Link Your Bank Account to PayPal: A Step-by-Step Guide

PayPal provides for fast and easy payment over the Internet, and many websites use it as either their main or secondary checkout option. If you're a frequent PayPal user, you may want to consider linking your bank account to your PayPal account. When you link your bank account, you can transfer money to and from your PayPal account. Also, if you don't have the necessary funds in PayPal to pay for a purchase, the money will be automatically deducted from your bank account.

Step 1

Go to PayPal.com and sign in to your PayPal account.

Step 2

Click "Profile." Click "Bank Accounts" under "Financial Information."

Step 3

Click the small circle next to "Checking" if you want to link your checking account. Otherwise, click the circle next to "Savings" to link your savings account. Type your bank's routing number in the "Routing number" text box. Type your bank account number in the "Account number" text box. The bottom-left numbers on your checks indicate your routing and account numbers. If you don't have checks, call your bank to obtain the routing number.

Step 4

Click "Continue." PayPal will inform you on the following screen that in two to three days it will deposit two small amounts, usually under 25 cents each, into your bank account. Check your bank account in two to three days. Write down the amounts that PayPal deposited in order. Mark the first deposit as "Deposit one." Sign back in to your PayPal account. Click "Profile" and select "Bank Accounts." Enter the first deposit amount in the first text box and the second deposit amount in the second text box.

Step 5

Click "Confirm." Your bank account is now linked with PayPal.