Have you ever noticed that the exchange rate PayPal offers when you make a purchase in a foreign currency seems a bit… unfavorable? Many savvy online shoppers are looking for ways to avoid these extra costs and take advantage of potentially better exchange rates offered by their credit or debit card providers. The good news is, for purchases on platforms like eBay, there’s a known workaround. But the question remains: Can I Change Paypal To Charge In Euro or another foreign currency on all websites, and even when paying invoices? Let’s dive into how you might be able to bypass PayPal’s exchange rate and what to expect in different online shopping scenarios.
The eBay Hack: Getting Your Card’s Exchange Rate
For those who frequently buy from international sellers on eBay, there’s a neat trick to potentially save money on currency exchange. Instead of letting PayPal handle the conversion at their rate, you can often instruct PayPal to charge your linked card in the seller’s currency – for example, in Euro if you’re buying from a European seller.
The process involves these key steps:
- Select PayPal at Checkout: Proceed with your eBay purchase as usual and choose PayPal as your payment method.
- Manually Add Your Card (If Necessary): Even if you already have cards linked to your PayPal, you might need to re-add it during the checkout process. This step seems crucial for unlocking the currency switch option.
- Switch Currency: After adding your card, you should see an option within the PayPal payment flow to “switch currencies”. This allows you to select the currency of the seller – Euro in our focus case. By choosing to pay in Euro, you instruct PayPal to bill your card in Euro, and the currency conversion is then handled by your card provider.
alt: PayPal payment option highlighted during eBay checkout process
This method is beneficial because credit and debit card companies generally offer exchange rates that are closer to the mid-market rate – the real exchange rate you see on financial websites – compared to PayPal’s often inflated rates. For frequent international shoppers, especially from regions like Australia buying from Eurozone countries, the savings can be significant.
Beyond eBay: Can You Replicate This on Other Online Stores?
The burning question is whether this currency switching capability extends beyond eBay to other online stores that accept PayPal. The logic suggests it should work universally. After all, when you choose PayPal on any website, the site essentially directs you to PayPal’s payment gateway to complete the transaction. If the currency switch is possible on eBay, shouldn’t it be available on any site using PayPal?
However, anecdotal experiences, like attempting to purchase from online record stores, sometimes show that even when seemingly completing the currency switch process, the final charge might still be processed at PayPal’s exchange rate. This raises questions about the different ways websites integrate PayPal.
PayPal Checkout Types: Standard vs. Advanced Checkout
The discrepancy in currency conversion behavior might be explained by the type of PayPal checkout integration a website uses. There are generally two main types:
- Standard Checkout: This is the simpler integration where the website primarily offers a PayPal button, and the payment process is largely handled on PayPal’s side.
- Advanced Checkout (or similar customized solutions): This more sophisticated integration allows websites to customize the checkout experience, potentially offering more control over payment options and data flow. eBay likely utilizes a form of Advanced Checkout given its complex transaction needs.
It’s hypothesized that the currency switching feature might only be reliably available on websites using “Advanced Checkout” or a similarly advanced PayPal integration. These systems might provide the necessary hooks for PayPal to offer the currency selection option. Websites using only “Standard Checkout” might limit user control over the currency conversion process, forcing transactions to default to PayPal’s exchange rate.
Unfortunately, it’s not always immediately obvious to the user which type of PayPal checkout a website employs.
Paying PayPal Invoices and Payment Requests
Finally, what about paying PayPal invoices or direct payment requests from sellers? Can you also change PayPal to charge in Euro (or the invoice currency) and bypass PayPal’s conversion when paying an invoice?
The answer here is less clear and likely depends on the specific settings the invoice creator has configured. It’s worth experimenting to see if the currency switch option is presented when paying a PayPal invoice. If the option is available, the same principles should apply as with eBay – selecting the invoice currency should instruct PayPal to charge your card in that currency, letting your card provider handle the exchange.
Conclusion: Experiment and Observe
The ability to change PayPal to charge in Euro or another foreign currency to leverage your card’s exchange rate is a valuable tool for international online shoppers. While it appears to work effectively on eBay and potentially other platforms with advanced PayPal integrations, its consistency across all websites and PayPal invoice payments remains uncertain.
The best approach is to experiment and carefully observe your transaction details. When making an international purchase using PayPal:
- Look for the currency switch option during the PayPal payment process.
- If you find it, select the seller’s currency (e.g., Euro).
- After the transaction, meticulously check your bank or card statement to confirm whether you were indeed charged in Euro and received your card provider’s exchange rate.
By documenting your experiences – perhaps with screenshots of the payment process and your statements – you can contribute to the collective knowledge and help other users understand when and how to successfully bypass PayPal’s currency conversion fees and optimize their international online spending.
