the funds will appear in your PayPal account and become available for transfer to your linked bank account (this may take a few business days); once in your bank account, you can withdraw the funds as cash.
How to Get Cash From Other PayPal Cards
For simpler alternatives, you can get cash if you have a PayPal credit card, debit card, or prepaid card.
PayPal Credit Cards
PayPal offers two credit cards: the PayPal Cashback Mastercard and the PayPal Extras Mastercard. You can use either card to get cash from ATMs or point-of-sale registers using a cash advance.
To do so, call the phone number on the back of your card to request a Personal Identification Number (PIN); use the PIN to request cash back at an ATM or register.
Note that PayPal charges fees for cash advances, and individual ATM operators may charge separate fees. You can check your card agreement for the cash advance fees applicable to your account. A daily withdrawal limit of $400 generally applies, a PayPal customer service representative said.
You can also arrange for an emergency cash advance through a PayPal credit card if your card is lost or stolen. To do this, you should call the issuer directly.
PayPal Debit Card
You can withdraw cash from ATMs worldwide using your PayPal Cash Mastercard debit card. Withdrawals through MoneyPass ATMs are free.
For non-MoneyPass domestic and foreign ATMs, the withdrawal fee is $2.50 (plus any additional fees charged by the individual ATM operator).
You can also use your PayPal debit card and PIN at any point-of-sale register if allowed by the merchant. PayPal limits cash withdrawals from its debit card to $400, and it imposes a $3,000 daily purchase limit.
PayPal also notes that the daily limits are subject to change based on your account history and other factors.
PayPal Prepaid Mastercard
You can withdraw cash from ATMs using your PayPal Prepaid MasterCard. The fee is $1.95 per ATM withdrawal, plus any ATM operator fees.
A foreign transaction surcharge applies to international ATM withdrawals.
PayPal states that an individual ATM withdrawal from a prepaid card cannot exceed $325, and the total maximum amount that you may withdraw from an ATM is $940 per day. (Note that individual ATM operators may impose lower limits.)
You can also withdraw cash from many retail locations that accept PayPal by selecting the debit option at the register and entering your PIN. There is no fee to withdraw cash using the debit option, but the maximum individual amount you can withdraw at a participating store or bank is $5,000.
For more about PayPal Credit, we list the places that accept PayPal Credit.
