
Using the PayPal debit card comes with plenty of convenience, especially thanks to the flexibility it offers when loading money onto the card's balance.
For sure, there are many ways to add funds to the card balance, and reloading the card at a participating store always comes at a fee.
But if you aren't too mindful about reloading the card at a participating store, I'll show you the different ways to reload your card without being charged any fee.
Where Can I Load My PayPal Card?
PayPal has partnered with many retailers to let you manage your PayPal card anywhere. This convenience comes with a fee, of course, and it can go even higher depending on the store you visit.
That said, you can reload your PayPal card at any participating retailer, including:
- Walmart
- CVS/ Pharmacy
- 7-Eleven
- Dollar General
- Walgreens
- Kroger
- Meijer
- Casey's
- Circle K
- Dillons
- Duane Reade
- Family Dollar
- Food 4 Less
- Fred Meyer
- Fry's
- GameStop
- GetGo
- Giant Eagle
- H-E-B
- Harvey's
- King Soopers
- Kwik Trip/ Kwik Star
- Love's Travel Stops
- Office Depot
- Pick N Save
- Pilot Flying J
- QFC
- Ralphs
- Royal Farms
- Ruler
- Rutter's
- Sheetz
- Smith's
- Speedway
- Tops
- Travel Centers of America
- Weis
- Winn Dixie
- Save Mart
All you'll need to do is take your cash to the register and let the clerk know you want to add cash to PayPal.
To do so:
- Tap PayPal balance from the Home tab or the Accounts tab.
- Tap Add Cash at Stores on the PayPal balance page.
- Select a retailer to generate a barcode. Wait until you're at the retail location to generate the barcode on your phone. Once you get the barcode on your mobile phone, it’ll expire after 1 hour. If it expires, you’ll need to create a new one.
- Present the barcode on your smartphone to the cashier at your selected retail store and give the cashier the amount of cash you want to add.
- The cashier will scan your barcode and add the money to your PayPal Balance account.
- The cashier will give you a receipt, and the money will be added to your balance within 15 minutes.
The total amount you can be charged for this service is $4.95, and this will depend on per retailer or store.
Can I Load Money To My PayPal Card For Free?
No, PayPal does not offer free card reloads at any participating retailer. However, there are a couple of free ways to load money on your PayPal card, which I'll show you later.
If you're looking for a convenient option that offers free reloads at participating retailers, give a try to the Chime debit card.
How To Add Money To PayPal Card For Free
As earlier mentioned, loading money onto your PayPal card at participating stores comes with a fee, but there are other free ways to reload your card, which include:.
1. Using a Bank Account
One of the best ways to add money to your PayPal card for free is through a bank account. However, the inconvenient part with this method is that it takes 3-5 business days for a free transfer from your bank to arrive at your PayPal card balance.
To load money to your PayPal card for free through a bank account, follow these steps:
- Open the PayPal app and tap Finances.
- Tap Add Money From Bank or Card.
- Enter the amount and tap Next.
- Tap "in 3-5 days with your bank."
- Wait for your funds to be transferred to your PayPal card balance.
2. Using Direct Deposit
If you receive your paycheck through direct deposit, you can opt to receive it on PayPal to not only get it two days earlier but also reload your PayPal balance as well.
This way, the funds are readily available in your PayPal account for spending with your card.
3. Receive Money from Other PayPal Users
Another way to load money onto your PayPal card's balance is to receive money from other users. PayPal has over 400 million active users worldwide, and there's a great chance that you'll find someone in your neighborhood who uses the payment service.
There's no fee for sending and receiving money between PayPal users(if you're using the friends and family option, of course), and it is even one of the easiest ways to load money onto your balance if in case there's at least someone within your family (or say your home) who uses PayPal.
Can I Add Cash to My PayPal Card at an ATM?
No, you cannot add cash to your PayPal card at any ATM at the moment.
Final Thoughts
The PayPal debit card is an excellent financial tool that allows you to manage your PayPal balance in a flexible way, including using it for purchases and even to withdraw funds from an ATM.
Before you can even use the card, you'll need to add funds onto it—and with fees coming to most services, finding a reload location that doesn't charge fees for the service isn't easy (say impossible).
This guide compiles the different ways to add money to your PayPal card without incurring fees, so you can better save on your card reloads.