PayPal’s new crypto feature could change how small businesses get paid
A new service lets buyers pay in crypto while merchants get near-instant fiat payouts — minus the usual fees.
Photo illustration by Cheng Xin/Getty Images
If you’ve ever tried to sell something internationally — or even pay a freelancer overseas — you know the pain: fees pile up, transfers drag on, and by the time the money hits your account, a chunk of it has disappeared.
PayPal $PYPL thinks it has an answer.
Related Content
The company just announced Pay with Crypto, a new way for U.S. merchants to accept payments from anywhere in the world using more than 100 cryptocurrencies, while getting paid out instantly in dollars or stablecoins. The pitch? Fees as low as 0.99%, which PayPal says could be 90% cheaper than international credit card processing.
How it works
Instead of worrying about price swings, PayPal’s system automatically converts whatever crypto the buyer uses — Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, stablecoins, etc. — into dollars or PYUSD (PayPal’s own stablecoin). Merchants just see the sale hit their account, fast.
The new feature works with big-name wallets like Coinbase, MetaMask, Binance, Kraken, and others, giving sellers access to a global pool of 650 million crypto users.
“Imagine a shopper in Guatemala buying a gift from a small shop in Oklahoma City,” PayPal CEO Alex Chriss said in a release announcing the feature. “With PayPal’s open platform, that shop can accept crypto, pay lower fees, get paid almost instantly, and even earn interest on funds held as PYUSD.”
Why this matters
Cross-border fees have been a sore spot for small businesses forever. PayPal says this new service could help companies keep more of what they earn, tap into crypto’s $3+ trillion market, and avoid the red tape of traditional international payments.
The feature builds on PayPal’s recent launch of PayPal World, a platform connecting five major digital wallets to make moving money across borders faster and cheaper. It’s also part of the company’s bigger push to weave stablecoins and digital currencies into everyday payments.
“These innovations don’t just simplify payments,” Chriss said. “They drive merchant growth, expand consumer choice, and reduce costs. This is the future of borderless commerce.”
A few caveats
The tool will roll out to U.S. merchants in the coming weeks, but PayPal is quick to note that crypto still comes with risks: regulations are evolving, holdings aren’t FDIC-insured, and if you lose access to your crypto wallet, you’re out of luck.
Still, for businesses tired of giving up a slice of every international sale, it might be worth paying attention.