# Amazon.com and Paypal **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-com-and-paypal/208391 "2003-10-19T18:05:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-com-and-paypal/208391/1 "2003-10-19T18:05:10Z")
Help! I have recently gotten intriuged by Amazon and wish to buy something from them. Unfortunately , I do not yet possess a credit card. I do have a checking account that I could use if I had to, but due to the time required I’d really rather not. Is it at ALL possible to buy something from Amazon using only PayPal? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-com-and-paypal/208391/2 "2003-10-19T18:12:24Z")
[Doesn’t look like it.](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/513058/qid=1066587520/sr=1-1/104-2435223-8558318) > [@](#): > > Payment Methods We Accept > > Amazon Credit Account > Borders Gift Cards > Checks & Money Orders > Credit Cards & Check Cards > Gift Certificates > Promotional Certificates > Purchase Orders > Reward Certificates > Target and Marshall Field’s GiftCards > Waldenbooks Gift Cards > Webcertificates “Money order” looks good, if you don’t want to write them a check. ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-com-and-paypal/208391/3 "2003-10-19T18:28:19Z")
Ick. It’d certainly be faster, but I’m buying a fairly large quantity of merchandise ($200+), and would absolutely NOT want that sort of thing in the mail. Thank you anyhow! ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-com-and-paypal/208391/4 "2003-10-19T18:57:56Z")
Technically, yes. You can get a PayPal ATM/Debit card, which works like a credit card, and takes the money directly from your PayPal account. I have one, and it works fine. Unfortunately, it seems as if one of the [requirements](https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_help&eloc=1045&unique_id=414&source_page=_account&flow=) to get one is to already have a credit card registered with PayPal, which doesn’t seem to help your situation. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-com-and-paypal/208391/5 "2003-10-19T19:16:49Z")
Perhaps you could buy a giftcard at your local Borders or Target? It looks like you can use the giftcard online. ---
**Author:** ![lauramarlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a5b964/32.png) [@lauramarlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lauramarlane)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-com-and-paypal/208391/6 "2003-10-20T11:32:18Z")
Can you get a debit card for your checking account? My debit card has the MasterCard logo on it and I can use it anyplace that takes credit cards? I’m not sure how long it would take for your bank to issue you a debit/check card, though. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-com-and-paypal/208391/7 "2003-10-20T13:44:30Z")
> [@](#): > > _Netbrian wrote:_ > (abotu money orders) Ick. It’d certainly be faster, but I’m buying a fairly large quantity of merchandise ($200+), and would absolutely NOT want that sort of thing in the mail. Huh? A money order isn’t the same as cash - it’s basically like a pre-cleared check. If you make it out to Amazon, only Amazon should be able to cash it. There would have to be a whole series of unlikely things happen for a money order not to work here: 1) the US postal system would have to deliver the MO to the wrong party, 2) that party would have to be willing to take the risk that their bank would actually accept it, and 3) the bank would have to not notice that Joe Blow is not actually [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com). The likelihood of all three of these going wrong in series seems no more likely to me that something going wrong with a credit card or Paypal. ---
**Author:** ![Lambo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lambo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lambo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-com-and-paypal/208391/8 "2003-10-20T14:44:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SMTWTFS \* > \*\*Perhaps you could buy a giftcard at your local Borders or Target? It looks like you can use the giftcard online. \*\* Well, he would run into the same problem with the Borders GC. To redeem it online, you need a valid credit card, to cover any overages from your order. As an added unbonus, I think you can only use it at [borders.com](http://borders.com), and not [amazon.com](http://amazon.com) (while [amazon.com](http://amazon.com) is the host of [borders.com](http://borders.com), I don’ t know that the borders site has everything that amazon does, and it is run as a seperate entity (which can cause major headaches when people try to return [amazon.com](http://amazon.com) orders at a borders store)). I was doing a lot of this from memory, having been a Borders office supervisor, but more details can be found at the bottom of this [page](http://www.vcomshop.com/cgi-bin/pagegen/vcomshop/borders/page.html?mode=home&file=/page/home/home.spl).