Personal Finance · head to head
Apple Pay vs PayPal
PayPal
Personal Finance
The simpler, safer way to pay and get paid
- From
- $29/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Apple Pay has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Apple Pay apple Pay works only in countries and regions that support contactless payments and is not available in all markets; PayPal currency conversion on international purchases and sends carries a 4.00 percent fee, and 3.00 percent in other conversion scenarios
- They diverge on capability: Apple Pay covers Digital wallet, PayPal covers Payment processing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Apple Pay and PayPal actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Apple Pay
- Digital wallet
- Secure payments
- Contactless transactions
- P2P money transfers
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- Bank accounts
- IOS support
Only in PayPal
- Payment processing
- PayPal Checkout
- Invoicing
- Business debit card
- Working capital loans
- Shopify
- WooCommerce
- BigCommerce
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Apple Pay
- Contactless in store payment from iPhone and Apple Watchnot PayPal
- Paying in apps and on the web without entering card detailsnot PayPal
- Sending money between Apple users with Apple Cash and Tap to Cashnot PayPal
PayPal
- Paying online merchants without sharing card detailsnot Apple Pay
- Sending money to friends and family domestically and internationallynot Apple Pay
- Holding balances in multiple currencies for cross border purchasesnot Apple Pay
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Apple Pay
- Apple Pay works only in countries and regions that support contactless payments and is not available in all markets
- Apple Cash is available only in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico
- Apple Cash Family accounts and Tap to Cash transactions are each capped at 2000 USD within a rolling seven day period
- Mac support requires a Touch ID equipped model
- A card works only if the issuing bank supports Apple Pay, and banks may charge their own overseas usage fees
PayPal
- Currency conversion on international purchases and sends carries a 4.00 percent fee, and 3.00 percent in other conversion scenarios
- Instant transfer to a bank or debit card costs 1.75 percent of the amount, with a minimum of 0.25 USD and a maximum of 25.00 USD
- International personal transactions carry a 5.00 percent fee regardless of payment method, with a minimum of 0.99 USD and a maximum of 4.99 USD
- Sending domestic personal payments funded by a credit card costs 2.90 percent plus a fixed fee of 0.49 USD
- Instant transfers are capped at 25,000.00 USD per transaction
Pricing, plan by plan
Apple Pay
Free- FreeFree
- Secure payments
- P2P transfers
- Transit passes
PayPal
$29/month- Standard$2.99/transaction
- Card payments
- PayPal checkout
- Invoice payments
Which should you pick?
Choose Apple Pay if
- You need digital wallet.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on IOS, WatchOS, MacOS.
- You also want secure payments.
Choose PayPal if
- You need payment processing.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want paypal checkout.
Questions people ask
- Is Apple Pay or PayPal better?
- Neither clearly leads. Apple Pay starts at Free and PayPal at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Apple Pay or PayPal?
- Apple Pay has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apple Pay and $29/month for PayPal.
- Does Apple Pay or PayPal run on more platforms?
- Apple Pay runs on IOS, WatchOS, MacOS. PayPal runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- Can I use Apple Pay for free?
- Yes. Apple Pay has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PayPal starts at $29/month.
- What is Apple Pay best used for?
- Apple Pay is most often used for contactless in store payment from iphone and apple watch, paying in apps and on the web without entering card details, sending money between apple users with apple cash and tap to cash. Of those, contactless in store payment from iphone and apple watch and paying in apps and on the web without entering card details are not what PayPal is typically brought in for.
- What can Apple Pay do that PayPal cannot?
- Apple Pay covers Digital wallet, Secure payments, Contactless transactions, P2P money transfers. PayPal covers Payment processing, PayPal Checkout, Invoicing, Business debit card.