How to Establish a Pay Pal Account

1. At the PayPal website, click on the 'Sign Up' button on the left side of the page.
2. Select your country or region and language.
3. Select the account type you want. Personal accounts are for online shoppers who want a method other than a credit card with which to pay for things. Use a Premier account if you want to buy and sell items online. Premier accounts require more than the basic account information, and PayPal may charge fees, depending on the type of service required. Business accounts are for merchants using company names and provide the features of Premier accounts plus special features needed by larger businesses. If you sign up for a business account you must supply an EIN number, a Federal Tax Identification Number used by the IRS to identify businesses. PayPal also offers student accounts for parents wishing to open an account for a teen to use with parental oversight.
4. Fill out the signup form. It will ask for your name, password, mailing address, email address, telephone.
5. Click the 'agree and create account' button, by clicking the button you are agreeing to adhere to PayPal's user agreement, so you should read the agreement before you create the account.
6. Enroll a debit card or credit card to verify the account and add a funding source. PayPal gives you this option so you can deposit money in your account, but it is not required. You can skip this step if you wish.
7. Click the 'Proceed to Account' or 'Go to Account' button and log into your new account.
8. Activate your PayPal account after you've logged in so that PayPal will be able to make sure your email is correct. PayPal will send an email to the address you provided. Look for the email and click on the 'verify account' link it provides.

How to Hold a Deposit With PayPal

1. Create a PayPal account, if you don't have one. You'll need to provide your name, address and email account, and then verify the PayPal account. You can verify the account either by providing PayPal with your online banking information or by verifying the amount of two small transactions that PayPal makes into your bank account.
2. Provide your PayPal account name to the person making the deposit into your account. The depositor will need to have a PayPal account, as well. He can log on to his PayPal account, specify the amount of money to send to you and send it. You'll receive an email notifying you of the deposit to your account.
3. Confirm the deposit by logging into your PayPal account. You may keep the deposit in your PayPal account, transfer it to your associated bank account, request a check from PayPal or have the amount credited to a PayPal debit card. When it's time to refund the deposit, reverse the process to transfer the amount to the original depositor.

How to Request a Refund From PayPal

1. Log in to PayPal using your email user name and password.
2. Select 'My Account' in the primary blue menu tabs just under the PayPal logo.
3. Go to the 'History' tab located as a subheading under the blue primary menu tabs.
4. Review the history to see if you are eligible for a refund. Transactions made within the previous 60 days are eligible while those prior to that are not. If you are eligible, get the seller's email contact information by clicking on 'Details.'
5. Send an email to the seller who will decide if he will issue you a refund. Explain the reasons why you want a refund and include all pertinent information, including pictures of items received.
6. File a dispute through the Resolution Center if the seller doesn't grant a refund by clicking 'Dispute a Transaction' then 'Item Dispute' and selecting the transaction in question when prompted. Provide the require details about why you want a refund and include any pertinent or supporting documentation.
7. Monitor the dispute on your PayPal account through the Dispute Resolution screen. If no resolution is made or further action taken within 20 days, the dispute is closed. Before the 20th day you can file a PayPal claim by calling 888-221-1161.

