Ultimate Guide To Using PayPal (2023)
Welcome to today’s article on PayPal. This has got to be one of the most popular online money wallets in the world. Freelancers are among the people who receive and send payments using this online wallet as it is cheap and very effective. Now, don’t get me wrong, it is not an online wallet for freelancers only, you could also use it to send and receive money in any part of the world.
If you have never heard of this online transaction platform, let me give you a little history. PayPal is an online payment system that allows its registered individuals and businesses to do the following things;
- To send and receive money
- Make online payments and transfer funds securely.
This company was founded in 1998 and is now owned by eBay. It is widely used for online transactions, particularly for e-commerce and international payments. Users can also use it as a payment option for various services, including subscriptions and donations. I use this Skrill alternative for renewing and receiving Payments for my blogging business and it has proven to be very useful.
Users can link their bank accounts for easy and secure payment. It also offers a variety of security features to protect users’ information so trust me when I say your money is very secure with them. You can think of it as an electronic alternative to traditional paper methods you know of, like checks and money orders.
One of the most popular banks in Kenya, Equity Bank partnered with Paypal to ensure that their customers could receive their withdrawals from Paypal within 3 days, how cool is that! Remember that other Banks may even take as long as 2 weeks to receive withdrawals from Paypal.
The use of PayPal increased exponentially especially in the Covid 19 period, as many people had moved to online purchases of things instead of exposing themselves to the virus by going to shops physically.
In this article, I will show you step-by-step how you can set up your PayPal account and ensure that you get the most out of this online wallet.
How to join PayPal – Create a PayPal account
If you are interested in PayPal and would like to join the platform, use the very simple steps I have provided below:
- From your browser, go to the PayPal website, which can be assessed through https://www.paypal.com/, and click on the “sign up” button.
- Select the account type that best fits what you need. There are three options you can choose from personal, and business. For this instance, we will use the personal account, which we can always upgrade later.
- Enter your personal and contact information, including your name, email address, and password. Remember to pick a password that is easy for you to Remember but not easily hacked.
- Agree to the User Agreement and Privacy Policy by clicking the corresponding checkboxes. You can read these terms and conditions by clicking on the link provided.
- Click the “Agree and create account” button to complete the registration process.
- Verify your email address by clicking on the email sent to you by PayPal. If you do not have an email, click here to read how to create one
- Add a payment method to your account on the link a bank account or credit/debit card. If you are in Kenya, you can also link your PayPal to your Mpesa.
- Done. You can now start using it for online transactions or payments by logging in to your account and following the prompts.
How to reset PayPal password – How To Change PayPal Password
If you did not save your password somewhere and have forgotten what it was, don’t worry, you can easily reset your PayPal account password using the following steps I have provided.
To reset your password, follow these simple steps:
- Go to the PayPal website and click on the “Log in” button.
- Click on the “Having trouble logging in” link below the login fields.
- Because we have forgotten our password, select the option “I don’t know my password”
- Enter your email associated with your PayPal account and click “next”. This should be the email address of the account whose password you want to reset.
- Check your email for a message from PayPal with a link to reset your password.
- Click on the link in the email and follow the prompts to reset your password.
- Enter a new password that meets the requirements and click “Continue”.
If you are unable to reset your password using this method, you can also try resetting your password by answering security questions or providing proof of identity. You can also contact customer support for assistance.
Before you reset your password, make sure that your keyboard is not set on Caps lock while your password may be in small letters. This might be the only mistake you made.
After successfully creating your account, you will need to add your bank account cards so that you can receive money when you withdraw or fund your online wallet. Linking your bank card to PayPal also helps you increase your limit because it verifies your account.
How To Link A Card To Your PayPal Account Easily
To link a card to your PayPal account, you will need to have a bank card(Credit or Debit). To get one, you will need to visit your nearest bank branch and apply for one. After getting the bank card, ensure there is some cash in it which PayPal will use to verify the account. This cash is usually refundable.
To add a card to your PayPal account;
- Login to your activated account dashboard using your PayPal credentials.
- On your dashboard, click on the Link A Card or Bank option.
- Enter your card details, including your Credit or Debit Card Number, the expiry date of the credit or debit card, and the CVS number on your bank card.
- Click on the Link Card to complete the process.
PayPal will withdraw some cash from your credit or debit card(Around $3), which will be refunded within 3 – 7 days. You will have successfully linked and verified your bank account. To read a more in-depth guide on this and how to verify your account even when you don’t have a Bank card, read this article.
If this article was helpful, let me know in the comments section. You could also contact me through the contact page to share with me your thoughts and ideas. Feel free to subscribe to my blog so that you will be the first to be notified when a new update is updated.