Debit cards have much weaker protections vs credit cards. If you have a choice, always use a credit card online (even through PayPal). Answer from Yaalt420 on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/paypal › is it safer to pay with my debit card through paypal?
r/paypal on Reddit: Is it safer to pay with my debit card through PayPal?
December 15, 2023 -
Just a thought that popped in my head. I know they say you're better off and safer using a credit card for online payment. Just for curiosity's sake.
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Debit cards have much weaker protections vs credit cards. If you have a choice, always use a credit card online (even through PayPal).
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Abbreviations used in r/PayPal : NAD - Not as described. SNAD - Significantly not as described. INR - Item Not Received. UAT - Unauthorized transaction. OP - Original poster of the message. F&F - Friends and Family (no protection at all.) G&S - Goods and/or Services (has seller/buyer protection.) Posts about PayPal's policies will be removed. No more complaining about PayPal policy and their taking funds from your account for violations of rules. If you don't like the rules don't use PayPal. If you don't want to lose money, don't leave funds in your PayPal account. Simple as that. But these posts are often political or misleading. So no more posts on this subject! Thank you for submitting to r/PayPal , please make sure you have read the FAQ . If your account was created when you were younger than 18, then that is covered in the FAQ! Try contacting PayPal support using social media such as Facebook or Twitter as this works more often than telephoning. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Investopedia
investopedia.com › articles › personal-finance › 011215 › which-safer-paypal-or-credit-card.asp
PayPal and Credit Cards: A Comparison of Safety Measures
January 12, 2015 - PayPal and credit cards both have safety features built in and can be used online and offline for routine transactions between buyers and sellers. The SecurityKey feature of PayPal and the chip technology of credit cards offer significant protection.
Videos
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PayPal Debit Card Review: 1% Back, No FX Fees & PayPal+ Explained!
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PayPal Linking: Bank Account vs Debit Card Linking Which Is Better?
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What You Need to Know About PayPal to Avoid Losing Money - YouTube
04:13
How To Link A Credit Card Or Debit Card To PayPal Account (2025) ...
05:02
Is PayPal's Cashback Debit Card Worth It? // Full Review! - YouTube
02:13
PayPal Quick Tip - How to Protect my Bank Account in PayPal? - YouTube
Privacy.com
privacy.com › blog › is-paypal-safe-for-debit-cards
Is PayPal Safe for Debit Cards?—Insights for Users
... When you pay with your debit card or credit card online, the merchants you transact with typically store sensitive card information on their servers, which means it could get stolen and misused in case of a data breach.
Bankrate
bankrate.com › credit cards › advice
PayPal vs. Credit Cards: Which Is Safer? | Bankrate
June 4, 2025 - Where most credit cards have $0 ... the same kinds of protections for consumers. If you are going to put a purchase on your debit card, doing so through PayPal is the safer option....
Quora
quora.com › How-safe-is-PayPal-Do-they-store-my-debit-card-info-and-do-they-have-free-access-to-my-money-whenever-they-want-Im-using-it-to-buy-and-not-to-sell
How safe is PayPal? Do they store my debit card info and do they have free access to my money whenever they want? I'm using it to buy and not to sell. - Quora
Answer (1 of 7): PayPal is pretty safe, because they have to be. They have to store your debit card info in order to perform their services for you, and they are going to make sure they don’t do anything to make you cry “thief” and make ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/paypal › safer paying directly from paypal account or debit card?
r/paypal on Reddit: Safer paying directly from PayPal account or debit card?
November 23, 2023 -
Noticed you have option of using business debit card or logging directly into PayPal to make purchases. Which one least likely to be hacked/avoid fraudulent charges?
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The least safe is using the PayPal-only options (PayPal balance, PayPal debit, PayPal CC, PayPal Pay in X or PayPal Credit). All of these options give you only PayPal to deal with if you have a dispute. If PayPal decides against you, you have no fallback option. The safest is a CC that's not affiliated with PayPal, just linked to your account. If PayPal decides against you in a dispute, you can fall back on disputing with your CC. And CC's almost universally find in favor of their customer. Next safest is a debit card not affiliated with PayPal, just linked to your account. If PayPal decides against you in a dispute, you can fall back on disputing with your bank. And while it's still safer than the PayPal-only options, debit card protections are far weaker than CC. The barely safer than PayPal-only options is a bank account not affiliated with PayPal, just linked to your account. If PayPal decides against you in a dispute, you can fall back on disputing with your bank. And while it's still safer than the PayPal-only options, bank transfer protections are weaker even than debit cards.
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Abbreviations used in r/PayPal : NAD - Not as described. SNAD - Significantly not as described. INR - Item Not Received. UAT - Unauthorized transaction. OP - Original poster of the message. F&F - Friends and Family (no protection at all.) G&S - Goods and/or Services (has seller/buyer protection.) Posts about PayPal's policies will be removed. No more complaining about PayPal policy and their taking funds from your account for violations of rules. If you don't like the rules don't use PayPal. If you don't want to lose money, don't leave funds in your PayPal account. Simple as that. But these posts are often political or misleading. So no more posts on this subject! Thank you for submitting to r/PayPal , please make sure you have read the FAQ . If your account was created when you were younger than 18, then that is covered in the FAQ! Try contacting PayPal support using social media such as Facebook or Twitter as this works more often than telephoning. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Wise
wise.com › us › blog › paypal-debit-card
How to use a debit card with PayPal? - Wise
June 24, 2021 - But It’s always possible to move money from your PayPal balance to your bank account for free or directly to your debit card for a fee. The fast answer is yes. PayPal is a safe and secure payment services company that gives you the ability ...
