Can You Pay Your Cable Bill Using PayPal?

Payment Overview
Paying utilities such as a cable bill with a PayPal account means you do not have to keep your credit card or bank account information handy to type into the cable provider's website. You also don't have to write monthly checks and calculate your register by hand. You are behind a wall of security protection that the site promises. In most cases, paying by PayPal requires you to click a PayPal button, log into your account with an ID and password, enter the amount to pay -- which the cable company may have already auto-filled -- and approve the payment.
Requirements
There are two requirements to being able to pay your cable bill with PayPal. First, you need a PayPal account. An account is free, but you must have the payment sources PayPal requires, such as a bank account or credit card. The other requirement is up to the merchant. In most cases, you'll know whether the cable supplier accepts PayPal with a quick glance at its website -- check for a horizontal yellow PayPal button or icon displayed on the home page. Also check the 'Submit Payment' page for the button or PayPal selection. You can also contact the customer service phone number and ask a representative.
Process
If a cable supplier does allow bill payments through PayPal, there may be one of two payment options. The first is the one-time payment structure, where you'll receive a bill and indicate how much money to pay from your PayPal account. This will occur monthly or however frequently your cable company bills. For example, you receive a bill for your monthly cable for $50. Log into your PayPal account, elect to send $50 to your cable company and send the payment, which would then be deducted from the balance. Another option, though not always available, is a recurring payment and/or automatic billing. This is where you provide your cable company your PayPal account information. While you may still get a bill, the charges will be automatically deducted from or charged to the account.
Considerations
The main consideration to paying cable bills with PayPal is that the money in the account has to come from somewhere. If you elect to use PayPal money -- funds from selling something or earning income -- it must be enough to cover your bill. If it's not, PayPal uses one of the other financial options linked to your account, such as a credit card or your bank account. If either of these default, you could default on your transaction, risk your cable being cut off and may be reported to collections. Another factor to consider is security. While PayPal offers high standards to protect its users, with a dispute center and payment protection, people uncomfortable with putting their personal information online may not feel secure using the service.