Amazon with Paypal

A follow up post on how to use Paypal with Amazon and why they don't accept it directly.

Why Amazon doesn't Accept Paypal

In 2002, E-Bay bought the largest and most popular payment processor, Paypal.  When Amazon, the number one retail website, began allowing third party sellers on their site, they became direct competitors with E-Bay.  Hence, Amazon and Paypal will never stroll hand in hand on the beach in sunset, regardless of how much we may wish they would.

Amazon later came out with Amazon Payments, their own solution to payment processing, in direct competition with Paypal.  This stores your credit card and/or bank account information as a security measure so you do not have to enter it at other Amazon merchants.

There is a virtual stand-off between the two internet giants, not at all likely to be resolved any time soon.

How to use Paypal at Amazon

Firstly, to be clear, there is no way to do this directly. It can though, be done, quickly and easily. Despite the animosity between the two companies, you can use your Paypal money to shop at Amazon.

I've used Paypal for years and I'm a fan of it's security and ease of use.  Likewise, I've been a fan of Amazon forever and feel confident I can find good deals, quality products and reliable, fast shipping there.

It's not a surprise then that I was pretty aggrevated I couldn't use them together.  After scouring the internet - and reading a ton of unhelpful and conflicting information - I hope to bring some concise information and valid solutions to my readers. As follows:

3 Ways to Shop with Paypal on Amazon

1. The best way to buy with Paypal at Amazon
Use a third party site that accepts Paypal and sends  you an Amazon e-gift card. 

The site I have used and recommend is Buy With Paypal  They charge a flat fee for service, and offer a variety of different gift card denominations.  The gift card is delivered within minutes to your Paypal e-mail and can be used at Amazon immediately. 

My experience with site has been positive.  They are friendly, fast, secure (check out is directly through Paypal's verified, secure site) and have the lowest fees I've found.

There are other third party sites that offer this service but I have never used them myself, having either found them questionable myself, heard bad things, or simply never found them.  If you know of another reliable site, please leave me a comment so I can check them out.

2. A second alternative for using Paypal with Amazon
Bid on e-gift or traditional gift cards on E-bay

This can work, but there a few things that make it less than ideal.

• Amazon gift cards cannot be transferred once they have been used. It is difficult to be sure the card you purchase will actually be of use.
• Some E-bay sellers are scammers - sad but true.  The majority of people that sell on E-bay are legitimate, but make sure you check them out before purchasing.
• It is not immediate as you often have to wait for bidding time to close.  Also, if it's a tangible gift card, you're looking at shopping time as well. At that point, waiting for your Paypal funds to transfer to your bank account and using your debit card is a better option.

3. Apply for a Paypal debit card
As long as your Paypal account is in good standing, you can apply for a Paypal debit card.  This can be used just like any debit card, except it pulls from your Paypal account instead of a checking or savings account.

If you are not in hurry or plan to use Paypal at Amazon a lot, this may be a good solution for you.

You apply for a Paypal debit card by submitting an application at Paypal's site. The process takes 2-4 weeks from start to finish.  You can find more information about a Paypal debit card here.



I hope the above solutions help some of you who find yourselved in a similar circumstance. Happy shopping!