Earn up to 3% on purchases: PayPal launches improved cash-back card
There's a new and improved cash-back card on the block.
PayPal will soon relaunch the no-annual-fee PayPal Cashback Mastercard to offer one of the most impressive earning rates we've seen.
Issued by Synchrony Bank, cardholders will earn a generous 3% cash back on all purchases made through this popular electronic payment service, whether that's online, through the mobile app or to pay in-store with a PayPal QR code.
This is a gamechanger for online shoppers, as thousands of stores accept PayPal at checkout — and 3% cash back is a considerable rewards rate. For all other purchases not made through PayPal, you'll still earn 2% cash back, no matter the purchase.
Overall, this is an exciting new cash-back card that rivals some of what the bigger banks already offer. Here are more of the details.
The information for the PayPal Cashback Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer
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Who should apply?
Traditional cash-back cards often take one of two approaches.
The first is to offer elevated rewards on select purchases such as 3% on restaurants and grocery stores or the rotating 5% cash-back categories on the Chase Freedom Flex. Alternatively, some cards will offer a fixed-rate on all purchases for simplicity — and the best we've typically seen is a 2% rate on all eligible purchases.
The PayPal Cashback Mastercard will now be a blend of both, offering a preferred 3% earning rate on any purchase made with PayPal.
But given how many merchants now accept the payment service, the PayPal Cashback Mastercard will easily be prolific for a wide variety of purchases.
As such, the PayPal Cashback Mastercard is an ideal fit for those who want to earn cash-back rewards without an annual fee and don't like keeping up with various category restrictions.
“Our customers shopped across 34 different categories last year showcasing the diversity of their needs and interests, and we wanted to build a credit product that was flexible and better-matched rewards with their spending behaviors,” said Susan Schmidt, VP Consumer Credit, PayPal.
With this new card, PayPal has redesigned its user interface on its app and website so that cardholders can easily manage rewards, make credit card payments and more.
Your cash-back rewards will be readily available to you online, unlike other cards that make you wait until the end of your monthly billing cycle. You can then cash out your rewards to lower your statement bill, make new purchases from millions of participating stores or transfer your rewards to a bank account or debit card on file.
Finally, PayPal Cashback Mastercard will launch with a splash, offering new applicants a $100 welcome bonus after the first $500 spent.
Related: The pros and cons of cash-back credit cards
What if I already have the PayPal Cashback Mastercard?
This new PayPal Cashback Mastercard is an improved iteration of the existing PayPal Cashback Mastercard.
If you happen to already carry this particular card, you will be automatically upgraded into this new, up-to-3% earning scheme.
Related: How to choose a cash-back card
Bottom line
The PayPal Cashback Mastercard offers simplicity and value — two key factors that may be important to consumers who don't want to overcomplicate the principle of earning rewards.
If you've been a long-time fan of this payment service for its ease of use and security features, you may want to consider applying for this new cash-back card that will help you maximize your everyday purchases. The new card will "will soon be available to select customers who can apply through the PayPal app and paypal.com and will continue to roll out in the coming weeks," but we'll keep you posted on when applications are officially live for this product.