PayPal review: fees, coins and availability
Buy a handful of major coins inside your PayPal account. Convenient, but among the most expensive options once the spread is included.
We may earn a commission if you open an account through this link. It doesn't change our fee estimates or this review. Fees last checked Oct 4, 2026.
Estimated cost to buy
Fee plus spread, in dollars, for a market purchase of bitcoin.
| Payment | $100 | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | $3.00 (3.00%) | $14.00 (2.80%) | $28.00 (2.80%) | $125.00 (2.50%) | Published fee table plus PayPal's stated spread estimate. |
| Debit card | $3.00 (3.00%) | $14.00 (2.80%) | $28.00 (2.80%) | $125.00 (2.50%) | Debit card costs the same as bank. |
n/p = not published by the platform.
Fees
Simple buy
Fee by order size: 2.20% ($1–74.99), 2.00% ($75–200), 1.80% ($200.01–1,000), 1.50% (over $1,000), plus an estimated spread of about 1%.
Debit card
No separate surcharge for debit cards; credit cards not accepted.
Advanced trading
No advanced trading.
State availability
PayPal says features may be unavailable in some locations. Hawaii has historically been excluded; check before you sign up.
Staking
No
Ways to pay
PayPal balance, bank account, debit card
What we like
- Uses the PayPal account you already have
- Published fee table
- PYUSD buys and sells are free
Watch out for
- Only 7 coins
- High total cost (fee plus about 1% spread)
- No advanced trading
Ready to compare?
See PayPal next to 9 other US platforms for your amount and state.
Sources
- www.paypal.com/us/digital-wallet/paypal-consumer-fees
- www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/paypal/cryptocurrencies-tnc
Fees and availability change often. Always confirm the fee on the platform's preview screen before you buy.