How to Buy Crypto with PayPal: Step-by-Step Guide

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Eric Huffman

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Last updated: 

October 29, 2025

While PayPal allows users to buy cryptocurrencies directly from their e-wallet account, transaction fees are high, and asset support is limited. A better option is to use a traditional crypto exchange or wallet that enables instant PayPal payments.

Read on to explore the best platforms to buy crypto with PayPal in 2025. We provide several investment methods with step-by-step walkthroughs, and compare each one for fees, available markets, and other core factors.

Can You Buy Crypto With PayPal?

PayPal offers direct crypto services, which enable users to buy and sell digital assets within their e-wallet account. Our research found that the service comes with several drawbacks.

PayPal supports just seven cryptocurrencies: BTC, ETH, SOL, Litecoin (LTC), Chainlink (LINK), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and PayPal USD (PYUSD). Investors must use another exchange or wallet provider to buy other top meme coins like Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB).

In addition to limited geographical support, PayPal’s crypto feature charges high trading fees. Traders incur commissions of between 1.5% and 2.2% per side, based on the purchase amount. The e-wallet service also adds a 1% spread, which it builds into the quoted exchange rate.

Third-party providers such as Best Wallet and MEXC offer an alternative investment experience. They provide lower trading fees, thinner spreads, and access to significantly more crypto markets. The payment process works similarly to buying cryptocurrencies with a debit or credit card. Users select their preferred digital asset and enter their PayPal details to confirm the order.

How to Buy Crypto With PayPal: 3 Easy Methods

Explore three different ways to buy crypto with PayPal in 2025. For each method, we provide a step-by-step walkthrough to help beginners seamlessly buy and sell digital assets.

How to Buy Crypto on the PayPal App

The first option is to buy cryptocurrencies directly from your PayPal account. The service is available to users in select countries, including the U.S. and Canada.

Remember to check supported coins and tokens, and applicable trading fees before you start.

PayPal adds the purchased assets to your crypto account balance. The custodial storage service requires PayPal to control your private keys. For full asset ownership and control, request a withdrawal to a private wallet that offers non-custodial storage.

Buy Crypto With PayPal via a Non-Custodial Wallet

We prefer non-custodial wallets to buy and sell cryptocurrencies with PayPal. The Best Wallet app is our overall top pick for 2025.

Best Wallet users have full autonomy over their private keys and digital asset investments. Once you buy crypto with PayPal, the system deposits the assets automatically into non-custodial storage. Nobody but the user has access to the funds, which translates to real asset ownership.

Besides much lower trading fees, Best Wallet’s instant PayPal service supports dozens of markets, and thousands more when users trade on the built-in decentralized exchange (DEX).

We explain the step-by-step process with Best Wallet, although other notable providers include MetaMask, Trust Wallet, and Zengo.

Step 1: Download and Set up the Best Wallet App

Users download the free iOS and Android app from the Best Wallet website. They enter and verify an email address and set a four-digit security PIN.

The non-custodial wallet provides a unique seed phrase. It consists of 12 randomly generated words, which users enter from any device to access the wallet remotely.

Keep it somewhere safe, as you need the seed phrase if you lose or damage the smartphone. Never store it digitally, such as on the cloud or an email draft, as hackers could access it.

To complete the setup process, go to the “Settings” tab and activate biometrics and two-factor authentication.

Step 2: Choose a Crypto to Buy

Unlike PayPal, which supports just seven markets, the Best Wallet app provides access to hundreds of cryptocurrencies.

To explore markets, tap the “Buy With Bank Card” button and scroll through the available coins and tokens. Tap a specific network to browse cryptocurrencies from that ecosystem, such as Solana, Polygon, Ethereum, or Base. You can also search for assets manually.

Step 3: Fill Out the Crypto Order Form

Tap the cryptocurrency to invest in that asset. Then complete the payment form.

Select a fiat currency like USD or EUR and enter the investment amount. Choose PayPal under the “Pay Using” icon.

Best Wallet fetches real-time exchange rates from partnered fiat gateways. It typically selects the best-priced provider automatically, although we suggest double-checking to make sure.

Step 4: Complete PayPal Crypto Purchase

Once you confirm the order, the fiat gateway’s payment screen loads within the Best Wallet app.

When prompted, enter your PayPal login credentials, select a payment method (e.g., your PayPal balance or a linked debit card), and confirm.

PayPal then authorizes the payment, and the gateway transfers the cryptocurrencies automatically to your Best Wallet address.

Since Best Wallet offers non-custodial storage, you safely store your digital assets away from centralized third parties.

How to Buy Bitcoin With PayPal via a Centralized Exchange

Investors who prefer centralized exchanges can use PayPal at several online platforms, including Coinbase, Kraken, and Gemini.

Our research shows that MEXC is the best overall option for saving fees. The global exchange also supports a significant range of assets, including over 4,000 coins and tokens.

Here is a simple walkthrough of how to buy crypto with PayPal on MEXC:

Step 1: Open a MEXC Account

The first step is to open a MEXC account. Visit the MEXC website, click “Sign Up”, and enter a mobile number or email address.

Choose a password to secure your account, and confirm the number/email via the verification code.

