How to transfer money from PayPal to Revolut

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You hold funds in PayPal and want them in Revolut. You may be a personal user or a business. You want to spend, convert at a better rate, or withdraw faster. This guide gives exact paths to move money. It lists the required info and shows typical speeds. It compares fees and FX spreads. It flags common holds and errors so you avoid surprises.

Expect step‑by‑step linking instructions. Expect three withdrawal methods with timelines. Expect concrete fee and FX numbers you can plan around. Expect troubleshooting steps with exact timeframes. Expect alternatives and a decision checklist to pick the fastest or cheapest route. Read the sections in order. Test with a small transfer first.

Quick Answer / TL;DR

If you want fastest arrival → use PayPal Instant Transfer to your Revolut debit card. Expect arrival typically within 30 minutes and a fee around 1% with a cap near €10.

If you want lowest FX cost → withdraw to your Revolut IBAN and convert inside Revolut. Expect 1–5 business days for the transfer and avoid PayPal’s conversion markup of roughly 3%.

If you want simplicity → link your Revolut card to PayPal and withdraw or pay directly. Linking takes 2–10 minutes; withdrawals clear in 1–5 days.

If you need business payouts → add your Revolut business IBAN to PayPal. Enter 4–6 bank fields. Transfers typically arrive in 1–3 business days after verification.

Overview of PayPal and Revolut accounts — 2 account types each

Define the platforms. PayPal acts as a payment processor. It holds balances, receives payments, and moves money to bank rails. Revolut functions as a digital banking alternative (app‑based bank). It offers multi‑currency accounts, cards, and FX tools.

PayPal offers two main account types:
– Personal account for individuals. Use it for buying, selling small volumes, and simple withdrawals.
– Business account for merchants. Use it for payouts, invoices, and higher limits.

Revolut offers two main categories:
– Personal accounts for everyday users. Includes a personal IBAN in many currencies.
– Business accounts for companies. Provides business IBANs, mass payouts, and extra fields for merchant payouts.

Account type affects transfers:
– Business PayPal may allow direct bank transfers to a business IBAN and fewer holds. Expect transfers in 1–3 business days.
– Personal PayPal may restrict some withdrawal rails and impose lower limits. Expect delays of 1–5 business days for bank transfers.

Include expected limits and verification times:
– Initial unverified transfer limits often range from €250 to €1,000 until verification.
– Identity checks and verification processes typically take 24–72 hours to clear.

Watch out for naming and numbering:
– IBAN stands for international bank account number for cross‑border SEPA transfers.
– Some Revolut local accounts use local account numbers instead of IBANs. Confirm which format PayPal requires.

Linking your Revolut account to PayPal — 6 clear steps

You can link either a Revolut card or a Revolut bank account (IBAN). Use the card for instant pushes. Use the IBAN for full bank transfers and lower FX control.

Follow these six steps:
1. Open PayPal. Go to Wallet. Choose Link a bank or card. This takes 1–3 minutes.
2. To link a card: enter the 16‑digit number, expiry date, and CVV. Expect a small temporary charge visible as 0.01–0.99 in your currency. This step takes 2–5 minutes.
3. To link an IBAN: add bank details — account holder name, IBAN, BIC/SWIFT, bank name, and country. Expect 4–6 fields. Enter details in 3–7 minutes.
4. Confirm ownership: PayPal may make 1–2 microdeposits. Verify amounts in the PayPal app. Microdeposits appear in 24–72 hours.
5. Complete verification inside PayPal to enable withdrawals. Verification often finishes within 24–72 hours once you confirm microdeposits.
6. Initiate a withdrawal from your PayPal balance and select the linked Revolut method. Withdrawals then follow the method timelines (see next section).

Tips:
– Use the Revolut IBAN for full bank transfers and for business payouts.
– Use the Revolut debit card if you want instant transfers.
– Expect name matching to matter: PayPal may reject a link if names differ by more than 3 characters or if formatting differs substantially.

Watch out for:
– Mismatched account holder names. Fix by updating PayPal name or using the exact Revolut account name.
– Virtual cards sometimes aren’t eligible for instant transfers.

Withdrawing funds: methods and timelines — 3 options

You have three common withdrawal paths. Choose by speed, cost, or convenience.

