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PayPal Cashback Mastercard: Full Review [2024]

Dan Miller's image
Dan Miller
Dan Miller's image

Dan Miller

Content Contributor

6 Published Articles

Countries Visited: 35U.S. States Visited: 50

Realizing that it wasn't all first class flights and 5-star hotels, Dan started the Points With a Crew blog in 2014, with the aim of helping families (especially large families) to use miles, points a...
Edited by: Michael Y. Park
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Michael Y. Park

Senior Editor & Content Contributor

30 Published Articles 534 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 60+U.S. States Visited: 50

Michael Y. Park is a journalist living in New York City. He’s traveled through Afghanistan disguised as a Hazara Shi’ite, slept with polar bears on the Canadian tundra, picnicked with the king and que...
& Jestan Mendame
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Jestan Mendame

Compliance Associate

289 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 12U.S. States Visited: 3

Since 2016, he has embraced the life of a digital nomad, making the world his office. He has built a career in social media marketing and blogging for various travel brands, which is also his bread an...

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

PayPal Cashback Mastercard

PayPal Cashback Mastercard

U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
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  • $0

PayPal Cashback Mastercard

U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
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Card Details

Card Snapshot

Welcome Bonus & Info

  • Earn 3% when you pay with PayPal and 1.5% everywhere else Mastercard is accepted.
  • Get rewarded as soon as your purchases post to the credit card account, and accelerate earnings by adding up to 6 authorized users to your account.
  • Combine merchant cash-back offers with cash back you earn with your card.
  • With the Mastercard ID Theft Protection benefit, you will be alerted to possible identity theft.
  • Easily redeem the cash rewards you earn to PayPal anytime, anywhere with the PayPal app and PayPal.com.
  • No annual fee.

Upgraded Points: Expertise You Can Trust

Our seasoned and experienced team brings years of expertise in the credit card and travel sectors. Committed to integrity, we offer data-driven guides to help you find the card(s) that best fit your requirements. See details on our intensive editorial policies and card rating methodologies.

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  • 1094+ Expert Credit Card Guides

Great Card If

  • You already have a PayPal account.
  • You frequently check out with PayPal.
  • You’re looking for a cash-back card with a straightforward earning structure.

Don’t Get If

  • You have other cards where you want to combine your rewards.
  • You’re looking for a card with a 0% intro APR offer.
  • You don’t have a PayPal account and don’t want to open one.

PayPal Cashback Mastercard — Is It Worth It?

The PayPal Cashback Mastercard is a cash-back card issued by Synchrony Bank under license from Mastercard and co-branded with PayPal. The PayPal Cashback card offers 3% cash-back when you pay with PayPal and 1.5% cash-back on all other eligible purchases. If you’re looking for a cash-back card with a simple earning structure and easy-to-use rewards, consider the PayPal Cashback card. Best of all, the PayPal Cashback card comes with a $0 annual fee.

Because you earn the most rewards when you check out with PayPal, the PayPal Cashback card can be especially worth it for consumers who frequently use PayPal when checking out. If you aren’t a frequent PayPal user, you may be able to find a different cash-back card that offers more than a 1.5% rewards rate. Keep in mind that you need to have an active PayPal account to apply for and be approved for the PayPal Cashback card.

Hot Tip:

If you want to apply for the PayPal Cashback card, you need an active PayPal account. You can use an existing account or sign up for a new one.

What Benefits Do You Get With the PayPal Cashback Card?

The PayPal Cashback card is simple and straightforward, so most of its benefits are related to its cash-back rewards program. One benefit that sets the PayPal Cashback card apart from other cash-back cards is that there is no minimum redemption amount. You can redeem your rewards at any time and in any amount.

Who Is the PayPal Cashback Card For?

Many cash-back cards have complicated earning or redemption structures or require you to keep track of multiple rotating bonus categories if you want to maximize your cash-back earnings. If you want a cash-back card that offers rewards that are easy to understand, the PayPal Cashback card may be a good fit for you.

PayPal app on phone outdoors
Image Credit: PayPal

Best Ways To Earn and Redeem With the PayPal Cashback Card

One of the best things about the PayPal Cashback card is that it has a simple and straightforward structure for earning and redeeming rewards. You earn 3% cash-back on all purchases where you pay with PayPal and 1.5% on all other eligible purchases.

Redemptions with the PayPal Cashback card are also straightforward. You can redeem your rewards at any time through your online account. While some rewards credit cards require you to earn a minimum amount of rewards before redeeming, that’s not the case with the PayPal Cashback card. You can redeem your rewards at any time for any amount.

Hot Tip:

Earning 3% on purchases where you check out with PayPal is a great rewards rate, but if you don’t frequently use PayPal, you may find a higher rewards rate with other cards.

Alternative Cards to the PayPal Cashback Card

If you’re interested in some of the features and benefits of the PayPal Cashback card but are curious to see how it stacks up to similar cards, you can check out these other offerings:

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

The Chase Freedom Unlimited card is another card that comes with a $0 annual fee and 1.5% cash-back on all purchases. With the Freedom Unlimited card, you also earn 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel and 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases. Another difference between these 2 cards is that you don’t have to have a PayPal account to have the Chase Freedom Unlimited card.

One of the best things about the Freedom Unlimited card is that you can combine your rewards with your other Chase accounts. If you have a premium Chase credit card, you can redeem your rewards for 25% to 50% additional value or supercharge them by transferring them to Chase’s hotel and airline travel partners.

If you have a significant amount of dining, drugstore, or travel expenses or if you already have additional Chase credit cards, then the Freedom Unlimited card may be great for you.

Citi Double Cash® Card

The Citi Double Cash card is another cash-back card with a $0 annual fee. The Citi Double Cash card earns 2% cash-back on every purchase, with unlimited 1% cash-back when you buy and an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. The Citi Double Cash card also offers 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.49% to 28.49%.

Even better, the cash-back you earn with the Citi Double Cash card comes in the form of ThankYou Points. So if you also have a premium ThankYou Rewards card like the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card or the Citi Prestige® Card, you can combine your rewards and transfer the points earned from your Citi Double Cash card to the full list of Citi transfer partners. This can be a great way to maximize your Citi Double Cash card.

The information regarding the Citi Double Cash® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information for the Citi Prestige® Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the PayPal Cashback card have an annual fee?

No, the PayPal Cashback card has a $0 annual fee.

Do you have to have a PayPal account to have the PayPal Cashback card?

Yes, you need to have an active PayPal account to apply for or be approved for the PayPal Cashback card. You can either use an existing account or sign up for a new PayPal account.

What is the rewards rate for the PayPal Cashback card?

When you make a purchase with the PayPal Cashback card, you earn 3% if you check out with PayPal. You earn 1.5% cash-back on all other purchases.

Does the PayPal Cashback card offer any intro 0% APR offers?

No, the PayPal Cashback card does not offer any 0% introductory APR offers, either on purchases or balance transfers.

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About Dan Miller

Realizing that it wasn’t all first class flights and 5-star hotels, Dan started the Points With a Crew blog in 2014, with the aim of helping families (especially large families) to use miles, points and credit card rewards to take that trip that they might have thought they couldn’t afford. He has spent over 10 years covering developments in the travel rewards credit card space. His expertise extends to all things personal finance, including student loans, budgeting and real estate, and his work has been featured in sites all over the Internet, including NerdWallet, Forbes, Business Insider, Rocket Mortgage, CreditCards.com, Bankrate, Turbotax, Credit Karma and Intuit Mint.

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