Step 2: Complete Advanced KYC

MEXC users who deposit and withdraw cryptocurrencies avoid KYC requirements when they withdraw under 10 BTC daily. However, since you want to buy crypto with PayPal, advanced KYC verification is needed.

Go to the “Identification” tab under the profile icon, and select “Verify via Web” or “Verify via Mobile”, depending on the device type.

Upload an accepted government-issued ID and complete the facial verification process. Once verified, you can invest in digital assets with traditional money and withdraw up to 200 BTC daily to a suitable Bitcoin wallet.

Step 3: Use the Instant Buy Feature

Click “Quick Buy/Sell” under the “Buy Crypto” button. Unless you plan to buy Tether (USDT), change the receiving asset to your preferred crypto. MEXC’s instant buy feature supports top markets like BTC, ETH, DOGE, SOL, SHIB, and LTC.

Choose the investment currency and purchase amount, from $10 to $20,000 (or the currency equivalent). Under “Payment Method”, select the “Third Party” option, as MEXC relies on external gateways for PayPal payments.

Step 4: Choose MoonPay and Complete Payment

While MEXC also partners with Banxa, Alchemy Pay, and Mercuryo, only MoonPay accepts PayPal purchases.

Select “MoonPay” and review payment fees. MEXC displays the unit price and exact amount of coins or tokens that you will receive.

Tick the “Accept and Continue” box, followed by “Continue”. The exchange redirects you to MoonPay’s payment form, where you connect with PayPal to complete the crypto purchase.

The purchased assets appear in the MEXC spot account a few minutes later. Withdraw them to a private wallet for long-term safety, or trade on the exchange to access over 4,000 spot and derivative markets.

Is It Safe to Keep Your Crypto on PayPal?

PayPal users who invest in cryptocurrencies from their accounts have access to free custodial wallet services. Similar to traditional centralized exchanges, the e-wallet provider holds the wallet’s private keys, so it controls the purchased assets and manually approves withdrawal requests.

Security features include multi-factor authentication and cold storage, yet experts explain that PayPal’s custodial framework represents a “Digital IOU” rather than real asset ownership.

This also invites counterparty risks. If, for instance, the PayPal account is hacked, someone else could withdraw assets to their own external wallet. While PayPal can, in theory, restrict account access or block outgoing transfers, it is still a risk to your funds. If you withdraw your crypto from PayPal after completing the purchase, you can remove that risk.

The safest crypto wallets, like Best Wallet, Exodus, and Ledger Nano, give their users private keys and seed phrases and have no access to the user’s funds, even if they wanted to. Wallet holders can send and receive cryptocurrency freely without any third-party authorization.

Best Practices When Buying Bitcoin With PayPal

To reduce risk and maximize security, the following best practices ensure a safe experience when buying cryptocurrencies with PayPal:

• Evaluate PayPal Fees: Fees vary widely depending on the investment method. PayPal’s direct crypto service charges commissions from 1.5% to 2.2% based on the purchase amount. Users buy cryptocurrencies at 1% above the spot price, too. While exchanges offer more competitive commissions, PayPal may charge transaction and/or foreign exchange fees.
• Avoid Long-Term PayPal Storage: PayPal has institutional-grade security, but counterparty and ownership risks remain. Investors never truly own their crypto when they hold their assets on a centralized platform, so consider long-term storage options in a private crypto wallet.
• Transferring assets to a non-custodial wallet: Non-custodial wallets, which can be software or hardware solutions, provide the safest way to store crypto. Software wallets offer a convenient experience through desktop and mobile applications. Hardware devices store encrypted private keys offline, which helps eliminate cybersecurity threats but makes it more cumbersome to transfer funds.
• Keeping your seed phrase secure: Once you transfer cryptocurrencies from PayPal to a private wallet, make sure you back up the seed phrase right away. These are usually provided as a 12 or 24-word string and they let users recover their digital assets remotely, should they lose access to the wallet. Store the credentials offline to eliminate any hacking risks involved.
• Using strong passwords: To protect your PayPal account from unauthorized access, use a strong password that people cannot guess. Password managers are an ideal solution, since they create and store long passwords securely.
• Understand PayPal’s transaction limits: PayPal sets transaction limits when buying and selling cryptocurrencies. U.S. clients get weekly limits of $100,000 and $25,000 on purchases and transfers, respectively. Linked payment methods like debit cards or bank accounts may have separate deposit or withdrawal limits.
• Avoid PayPal account mismatches: If you buy crypto with PayPal on a third-party platform, make sure the transaction details match 100% between the two accounts. Discrepancies, particularly with your name and residential address, may lead to transaction failures or account freezes.

Conclusion: What is the Best Way to Buy Crypto With PayPal?

Our research confirms that the best way to buy crypto with PayPal is on the Best Wallet app. Compared with PayPal, which charges commissions of up to 2.2% and a 1% spread, the non-custodial wallet offers competitive fees with small purchase requirements.

On Best Wallet, PayPal transactions execute instantly, and the gateway delivers your crypto assets to the wallet balance in minutes. We found that Best Wallet also supports a much larger range of assets than PayPal, which limits investors to just seven coins and tokens.

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