How do you add money to a personal PayPal account in 2015?

[gwooledge]

I put the date in the subject, because if you Google for this topic, you get all kinds of different answers from past years, none of which apply to 2015.

PayPal's web site says you can add money to your account from a verified bank account, or by using a GreenDot MoneyPak.  But GreenDot MoneyPaks are no longer available in stores.  (PayPal needs to update their web page!)

Does this mean the ONLY way I can add money to my account now, without letting PayPal have a direct line into my checking or savings account, is to create a SECOND bank account whose sole purpose is to act as an intermediary for funding a PayPal account?  That's ridiculous!

[kernowlass]

Well most of us just added our bank accounts.

But why do you need to add funds to your bank account if you are only a buyer?

[gwooledge]

OK.  You want to know why I don't have my PayPal account linked to my bank account....

I used to, with my previous bank account.  Then, one day I noticed that someone had been withdrawing money from my bank account.  The transactions showed up coming from some organization with the word AMAZON in their name, but it wasn't the real Amazon.com.  It was some sort of impostor.

The only way I could stop them was to close that bank account and open a new one.  I never did learn who was taking my money.  All we could determine was that someone had managed to get hold of my bank account number.  And apparently that was enough for them to take my money any time they wanted.

So, on my new bank account, I've been very careful about who gets the information needed to take money from it (or put money in it).  My employer has it, so they can do their direct deposits.  The IRS and my state government have it.  And the third party site that you have to go through to file your taxes if you make over X dollars per year has it.

I just want to be able to add money to the PayPal account without giving them the power to take ALL of my money at any time.  I don't think that's unreasonable.  A bit paranoid?  Yes, perhaps, but do you really blame me?

[kernowlass]

Wasn't my question.

[gwooledge]

Like justme13 says, eventually someone sends you some money, and then you are forever banned from paying with a credit card.  You have to transfer money into the account.  You used to be able to do this by buying a MoneyPak at a retail store with cash, waiting an hour, and then transferring the money from the MoneyPak to PayPal.  But now that's no longer an option.