AVG
avg.com › en › signal › is-paypal-safe
Is PayPal Safe and Secure? 10 Tips for Buyers and Sellers
February 10, 2023 - It is safe to link PayPal to your bank account or debit card, but, for insurance reasons, it’s usually better to use a credit card when making online purchases.
Credit.com
credit.com › blog home › spotlight-post › payment apps 101: is paypal safe?
Payment Apps 101: Is PayPal Safe?
July 17, 2025 - It's always a good idea to keep an eye on your financial accounts, including PayPal. Report any odd activity or fraudulent payments immediately to help protect yourself and mitigate any losses. Ultimately, PayPal is a safe way to pay online.
PayPal
paypal.com › us › cshelp › article › is-paypal-safe--help321
Is PayPal safe? | PayPal US
We keep all your information secure. For example, when you use PayPal to send a payment, the recipient doesn’t receive sensitive financial details like your credit card or bank account number.
Experian
experian.com › home › personal finance › is it safe to use paypal?
Is It Safe to Use PayPal? - Experian
February 9, 2022 - Since many cards offer $0 liability ... unauthorized charges. Linking a bank account or debit card could put you at more risk of losing cash if a scammer gets access to your credentials and empties your account....
Empathic Finance
empathicfinance.com › home › how paypal keeps you safer when using a debit card
How PayPal keeps you safer when using a debit card - Empathic Finance | Mike Pumphrey, AFC®
September 11, 2023 - PayPal eliminates the risk of fraud by safeguarding your payment information online, making paying with a debit card just as safe as anything.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/creditcards › safety of paypal debit compared to credit cards?
r/CreditCards on Reddit: Safety of PayPal Debit compared to credit cards?
September 25, 2025 -
I always avoided using debit cards in the past because they seemed to be less safe as far as fraud goes. But the PayPal debit card seems to be too good to pass up. So, compared to traditional credit cards, what are the dangers of using the PayPal debit card :
Using the physical card
Using the card in a mobile wallet for in person purchases
Using the card for online purchases
Is it any safer than a traditional debit card? I plan on keeping a small balance to pay with and using a linked debit card to refill as needed.
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a mobile wallet is the safest because the card number isn't shared
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Any card number can get stolen; I've had completely unused debit cards with attempted charges before (I keep all debit cards locked unless in the rare cases I use them). For PayPal debit, you can keep small amounts, keep it locked except upon use, or top up expected value instantly through another debit card (not my preference as that just moves the risk to a higher value area). In my case, I actually have a PayPal savings account that I top up to $950 every month (leave room for cashback and interest gained) and just transfer the balance back and forth from the PayPal Debit account instantly (leaving the debit balance at $0 instead of locking, although locking would add additional security). This way, I don't have to use spreadsheets to monitor spend as the Savings balance tells me how much I have left to spend each month.
Security.org
security.org › home › digital safety › is paypal safe?
Is PayPal Safe?: What You Need To Know | Security.org
September 30, 2025 - Paying through PayPal is about as safe as paying using a credit card, but there are indirect advantages to using PayPal. Merchants won’t see your credit card information if you use PayPal, for example, thus reducing the risk of data exposure.
MoneySavingExpert
moneysavingexpert.com › home › credit cards
Is Paypal safe to use on a credit card? - MoneySavingExpert
July 12, 2018 - This short guide runs through how to make sure you don’t lose out when shopping online. Section 75 protection only applies to purchases with credit cards, not debit cards (here you may be entitled to the lesser chargeback protection), cash, ...
Wickedreports
wickedreports.com › blog › from-credit-cards-to-paypal-comparing-the-security-of-online-payment-methods
From credit cards to PayPal: Comparing the security of online payment methods
With a fraudulent debit card transaction, the consumer is affected immediately and must fight to get the charge reversed, whereas fraudulent credit card transactions are more secure because the card issuer is on the hook—not the consumer. If you’re running multiple marketing campaigns and bringing in leads, find out which leads are converting through Shopify google ads conversion tracking. PayPal is one of the most popular online payment systems around, and it follows specific measures to keep users secure.
Credit Karma
creditkarma.com › money › i › is-paypal-safe
Is PayPal Safe? | Intuit Credit Karma
February 22, 2024 - Generally, PayPal is safe for users. The secure platform conceals credit card or bank information from one user to the next.
Heimdalsecurity
heimdalsecurity.com › blog › is-paypal-safe
Is PayPal Safe?
June 22, 2022 - If you use a dedicated machine for PayPal activities, you won’t have to worry about having to deal with spyware or malware picked up from the web because you just had to see that cat video! I really don’t think it’s a good idea to hook up your debit card to any kind of online account, regardless if it’s Netflix, Google Play, or PayPal.
Quora
quora.com › Is-it-safe-for-me-to-use-my-debit-card-with-Paypal-when-I-have-to-pay-someone-on-eBay
Is it safe for me to use my debit card with Paypal when I have to pay someone on eBay? - Quora
Answer (1 of 7): As long as your payment goes through paypal officially, you should have no worries. You will be protected as long as the following policy is met : PayPal Purchase Protection for Buyers – PayPal US (read the purchase protection ...