How do I actually make a payment using my bank account? If I can't, why even be on Paypal?

[Philosoraptor]

I have a bank account confirmed and set up as my primary payment method with Paypal. However, whenever I actually try to make a payment anywhere (Steam and Microsoft most recently, but there are other examples as well) there is no option to use my bank account - it's credit card, Paypal balance, or nothing. At least, as far as I can see.

Is there some setting I might be overlooking that will let me actually use my bank account to make the payment?

If so, what is it? Preferably with up to date screenshots or at least the actual exact terminology I will see when I log into my PayPal account. (E.g. one similar thread referred to a "View Limits" option that I don't seem to have.)

If not, what is even the point of giving PayPal my bank account information? In what sense is that my primary payment option when in reality it doesn't seem to be a payment option at all, let alone the main or default one? For that matter, if the only payment option realistically is my credit card, what's the point of even being on PayPal instead of just directly using my credit card?

[DPCreations]

PayPal will change payment source when one seems to be higher risk than another; this may be especially true for games.  It is lower risk for PayPal take funds from your credit card than from your bank account.  There could be other issues also related to security risk for PayPal according t undisclosed risk models used by PayPal.

[lancelotme]

Does your bank account show up as an option when you pay for something mundane say toothpaste or dishtowel?

Did you link and verify your bank account?

did you find your bank account in your Paypal profile?

You can have more than one bank account and more than one credit card.

[lancelotme]

I looked at my financial profile and under banking,I see several bank accounts,only one is marked primary,confirmed and thats the one which will show up when I pay for purchase,besides the credit card and paypal balance.

The only other place I SEE this bank referred to is with my Paypal business debit card,that it is a backup for my debit card.

Could it be the place where you place your order,it does not want you to use your bank account?  

[Philosoraptor]

Does your bank account show up as an option when you pay for something mundane say toothpaste or dishtowel?

I don't even know where I'd do that. Who on Earth (a) sells such things online, (b) is available in Canada, and (c) takes Paypal?

My top priority is to renew my MS Office subscription. That seems as "mundane" as anything in today's world, especially when you're talking about a service that specifically exists for the purpose of making online payments. Even if the answer to your question were yes, how would that help?

Did you link and verify your bank account?

did you find your bank account in your Paypal profile?

You can have more than one bank account and more than one credit card.

In order: Yes and I already said this in the first sentence of the post, yes or how would I even have known what I said in the first sentence of my post, and I'm aware of that and in any case don't see how it's relevant.

My bank account is, as far as I can tell by every test except actually trying to USE it, set up correctly. It's currently listed as my primary means of payment, in fact I removed the credit cards entirely so now it's the only such means. It still asks me for my credit card information when I try to use Paypal to pay for something and I am tearing my hair out in frustration here.