Can I Pay My Electricity Bill With PayPal?

Can I Pay My Electricity Bill With PayPal?
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PayPal provides a convenient way for you to receive money from friends or clients and to pay bills, and is one of the leading ways to pay or send money. The financial service allows you to send money by email, and arguably, this is one of the most convenient ways to use PayPal. But, not every business accepts payments by email. However, some electricity providers may accept PayPal, so it is best to contact your provider directly to find out whether or not it does. It is worth nothing that most businesses, including utility companies, don't accept email payments and if they don't, you have other options.

Tips

  • If your utility company accepts PayPal payments directly, you should be able to pay your bills with any funds already in your account. You can also connect your PayPal account to your bank account or debit/credit card, which will allow you to make payments using PayPal as an intermediary.

Pay With the Card

Even if your electricity provider does not accept PayPal email payments, this does not mean you cannot use PayPal to take care of your bill. If it accepts credit card payments, you can still pay your electric bill with your PayPal debit card, which carries the MasterCard logo. The debit card then can be used as you would use any credit card, as long as you have funds in your account to cover the charges. It is also possible to link the card to your bank account or to available credit on a backup credit card. Your electricity provider may charge you an additional fee to pay the bill with your PayPal debit card, or with any debit or credit card, but it will post faster than a check.

Connecting Your Accounts

PayPal allows you to connect your bank account and credit or debit card to their online system. This will allow you to quickly pay for goods and services, such as your utility bill, using your PayPal login without having to first ensure that funds are in your PayPal account. In this scenario, PayPal can automatically withdraw funds from your connected bank account or card to pay for your utility bill.

Approval Not Credit Based

If you do not have a PayPal debit MasterCard, you can go to the PayPal website to sign up for it as long as you have an account, and it is in good standing. Generally speaking, you must be 18 years old and have a verified PayPal account linked to your bank account and a credit card to qualify for one. According to the company, it does not pull credit as part of the debit card approval process.

With this card, you are able to set up automatic or recurring payments so you don't have to worry about remembering when your bill is due. If a charge comes through, you need to have enough in your account to cover it, otherwise, it will draw on your back-up funding source such as, your bank account or credit card on file. In the event you have no back-up funding source linked to the account, the payment will simply be declined and you will have to remit payment to your utility company another way.