Can you use PayPal on Amazon?

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Published on February 12, 2021 | 4 min read

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Amazon is one of the most popular shopping sites on the internet, and PayPal is one of the most popular payment services on the internet—but can you use PayPal on Amazon? Well… sort of.

Although Amazon doesn’t let you pay with PayPal, it does let you choose the credit or debit card you want to use during the checkout process. If you use a PayPal Cash Card, PayPal Business Debit Mastercard or PayPal’s new virtual card, PayPal Key, you can pay for your Amazon purchases with your PayPal account. That’s how to use PayPal on Amazon.

Does Amazon accept PayPal? No, but there are workarounds that allow you to use your PayPal account to pay for Amazon purchases. There are also workarounds that allow you to use PayPal Credit on Amazon—all you have to do is buy Amazon gift cards at a retailer that accepts PayPal Credit, then use those gift cards the next time you shop at Amazon.

Let’s take a close look at how to use PayPal on Amazon, including how to use a PayPal Cash Card to pay for Amazon purchases and how to use PayPal Credit to buy Amazon gift cards.

Can you use PayPal for Amazon purchases?

Can you use PayPal on Amazon? Yes and no. Amazon does not let you pay with PayPal during the checkout process, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use PayPal for Amazon purchases.

If you want to know how to use PayPal on Amazon, you’re going to have to think creatively. While Amazon doesn’t let you shop with PayPal, it does let you choose the credit or debit card to use during checkout—which means you could use your PayPal Cash Card to cover your Amazon purchases.

Likewise, just because Amazon doesn’t accept PayPal Credit at checkout doesn’t mean you can’t use your PayPal Credit account to cover your Amazon purchases; all you have to do is buy Amazon gift cards on a site that accepts PayPal Credit.

Here’s a quick rundown of what you can and can’t do with PayPal and Amazon:

Does Amazon take PayPal? No.
Can you use a PayPal Cash Card to pay for your Amazon purchases? Yes.
Can you use PayPal Credit on Amazon? No.
Can you use PayPal Credit to buy an Amazon gift card on a website that accepts PayPal and use that gift card to cover your Amazon shopping? Absolutely.

How to use PayPal for Amazon purchases

Using a PayPal Cash Card on Amazon

The PayPal Cash Card is a debit card that allows you to access your PayPal Cash Plus balance wherever Mastercard is accepted. Since Amazon accepts Mastercard, you can use your PayPal Cash Card to make purchases on Amazon. All you have to do is add your PayPal Cash Card as a payment option, either by logging into your Amazon account and selecting “Your Payments” or by adding the PayPal Cash Card as a new payment method at checkout.

That said, the PayPal Cash Card may not be your best choice for shopping on Amazon. The best credit cards for Amazon purchases offer cash back and travel rewards that you won’t get by using your PayPal debit card for Amazon purchases. The PayPal Cash Card doesn’t offer any rewards on purchases, which means that if you want to earn credit card rewards while you shop, you’re going to want to choose a different payment option.

Using PayPal Key on Amazon

PayPal Key is a new virtual payment method that allows you to make purchases with either the funds in your PayPal account or with a linked debit or credit card. You can use PayPal Key at any online retailer that accepts Mastercard—even if the retailer doesn’t offer a PayPal button. If you want to use PayPal Key on Amazon, all you have to do is enter your 16-digit PayPal Key number, along with the associated expiration date and security code, as an Amazon payment method.

Since PayPal Key allows you to make payments with one of the credit cards linked to your PayPal account, combining PayPal Key with one of the best cards for online shopping could help you earn even more rewards on your purchases—whether you’re shopping on Amazon.com or anywhere else.

Buying Amazon gift cards with PayPal

There’s one more way to use PayPal on Amazon, and that’s to buy Amazon gift cards with your PayPal account. Look for a retailer that sells Amazon gift cards and accepts PayPal (eBay is a good example). Make your purchase, and then use your Amazon gift cards the next time you shop on Amazon.

Buying Amazon gift cards is a great way to use PayPal Credit on Amazon purchases. Since you can use your PayPal Credit account everywhere PayPal is accepted, buying Amazon gift cards with PayPal Credit gives you the opportunity to use your PayPal line of credit to shop on Amazon. All you have to do is buy the gift cards first!

The bottom line

Does Amazon accept PayPal? No—but that doesn’t mean you can’t use PayPal on Amazon. PayPal offers both a debit card and a virtual card that can be used wherever Mastercard is accepted, which gives you the ability to pay for Amazon purchases through your PayPal account. You can also use your PayPal account to purchase Amazon gift cards, and then use those gift cards to shop on Amazon.