Is PayPal available in Australia? / Does Australia use PayPal?

02 Jan 2023

Yes. It’s possible to open a PayPal account if you are in Australia. Every payment made through PayPal is encrypted, reducing the risk of your personal or payment information being stored in places you don't want it.

PayPal is the market leader, with 9.8 million Australians (46.1%) using it in the year to September 2022, just ahead of BPAY, which is now used by over 9.3 million people (43.8%). The two services are used by nearly three times as many people as Afterpay, which is now used by over 3.2 million people (15.2%).

When it comes to digital wallets, the vast majority of Australians prefer PayPal. According to Australia Post research, PayPal accounts for 48.8% of all online payments. PayPal is also preferred by New Zealand online shoppers.

Unlike a credit card, PayPal allows you to save your payment information in a secure account. When you shop at a store that accepts PayPal, you can then pay with it.

When you select this option at the online checkout, you will be prompted to log in to PayPal and select the account from which you wish to make a payment. The transaction will then be processed by PayPal over an encrypted network.

This configuration allows you to save your credit card, debit card, or bank account information in a PayPal account and then choose which of these options to use when paying with PayPal. As a result, you no longer need to enter your payment information every time you make a purchase.