Unless I'm not understanding your ?, don't see a need to involve paypal in bill payment. Just set up pmts from your bank directly to the various companies, assuming it's a free service.

Generally they do an EFT/ACH transfer from your checking account (probably similar to your phone/electric/etc.)

bossyvossy - no, I was wanting to know if I should put money from my bank into paypal to cover a purchase I made using them. Or if paypal is responsible to get the money from my bank acct. It seemed to me that they would initiate getting the $s from my bank acct. later I got to thinking about it and wasn't sure if money needed to be in my paypal acct in advance. hadn't used it before this way, so didn't know. didn't want them getting a request for $s and thinking I wasn't covering it.

aptosca - thx. that's what I was hoping. It was how I thought it read but after the confusion signing up and then with HSN (who was confused because they had 2 accts there for me - which in turn confused me as to why they would have etc). by then, I wasn't sure if my memory was right or wrong. It's hard to tell some days - lol!

I use PayPal all the time. They take the money from the source you provide for them, but the default is your bank account. For example, I have my bank acct, a credit card, and my debit card all listed as payment options. If I do not change the payment source, it will automatically draw from my checking acct. I often change it to my CC, because we are accumulating miles for a vacation. We just pay the balance every month.

I actually used PayPal to purchase something from HSN just yesterday. :)

I was pretty leary of signing up and giving my bank info but I'll keep check on it. I don't want a debit card or a CC. I usually get a MC gift card at my bank when I plan to shop online but with Christmas just past, I was trying to not spend more $s and save for a washer. Then the cell phone deal... lol! I know me, it'll take me a few months to figure out what washer to buy anyway - and where. So much indecision goes on between my ears... I've put off for a long time getting another cell phone (like way over a decade) and thought I was really pushing my luck to be out driving w/out one. Figured I should just jump on this one and have it done. Hopefully, having PP won't make it toooooo easy for me to shop, shop, shop.

Hey desertsteph, you don't need to be leery of giving PayPal your bank info. I don't use PayPal myself, I use cash or debit card for everything, but I have a lot of friends in the business world and banking world, and I can tell you that PayPal is a very reputable organization, trustworthy and all that (as far as anything is trustworthy in the banking world, haha--I was married to a banking lawyer for 18 years...) ;-) But seriously, they are a good corporation as far as a good reputation is concerned.

I don't know the cell phone story, but NO you should not be driving around without a cell phone, young lady! :-)

Steph, PP offers different options. It sounds like you linked your bank account to your new PP account so PP will debit your purchases from the account # you gave them.

One of the options they have is to transfer a specific amount of money from your bank account to your PP account before making a purchase. In that case, when you make an online purchase they will debit from your PP account rather than go through your bank assuming you have enough in the PP account to cover the purchase. Used that way it is like having two bank accounts.

I've used PayPal for over 10 years and have never had a problem FWIW.

Gotcha desertsteph. All here have posted sound and correct info . It is safe and I love it too

You can also just give PayPal a credit card number, and they will get the funds by charging the credit card. That is my preference. Even though PayPal is a well established company, I personally feel less at risk with them having my credit card information that I would if they had direct access to my checking account.

You can also buy prepaid PayPal cards like gift cards and add to a PP account avoiding both going through a bank account or credit card.

I use PayPal...mine is charged to a credit card that I have on their file.

desertsteph

Used Paypal for YEARS --- I have over 1000 feedback on Ebay and I only sold something 2 times (got way too optimistic that maybe just this once the seller's measurement would work on a Lilly Pulitzer sundress and I could get into the size 2.......turned out I got it them on and everything was fine except breathing was optional.)

You can use Paypal to pay for things 1 of 2 ways:

(1) Direct from your bank account (Paypal loves that option - neams they don't have to pay bank processing fees)

(2)) Link up to 4 credit cards to your account and just pay with a debit or credit card.

I prefer #2 since I only use it to buy stuff.

If you want to be able to transfer money (like send money to someone or receive money) you have to use the bank account link. You tell Paypal how much you want them to take out of your account and they put it in your Paypal account and then y0u can send it to anyone with an email and Paypal account.

Little shocked that after 15+++ years someone has not heard of paypal

Little shocked that after 15+++ years someone has not heard of paypal

oh, I've heard of it. I even used it once mega yrs ago before they were such a big thing... don't remember 'how' I used it tho. maybe I gave them a prepaid MC# at that time. used it for an ebay purchase. I haven't been on ebay in over 15 yrs!

One thing I really like about Paypal is that other online companies often give you the option of using Paypal instead of your giving that company your credit card information. I trust Paypal to keep my credit card info private (I've used them for about 15 years).

Steph I have also used paypal for years with both debit card and credit cards. So far, Knock on wood, no problems.

One good thing about paypal is that they warn you about those people who set you up to renew every year. Angie's list is one that comes to mind. Another was a photo site where you purchase a package of "points". Ancestry is another one. If you put it on paypal, you are warned when they charge your card. I think I bought 2 extra years of Angie's list before I got out of it. The photo site swore they didn't set you up that way, but paypal said they did.

Anything I purchase online, I now put on Paypal.

bk

I use Paypal all the time and I prefer it to entering cc info on a website. The only thing I would warn about is there are a lot of phishing emails that appear to be Paypal asking you to click a link to verify account information. Be aware that these are scams - DO NOT click the link. Go to the Paypal website if you want to check on your account.

I was saved from having my credit card info involved in the Target mess in 2014 at Christmas time because I used PP to buy my vacuum at the Target site. I often use PP instead of giving my info to another retailer.

I have collected and sent money to others with my same disease when we have a joint project to help a woman who has special needs, too. I can get donations from others and then use that money from my PP account to help pay for the goods and send them directly from Amazon or whatever store, directly to the woman in need. Between our secret FaceBook group where we can talk privately about our disease and women who are housebound and may never have even met another woman with the same disease, and PP where we can do emergency help for each other, we have built real community on the 'net!