How to join PayPal
To join PayPal, sign up on the PayPal website or in the official PayPal mobile app, choose a Personal or Business account, and enter your contact and identity details.
Any PayPal overview starts with the two account types, so decide which one fits how you plan to use it.
- Personal account: Suited to shopping online, sending money to family and friends, or splitting bills.
- Business account: Suited to freelancers, merchants and companies that take payments from customers.
The sign-up process follows the same basic steps on the website and in the app.
- Start sign-up: Open the PayPal website or app and select Sign Up.
- Pick an account type: Choose Personal or Business, then select Get Started.
- Add contact details: Enter an email address you use and your mobile phone number.
- Confirm your phone: Type in the one-time verification code (OTP) that PayPal sends to your phone by SMS.
- Set a password: Create a strong password that mixes letters, numbers and symbols.
- Enter personal details: Give your legal name, date of birth and home address exactly as they appear on your government-issued ID.
- Accept the terms: Agree to the user agreement and privacy statement, then select Agree and Create Account.
In India, a personal PayPal account needs a valid phone number and email address to get started.
- Payment method: Link a debit card, credit card or bank account so you can send and receive money. This step can be skipped at sign-up and completed later from your account dashboard.
- Email confirmation: Open the confirmation link PayPal emails you to verify your address, which removes the initial limits on transactions.