How Paypal Works

Basic Concept
PayPal uses encryption software to allow financial transactions to take place securely online. Both individuals and businesses transfer money electronically. PayPal can be used with online auction sites (such as eBay), to purchase goods or services, and to make donations. More than 100 million PayPal accounts are in existence, and PayPal is one of the world's most popular methods of Internet payments.
Infrastructure
PayPal acts as the middleman between merchants and banks/credit card companies. Both buyer and seller provide their bank or credit card information to PayPal, rather than directly to each other. In this way, PayPal serves as an extra security feature, because all account information is held securely by PayPal. There are fees called an interchange, which are charged by banks and credit card companies when a merchant accepts a credit card charge. The interchange is typically around 10 cents plus approximately 2 percent of the charge. PayPal handles these fees for the merchant or payment recipient, and makes the money back by deducting a small fee from the payment before depositing it in the recipient's account. PayPal also makes money on the interest from money left in PayPal accounts before funds are withdrawn.
Creating an Account
Setting up a PayPal account is quick and free and can be done from the site's homepage, www.PayPal.com. You will need to enter your name, address, phone number and email address, then choose a log-in name, password and security questions. Adding a credit card number to your account is optional but will allow PayPal to confirm your home address for added buying and selling confidence. You can also add a bank account to serve as a back-up source when sending funds and/or as an account to electronically deposit funds. After signing up for an account, you will receive a confirmation email from PayPal with further instructions and information about the creation of your account.
Sending Funds
You can send money via PayPal to any person or business with an email address, regardless of whether the recipient has a PayPal account. This can be done by logging into the PayPal account and clicking on 'Send Funds.' The recipient will get an email about the payment, and can then set up an account to access the funds. When purchasing from an online merchant or through eBay, click on the payment option that reads 'Pay Online Securely with PayPal' or a similar PayPal option. You will then be taken automatically to a PayPal page in which you will enter your PayPal log in and password. This information is not shared with the merchant. The money will be transferred from your PayPal account (which withdraws from your bank account, or makes a charge to the credit card you put on file with PayPal, depending on your arrangement).
Receiving Funds
After the buyer sends funds via PayPal, the money is deposited automatically in the receiver's PayPal account (or is held by PayPal until the recipient creates an account). PayPal deducts a small amount in fees according to the predetermined fee structure outlined on its website in the user agreement. The money received remains in the recipient's PayPal account until the recipient chooses to withdraw it.
Withdrawing Funds
There are several options for withdrawing funds from a PayPal account. Money can be transferred to a verified bank account, a check can be issued or the funds can be transferred to a PayPal debit card for online shopping. Other options may be available, depending on the type of user account; simply log in to PayPal and click 'Withdraw Funds' to find out more.

How Do I Deposit a Check Into a PayPal Account?

1. Log into your PayPal Mobile account on your iPhone using your password or PIN number. This will bring up the 'Welcome' screen once you have successfully logged in.
2. Tap the 'Tools' button at the bottom of the screen.
3. Tap 'Add a Check' in the 'Tools' menu.
4. Take a picture of the front and back of the check you wish to deposit. Submit the check for processing.
5. Wait for the screen to show the check was accepted. You will receive a transaction number and an 'In Process' date. Tap 'Continue' to return to the 'Tools' menu.
6. Keep the check for at least 15 days to ensure it properly appears and stays in your account. Once you are certain the process was successful and there are no problems, you may then dispose of the check.

How to Check PayPal Account History

1. Log in to your PayPal account. On your computer, go to the PayPal home page (see Resources section). Click 'Log In' and you will be transferred to the sign in page. Enter your email address and password. You will be directed to your account page.
2. Note the information available on the 'My Account Overview' page. A snapshot of your recent PayPal activity is provided. You can also choose to see a record of either 'Payments Sent' or 'Payments Received.'
3. Review the tabs at the top of 'My Account Overview' page. Click on the tab labeled 'History.' A new page will open providing specific options for your account history search.
4. Determine the parameters of your account history search where it indicates 'Show.' The default selection is 'All Activity - Simple View.' Click on the drop down box to choose the history of a specific type of transaction.
5. Specify the time frame of your account history report. After selecting the type of transaction you want reported, examine the choices offered by the 'Within' drop down box. Chooses are for the past day, week, month or year. If a specific account history date is desired, us the 'From' and 'To' date option.

How to Change the Color of PayPal Buttons

1. Open your browser and navigate to Cool Text, a graphic generator website. Scroll down on the home page to the section titled 'Choose a Button Design.'
2. Click on the style of button you want. This will bring up a customizing page; change the font color by clicking on the color box next to the 'Text' field. Change the button colors by clicking on the color boxes in the 'Fill' section under 'Button.'
3. Make any other changes to the button, such as clicking in the 'Text' field to change the text displayed on your button or picking an effect in the 'Other' section.
4. Check the 'Live Preview' image at the top, and click 'Render Button' when finished. Save the image by clicking 'Download Image' or right click on the button and scroll to 'Save Image As.' Click 'Save' to save the image in your downloads folder.
5. Create an account at a free photo hosting site, such as Flickr or Photobucket. Upload your button image and then copy the URL address. For Photobucket, copy the URL by mousing over the photo and clicking on 'Direct Link.' For Flikr, click on the arrow next to the Twitter icon in the upper left-hand corner and click 'Grab The Link.'
6. Log into PayPal, and click on the 'Merchant Services' tab. Look under 'Create Buttons' and click on one of the available button types. In the 'Customize Button' field, click 'Customize Text Or Appearance,' then select 'Use Your Own Button Image.'
7. Click in the field, and then paste in your image's URL address. Enter in the rest of the button's information, such as item name, price, shipping and tax, then click 'Create Button.'