Can you use PayPal on Amazon? Not directly, but try 2 workarounds instead

• Amazon doesn't let you pay with PayPal when making purchases. 
• However, you can use the PayPal Cash Card to make purchases on Amazon. 
• You can also use PayPal to buy an Amazon gift card, and then make purchases on Amazon.

In the world of online shopping, Amazon and PayPal are widely used. However, if you've tried to use your PayPal balance to purchase something on Amazon, you'll already know that PayPal is not an accepted payment method. 

Of course, you can transfer your PayPal balance to your bank account to use those funds however you please, but if you're set on using it to buy things on Amazon, there are some workarounds to make it happen.

Can you use PayPal on Amazon?

Amazon doesn't let you pay with PayPal directly, but you can use the PayPal Cash Card to make purchases. You can also use PayPal to buy Amazon gift cards. 

Here's how to do it all.  

Pay with the PayPal Cash Card

PayPal Cash Card is a debit card that draws funds from your PayPal account, and it works anywhere that accepts Mastercard payments; like Amazon. Since it's a debit card, not a credit card, you need to have a balance on your PayPal account to use a PayPal Cash Card.

To apply for a PayPal Cash Card, simply go to this link, log in to your PayPal account, and follow the on-screen prompts. While there isn't a credit check involved in the application process, note that PayPal charges fees for adding money to your account.

Once approved for a PayPal Cash Card, you can use it as a payment method on Amazon the way you would with any other credit or debit card.

Buy Amazon gift cards

One of the easiest ways to use PayPal to buy from Amazon is to purchase Amazon gift cards with your PayPal account. You can buy an Amazon gift card from a site like eGifter.com using a PayPal balance and then use that gift card to shop normally on Amazon.

Just be sure you verify that the site from which you're buying a gift card is safe and secure.

Which option is the best?

It really depends on your circumstances and needs. To help you decide, here are the various pros and cons that come with these two options:

Why doesn't Amazon accept PayPal directly?

There are two major reasons that Amazon does not work with PayPal.

First, historically PayPal was a part of eBay, one of Amazon's direct competitors. From 2002 to 2015, PayPal and eBay were linked together. PayPal has since split into an independent brand, but their partnership with eBay remains strong.

Second, PayPal is a direct competitor to Amazon's own payment service, the rather bluntly named Amazon Pay. Just as with PayPal, Amazon Pay is accepted by numerous third-party retailers, letting you use Amazon payment methods beyond the immediate orbit of Amazon itself.

FAQs

What other payment methods are accepted by Amazon?

Amazon accepts the following payment methods:

• All major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard/EuroCard, Discover Network, American Express, and Diner's Club — provided you have a U.S. billing addresses)
• Visa, MasterCard, or American Express prepaid credit or gift cards
• Amazon Store Cards
• Amazon Secured Cards
• JCB
• NYCE
• STAR
• China UnionPay (credit card only)
• Venmo

How can I transfer money from Amazon to PayPal?

Unfortunately, there isn't a direct route. You'd have to initiate a transfer from your Amazon Payments account to your bank account, then transfer those funds into your PayPal account.