You can find someone on PayPal by searching for their email address, phone number, or name directly within the app or website. You can also reach them through their PayPal.Me link if they have one. Which method works best depends on what information you have and whether the person has their search privacy settings turned on.
Search by Email, Phone, or Name
The most common way to find someone on PayPal is through the “Send” or “Request” feature. Log into your PayPal account, click “Send” (or “Send & Request” on the website), and type the person’s email address, mobile phone number, or name into the search bar. If PayPal finds a matching account, you’ll see their name and can confirm it’s the right person before sending money or a payment request.
Email address is the most reliable identifier because every PayPal account requires one, and it’s unique to that account. Phone numbers work too, as long as the person has linked a mobile number to their account. Searching by name is less precise since multiple people may share the same name, and PayPal may show you several results to choose from.
Use a PayPal.Me Link
If someone has set up a PayPal.Me link, you can find them by going to paypal.me/ followed by their username in any web browser. For example, visiting paypal.me/JohnDoe would take you directly to that person’s payment page. You don’t need to know their email or phone number, and you don’t even need the PayPal app installed.
PayPal.Me links are created by individual users and claimed on a first-come, first-served basis. Each PayPal account can only have one. The person you’re looking for may have shared their link on a website, social media profile, or invoice. If you’re trying to pay someone who freelances or sells goods, check their online profiles for a PayPal.Me link.
You can even receive a link with a specific dollar amount already filled in. A link like paypal.me/JohnDoe/50 would open a payment page pre-set to $50, which is common when someone sends you a request for a specific payment.
Why a Search Might Not Work
PayPal gives every user control over their search privacy settings. When someone turns these settings off, their account won’t appear in search results when you type in their information. This doesn’t mean they don’t have a PayPal account. It just means they’ve chosen not to be discoverable through the search bar.
Even when someone has hidden themselves from search, you can still send them money directly to their email address or phone number. The difference is that PayPal won’t confirm the account exists before you send the payment. You’ll need to be confident you have the correct email or phone number, since you won’t get the usual visual confirmation of who you’re paying.
QR codes are another workaround. If you’re with the person in real life, they can pull up their PayPal QR code from the app and you can scan it to send a payment, regardless of their privacy settings.
Tips for Confirming You Have the Right Person
When PayPal returns a search result, you’ll typically see the person’s name and sometimes a profile photo. Before sending money, double-check that the name matches the person you intend to pay. If you searched by name and got multiple results, verify with the recipient which email or phone number is linked to their account.
For larger payments, consider sending a small test amount first, like $1, and asking the recipient to confirm they received it. PayPal payments sent to the wrong person can be difficult to recover, especially if the recipient doesn’t cooperate with a refund. Taking an extra moment to verify saves potential headaches.
If you’re paying someone you’ve never transacted with before and can’t find them through any search method, simply ask them to share their PayPal.Me link, email address, or QR code. That’s the fastest and most reliable way to connect on the platform.