Method 1 — Standard bank transfer to Revolut IBAN:
– Timeline: 1–5 business days to arrive.
– Fee: PayPal may charge 0–2% for withdrawal depending on country. Currency conversion by PayPal may add ~3% if you choose conversion.
– Steps:
1. Select Withdraw to bank.
2. Choose your Revolut IBAN.
3. Confirm and wait 1–5 business days.
– Use this for larger sums where FX control matters.

Method 2 — Instant transfer to Revolut debit card:
– Timeline: typically under 30 minutes; often within 10–30 minutes.
– Fee: approximately 1% of the transferred amount. Typical cap near €10 in many regions. The minimum fee often sits between €0.25 and €1.
– Steps:
1. Select Instant Transfer.
2. Choose your linked Revolut debit card.
3. Confirm and wait ~30 minutes.
– Use this for urgent access to cash.

Method 3 — Local linked bank transfer (if Revolut provides a local account):
– Timeline: 1–3 business days.
– Fee: varies by domestic rails; often free for local currency but may carry small fixed fees of €0.10–€5.
– Steps:
1. Link the local Revolut account details in PayPal.
2. Withdraw to the local account.
3. Funds arrive in 1–3 business days.
– Use this if you have a local account number and want local rails.

Short flow for all withdrawals:
1. Link card or IBAN (2–10 minutes to set up; 24–72 hours if microdeposits needed).
2. Initiate withdrawal and choose method.
3. Wait for the method’s timeline: 30 minutes, 1–3 days, or 1–5 days.

Watch out for:
– Weekends and bank holidays add 1–2 business days.
– Instant transfers can fail if the card is ineligible or if PayPal limits apply.

Fees and exchange rates — concrete numbers to plan for

Two fee layers matter. PayPal withdrawal and conversion fees. Revolut FX policies and possible weekend markups.

PayPal fees and conversion:
– PayPal currency conversion markup often around 3% above the interbank rate. This varies by currency and account.
– Instant transfer fee roughly 1% of the amount. Many regions cap this fee near €10. Minimum fees commonly range from €0.25 to €1.
– Withdrawal fee for standard bank transfer can be 0–2% depending on region and currency.

Revolut FX and conversion:
– Revolut provides the interbank exchange rate on weekdays for many pairs.
– Revolut weekend markup typically ranges from 0.5% to 2% depending on the currency pair.
– Free FX allowances vary by plan. Many basic users see 0% markup up to a set amount each month. Beyond that, expect 0.5%–1% markup.
– Revolut charges small fixed fees only for certain rails or big transfers beyond free limits.

Worked examples:
– Example A: €1,000 received in USD and converted by PayPal with 3% markup. Cost = €30 in conversion fees. Net becomes roughly €970.
– Example B: €1,000 moved to Revolut and converted there with a 0.5% weekend markup. Cost = €5. Net becomes roughly €995.
– Compare: €25 saved when moving before conversion in this example.

Practical advice:
– Ask PayPal to send funds in the original currency when possible. Avoid automatic PayPal conversion to save roughly 3%.
– For amounts under €200, the convenience fee for instant transfer may outweigh FX savings.
– For amounts over €500, prefer IBAN transfer and convert inside Revolut.

Watch out for:
– PayPal may default to converting at withdrawal time. Check the “Convert currency” option before confirming.
– Weekend conversions often cost more by 0.5%–2%.

Common problems and fixes — 5 scenarios with steps and numbers

Scenario 1 — Link fails
– Symptoms: PayPal rejects the linked IBAN or card immediately.
– Likely causes: wrong digits or name mismatch.
– Fix steps:
1. Recheck all 4–6 bank fields you entered.
2. Confirm account holder spelling matches exactly.
3. Retry linking; use the Revolut app to copy IBAN.
– Numbers: check 4–6 fields, allow 24–72 hours for microdeposit verification.

Scenario 2 — Transfer delayed
– Symptoms: money not arrived after expected time.
– Likely causes: bank rails, weekends, holidays.
– Fix steps:
1. Check PayPal transfer status.
2. Check Revolut activity and pending transactions.
3. Wait 1–5 business days; add 1–2 days for weekends.
– Numbers: expect 1–5 business days normally; add 1–2 days for weekends.

