How do I change my default payment method to credit card?

[JonnyJonny]

Hello

My default payment method is bank account transfer. How do I change my account so it defaults to my credit card? I realise bank account transfer is cheaper for PayPal so they probably don't want to encourage this..... Ideally I don't want to delete my bank account.

All the best

[GrandpaLarry777 · Accepted solution]

Greetings,

I have yet to find a way to easily change the default payment to a credit card but if you are concerned about your bank account being directly linked to your PayPal account, you can do what I did...Remove your bank account.

Here are the steps I took.

1.  When you are in your PayPal account, click Profile toward the top of the page

2.  Be sure your have a "Confirmed" credit card registered at PayPal

3.  In the box on the click the My Money link

4.  Click Update in the Bank Account area

5.  Click the Remove button at the bottom of the Bank Account page

Once you get through any warning messages and the page that prompts you to register a Bank Account the default payment method will switch your "default" credit card account.

You should receive confirmation email about the change.

Hope this helps...BTW, it isn't that I distrust PayPal, it's just putting another layer of security between me and anyone who might hack them.

GrandpaLarry777

[PayPal_barry]

Hey there, kudos for assisting another user there. Though ideally having more than one funding source gives you more options as a buyer. You may also find that sending payments using your instant transfer is cheaper as there are fewer processing fees involved with your bank.

In terms of security, you should note that when you access your PayPal account and go to review your financial details. All you will see are the last 4 digits of your card or bank. The safety and security of your financials always priority here, and any payments made from an account that have been made fraudulently will always be 100% covered.

Thanks again and please keep posting and assisting others with your advice.

[dannyeller]

You didn't answer the question. I too want to use paypal but when  doing so I nol longer have the ability to change payment methods from the default. It automatically charges purcahses to a bank account instead of the business card I have in my account. There is no longer a change payment link in the payment window. 

[PayPal_Conor]

Hi dannyyeller,

That's very strange.

On the the ‘Review Your Payment’ page, next to ‘Payment Method’, you usually have the option to change your payment method.

I wonder if your card is still active on your account?

It may have become disabled for whatever reason and this is why you're not seeing the change payment method option.

dannyyeller, would you mind checking ths status of your card for me to see if it helps here?

Conor

[dannyeller]

Both a personal and business credit cards are there and current. There is no change link in the payment window. In the blogs on this subject this is a very wide spread issue. Until this is corrected I will have to suspend using paypal.

[JonnyJonny]

Thank you for your help. I have just removed my bank accounts as you have suggested, after having recently very annoyingly inadvertently paid using bank account when I wanted to pay using credit card.

I assume that the reason why PayPal insists on defaulting to bank account funding is because that charges PayPal less in fees....

[PayPal_david]

Hi there MikeAu,

What you have advised is how to select a preffered funding option for a subscription service in place on your PayPal account.

For example, if you have a subscription on your eBay account for your eBay fees to be debited from your PayPal account every month, you can specify what funding option will be used to pay your subscription payment to eBay for your fees. This is the process that you have provided in your response.

If you would like to use a different funding option other then your confirmed bank account towards a purchase on your PayPal account, you would need to change this every time you are sending a payment from your account.

When you use PayPal to send money, we always attempt to take the funds from your PayPal account balance first. If you have no PayPal balance, or not enough to cover the whole transaction, the remainder will be taken from your bank account. If you don’t have a bank account confirmed with PayPal, your debit or credit card will be charged instead.

The payment method hierarchy is as follows:

1. PayPal Balance.
2. Instant Bank Transfer.
3. Credit or Debit Card.
4. eCheque.

The default payment method cannot be changed on your account but can be changed per transaction. To change the payment method for a transaction, click the 'Change' or 'More Funding Options' link on the final page during the Send Money process and select a different payment method.

Note: Once the payment is sent, you cannot change your payment method.

I hope this helps,

David.

[mercifullyfree]

Thanks for taking the time.  I just left Microsoft Streets and Trips purchase website where I was NOT given an opportunity to change the payment option from the defulat payment (my bank account).  Reenterinf twice confirmed there was no option to change payment method.  That is not good.  I rarely want to direct debit my bank account.

I then exited PayPal and charged transaction direct with MS and my credit card. 

We need an option or we need to find another way.

[Felim_Doyle]

I feel very strongly that it should be possible to have a mixture of bank accounts, credit cards and debit cards registered for making payments and be able to choose any of them to be the default payment method as well as the option of having no default so that you can select at payment time.

Félim

Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, UK

[Dodzi]

Hello, i want to change my papal from bussenes to personal, what do i do