4.8/5
App Store rating
6.3M ratings
Report
Should I Use PayPal?
From paying friends to saving money or getting cash back when you shop, explore what the new PayPal app has to offer.
Depends
DependsGood free pick for US friends-and-family payments and online buyer protection.
Great free P2P wallet with buyer protection; skip for business volume or international sends — fees and freezes bite.
Confidence: High
4.6/5
Capterra rating
26,629 reviews
3.2/5
WalletHub rating
214 reviews
2.29%–3.49%
Merchant fees
plus 9¢–49¢ per transaction
Value for money
3
Free P2P, but merchant fees top rivals
Ease of use
4
Reviewers call it easy, fast, convenient
Feature depth
4
Savings, credit, crypto, BNPL, direct deposit
Support quality
2
Freeze complaints; 'zero customer back-up'
Security posture
3
Buyer protection, but confirmed breach and freezes
Pros
Cons
Gotchas
- highUsers report sudden freezes holding funds after 'suspicious' flags
- highConfirmed long-running breach — change your password and monitor transactions⁷
- mediumCard-funded personal payments cost 2.9% + $0.30 — fund from bank instead
- mediumGoods & Services sales incur 2.99% plus fixed fee, even small ones
Best for
- US friends & family payments
- Online shoppers wanting buyer protection
- Casual sellers invoicing occasionally
- Beginner savers via FDIC-insured PayPal Savings
Not for
- High-volume merchants — Stripe/Square beat its fees
- International senders — Wise is far cheaper
- Anyone using it as a primary bank
- Sellers who can't risk sudden account freezes
Pricing
Personal
Free
- Free US P2P from balance/bank
- Card funding costs 2.9% + $0.30
Goods & Services
2.99% + ~49¢
- Applies to seller transactions
- Invoicing runs 3.49% + fixed fee
Merchant checkout
2.29%–3.49% + 9¢–49¢
- Rate varies by payment method
- Free merchant account setup
Security
Encryption and buyer protection are real, but a confirmed breach and account-freeze complaints weigh heavily.
- Confirmed long-running data breachPayPal confirmed a breach exposing personal information and leading to fraudulent transactions.⁷
What users say
App Store users love it (4.8/5, 6.3M ratings), but WalletHub and Trustpilot reviewers cite freezes, blocked payments, and weak support.
“I've used PayPal for many years now. I feel my transactions are safer. It gives me a peace of mind.”
“I highly recommend PayPal for their excellent dispute resolution.”
“I'd give 0 stars if I could. They blocked a 'suspicious' payment on my credit card, I phoned up and told them it wasn't suspicious”
Alternatives
Compare PayPal with each alternative.
Wise
Cheaper, more transparent international transfers
PayPal vs WiseStripe
Better rates and tooling for online businesses
PayPal vs StripeVenmo
Simpler US peer-to-peer payments, PayPal-owned
PayPal vs VenmoPayoneer
Built for freelancers' cross-border payouts
PayPal vs PayoneerFull analysis
Based on 16 public sources: app-store and finance reviews, fee comparisons, and security reporting.
Sources
- Send Money Online | PayPal USpaypal.comofficial
- PayPal — App Store Ratings & Reviewsapps.apple.comreview
- PayPal Reviews: 214 User Ratings — WalletHubwallethub.comreview
review
- PayPal review — Wisewise.comreview
- PayPal Fees: 2026 Pricing and Calculator — NerdWalletnerdwallet.comreview
- PayPal Data Breach Confirmed — Forbesforbes.comsecurity
- Is PayPal Safe? — Security.orgsecurity.orgsecurity
- PayPal merchant evaluation — TechnologyAdvicetechnologyadvice.comreview
review
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