How To Cash a Check on PayPal: 5 Easy Steps

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PayPal is one of the most popular money transfer services on the market. If you have a PayPal account, you have access to tons of online financial services, including a digital wallet, credit cards, currency exchanges and even crypto investing.

Another handy PayPal feature is mobile check cashing. You can deposit a check from anywhere and access your funds immediately, or wait up to ten days for fee-free deposits. Keep reading to learn more about PayPal check cashing. 

How To Cash a Check on PayPal: Step-by-Step Guide

If you want to use PayPal to deposit checks, you can follow these simple steps:

1. Download the app
2. Open your wallet
3. Set up mobile check cashing
4. Deposit your check
5. Select when you want your money

1. Download the App

To cash a check through PayPal, you’ll need to download the mobile app. The app is free to download on both Google Play and the Apple App Store.

After you download the app, sign into your PayPal account. You might want to enable two-factor authentication for extra security.

2. Open Your Wallet

Once you’re signed into your PayPal account, select “Wallet” from the menu at the bottom of your screen. This will take you to your digital wallet — you should be able to see your current balance and options to manage your money. 

Select “Cash a Check” from the menu at the top of your screen. You may need to scroll to the left to see this option. 

3. Set up Mobile Check Cashing

To set up PayPal check cashing, you may need to adjust the permission settings on your device. The PayPal app needs access to your:

• Camera
• Location
• Phone calls

Once you’ve adjusted your device settings, you’ll be taken to PayPal’s terms and conditions. The next step is to confirm some personal information already attached to your PayPal account, including your Social Security number.

After completing these steps, you should be able to instantly deposit checks from that device. 

4. Deposit Your Check

First, enter the exact check amount on the “Cash a Check” screen. Make sure you double-check the amount and provide the full dollar-and-cent number. Next, you’ll be prompted to take pictures of the front and back of your check. The app will open your phone’s camera and take the pictures automatically once the check is in focus. 

Here are a few tips to ensure this step goes smoothly:

• Use a dark, clean backdrop.
• Make sure you’re in a well-lit location.
• Don’t forget to sign the back of your check.

If the app isn’t automatically taking photos, consider cleaning your camera lens or moving to a brighter room. 

5. Select When You Want Your Money

After you confirm the details of your check, you can choose your deposit speed. PayPal offers two options:

• In minutes: To access your money right away, you’ll have to pay a small fee. 
• In ten days: This option is free. Your funds will be accessible within ten business days. 

PayPal Mobile Check Cashing Fees

What are PayPal’s check deposit fees? If you want to instantly access your funds after you deposit a check with PayPal, you’ll be charged a small fee. Here’s how that fee breaks down:

• For payroll and government checks: 1% with a minimum fee of $5
• For all other accepted check types: 5% with a minimum fee of $5

You can deposit a check for free, but it will take up to ten days for the check amount to arrive in your PayPal balance. 

What Is PayPal?

PayPal is a financial technology company designed to help people make payments and manage their money. With a PayPal account, you have a digital wallet that holds your PayPal balance. You can use the wallet to send and receive money, make payments to a vendor or transfer money to a different currency. You can also apply for a credit card through PayPal and buy or sell crypto from your PayPal account. 

In short, PayPal offers services commonly found at traditional banks. But can you deposit checks on PayPal? Yes, you can deposit a check to your PayPal digital wallet even if you don’t use it as your primary bank account. 

Why Deposit a Check on PayPal?

So, you can cash a check on PayPal — but why should you?

If you use your PayPal account regularly to send and receive money, depositing a check on PayPal can save you time. It can cut out the extra step of depositing it to your bank account and then funding your PayPal balance. On top of that, PayPal’s fees to deposit a check are cheap: starting at $5 for instant deposits, and free for ten-day deposits. 

Plus, you can use PayPal to deposit checks anywhere, anytime. If your traditional bank doesn’t offer mobile check cashing, you might want to use PayPal to deposit your check from your device.  

Final Take

PayPal check cashing is one of the app’s many money management features. Once you download the mobile app and set up check cashing, you can instantly deposit checks to your PayPal balance with a small fee. 

That being said, you can also fund your PayPal balance through a bank transfer or with your credit or debit card. Using PayPal to deposit checks isn’t necessary, but it can be convenient if you frequently use PayPal to make payments. 

Information is accurate as of Aug. 17, 2023. 

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.

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