You can use PayPal to pay a wide range of people and businesses, but only within certain allowed categories (goods, services, personal payments) and in supported countries and currencies.

Quick Scoop

In simple terms, you can pay:

  • Online stores and apps that offer “Checkout with PayPal”.
  • Freelancers and service providers (designers, tutors, coders, etc.) who invoice you or share a PayPal payment link.
  • Friends and family, where local personal transfers are allowed, usually using their email address or mobile number linked to PayPal.
  • Charities and fundraisers that accept PayPal donations, including many large international NGOs and local causes.
  • Marketplaces and platforms (like some trading or crypto platforms, subscription tools, and digital services) that list PayPal among their payment methods.

You generally cannot pay:

  • People in countries where PayPal doesn’t fully operate for receiving money (for example, some users may only be allowed to spend but not receive, as discussed by users in Armenia in 2026).
  • Businesses that choose not to support PayPal (for example, Amazon still does not accept PayPal directly in 2026, though you can use indirect tricks like PayPal-linked cards or gift cards).
  • Uses that violate PayPal’s acceptable use policy (illegal items, certain high‑risk financial activities, etc.), even if both sides have accounts.

Main Types of People and Businesses You Can Pay

Think of PayPal as a flexible wallet: you choose who to pay, and PayPal routes the money from your balance, bank, or card.

  1. Online shops and e‑commerce sites
    • Any website that shows the PayPal button at checkout.
    • This can be big brands, small Shopify-type stores, or direct-to-consumer brands.
  1. Freelancers and small businesses
    • Designers, developers, writers, coaches, and many more who send you a PayPal invoice or link.
    • Many platforms let them connect a PayPal account in the backend to receive your payments.
  1. Friends and family
    • You can send money to anyone with a valid PayPal account in a supported country using their email or phone.
    • In some regions there are “friends and family” vs “goods and services” options which affect fees and protections.
  2. Charities, fundraisers, and causes
    • Many donation pages offer a “Donate with PayPal” button.
 * You can support registered charities, fundraisers, and sometimes crowdfunding campaigns if they integrate PayPal.
  1. Platforms and financial services that accept PayPal
    • Trading, crypto, and digital service platforms can accept PayPal as a deposit method (for example, some crypto P2P sites and trading services).
 * You pay _the platform_ , which then credits your account there.

Who You Can’t (Easily) Pay

There are some important limitations that often surprise people.

  • People in partially supported countries : Users in some countries can pay out but cannot receive or withdraw, which effectively stops you from paying them for work or goods.
  • Businesses that choose cards only : Some big players (like Amazon) still avoid direct PayPal integration, forcing you to use indirect routes such as PayPal debit cards or PayPal-funded gift cards.
  • Prohibited activities : Anything that breaks PayPal’s acceptable use rules (certain high‑risk items, illegal goods, fraud schemes) is not allowed even if both sides have working accounts.

How You Pay Them (Funding Sources)

You don’t just choose who you pay—you also choose how the money is pulled from your side.

  • PayPal balance : If you have money sitting in your PayPal balance, that’s usually used first.
  • Linked bank account : You can connect a bank account and pay directly from it through PayPal where available.
  • Linked debit or credit card : PayPal can charge your card, and the recipient just sees a normal PayPal payment arriving.
  • Pay Later options (where available) : In some regions, you may see PayPal “Pay in 4” or similar options at checkout with participating merchants.

Special Case: Paying Places That Don’t “Take PayPal” (Like Amazon)

Even when a store doesn’t officially list PayPal, there are sometimes workarounds.

  • Using a PayPal-branded card : If you have a PayPal Cash Card or PayPal debit card, you can often add it just like any other Mastercard or Visa on sites that don’t show a PayPal button.
  • Buying gift cards with PayPal : Some online retailers sell digital gift cards and accept PayPal, so you pay them with PayPal, receive a code, then spend that code on the final site (like Amazon).

This doesn’t mean the merchant “accepts PayPal” directly—PayPal just funds a card or gift balance that the merchant does accept.

Mini Example Story

Imagine you’re paying three different people in one week:

  1. You order headphones from a small online shop that has a “Checkout with PayPal” button, so you pay them directly with PayPal funded by your linked card.
  1. You hire a freelance video editor, and they send you a PayPal invoice to your email; you pay them using your PayPal balance and your bank as backup.
  1. You want to shop on a site that doesn’t support PayPal, so you buy a digital gift card from another site that does accept PayPal, then use that gift code to complete your purchase.

In all three cases, you’re using PayPal—but the relationship and mechanics of who you’re paying and how the money moves are slightly different.

Quick HTML Table: Who You Can Pay with PayPal

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Type Can You Pay with PayPal? How It Usually Works
Online shops with PayPal button Yes Click “Checkout with PayPal”, choose balance/bank/card, merchant gets paid via PayPal.
Freelancers & small businesses Yes They send invoice or link; you pay to their PayPal account using your chosen funding source.
Friends & family (supported countries) Yes Send to email/phone linked to PayPal; sometimes marked as personal transfer.
Charities & fundraisers Yes Donate through official sites or platforms that list PayPal as a method.
Platforms that accept PayPal deposits Yes Use PayPal to fund account balance on trading, crypto, or digital service sites.
Amazon and similar large retailers (no direct PayPal) Indirectly Use PayPal cards or buy gift cards with PayPal, then pay on the site.
Users in partially supported countries Often no (for receiving) They may be able to spend but not receive or withdraw, limiting your ability to pay them.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.