Scenario 3 — Currency converted by PayPal unexpectedly
– Symptoms: PayPal shows conversion and fees before withdrawal.
– Likely causes: PayPal’s default conversion option was selected.
– Fix steps:
1. Cancel transfer if possible.
2. Choose to withdraw in original currency.
3. Convert inside Revolut at a lower markup.
– Numbers: PayPal markup ~3%; Revolut weekend markup 0.5%–2%.

Scenario 4 — Funds on hold for sales
– Symptoms: PayPal holds sale proceeds and won’t allow withdrawal.
– Likely causes: seller protection rules, new seller, or disputes.
– Fix steps:
1. Provide tracking number or proof of delivery.
2. Request manual release after buyer confirmation.
3. Consider verifying business account to reduce future holds.
– Numbers: holds can last up to 21 days; documentation may shorten to 1–3 days.

Scenario 5 — Amount limits
– Symptoms: PayPal blocks transfers above a threshold.
– Likely causes: verification incomplete or account limits.
– Fix steps:
1. Complete identity or business verification.
2. Split transfers into smaller amounts if urgent.
3. Contact PayPal support for lift requests.
– Numbers: unverified limits may be €250–€1,000; large transfer thresholds often trigger extra checks for sums above €10,000.

Watch out for:
– Repeated failed attempts may trigger security flags and add 24–72 hours for review.

Advanced options and alternatives — 4 choices with numbers

Option 1 — Use Revolut Business IBAN for PayPal payouts
– What: Add your Revolut business IBAN into PayPal as a payout account.
– Timeline: transfers often arrive in 1–3 business days.
– Cost: PayPal withdrawal fees 0–2%; avoid instant card 1% fee.
– Numbers: enter 4–6 bank fields; expect 1–3 business days.

Option 2 — Pull to a traditional bank then send to Revolut
– What: Withdraw from PayPal to a conventional bank account, then transfer to Revolut.
– Timeline: two hops — 1–3 days + 1 day = 2–4 days total.
– Cost: may avoid PayPal’s card instant fee; bank transfer fees 0–€10; Revolut inbound often free.
– Numbers: expect 2–4 days; monitor any fixed fees of €0.10–€5.

Option 3 — Use a specialist FX provider (e.g., Wise alternative)
– What: Move funds from PayPal to the FX provider, then to Revolut.
– Timeline: 0.5–2 days.
– Cost: fee model often 0.3%–1% plus a small fixed fee, for example €1–€10 depending on amount.
– Numbers: 0.3%–1% + fixed fee; 0.5–2 days transfer time.

Option 4 — Keep funds in PayPal and spend with linked Revolut card
– What: Use your linked Revolut card to spend directly from PayPal balance where card payments are accepted.
– Timeline: immediate card charges; settlement varies.
– Cost: no withdrawal fee; merchant processing still applies.
– Numbers: test with €10–€50 to ensure card works.

Watch out for:
– Extra charges when routing between multiple providers.
– Weekend FX markup if you convert on Saturday or Sunday.

Comparison table: methods at a glance

Quick comparison of the main transfer routes so you can pick by speed, cost, and control.

For speed choose the card route. For lowest FX costs choose IBAN or a low‑markup FX provider.

Closing — How to choose / Bottom line

If you need funds within hours → use instant transfer to your Revolut debit card. Expect roughly 30 minutes and about a 1% fee.

If you need lowest conversion cost on amounts over €200–€500 → withdraw to your Revolut IBAN and convert inside Revolut. Expect 1–5 business days for arrival and lower FX markup.

If you handle business payouts or amounts over €1,000 → add your Revolut business IBAN to PayPal. Complete business verification to avoid holds. Expect 24–72 hours for verification and 1–3 business days for transfers.

If unsure → run a small test transfer of €10–€50. Verify name matching and timing. Compare fees on that test. Then move larger sums once you confirm the route works.

Final checklist before a bigger transfer:
– Confirm you used the exact Revolut account name.
– Choose to receive funds in the original currency to avoid PayPal’s ~3% conversion.
– Decide between speed (1% instant fee) and FX savings (0.5%–1% in Revolut).
– Test with €10–€50, then proceed.