Using Paypal without linking to a bank account

[doraville]

I want to use Paypal with a credit card only. I do not want Paypal linked to my bank account. I have had 2 instances where my Paypal account has been hacked. I was able to work with Paypal to get the charges reversed, but not until after the bank had charged me overdraft penalties.

Why do they need my checking account info? Credit card info should be sufficient.

I have some recourse with my VISA card, but with my checking account a thief can rob me blind!

[Melohawk]

The ONLY way to deal with online payments, if you must divulge a checking account number, is to set up another checking account JUST FOR  online payments. Keep just enough in there to cover whatever you are doing. Use the "transfer funds" option from your online banking institution to transfer whatever you need into your regular checking (or vice versa), savings, etc. and keep the online payment service out of the loop. Then if it gets hacked you are only out a small amount that you use to keep the account open.

[mlcappy]

I couldn't agree more. I  have  now resorted to  using  credit  cards  and  wire  transfers  to  complete  purchases   that  I  would  otherwise  do  through  PayPal.  PayPal's  policy  makes  absolutely  no   sense.  If  I  have  actually demonstrated  my  reliability  by  spending  $10,000  through PayPal over  5  years, billing through a credit card,  why would they feel the  need  to  cut  me  off  when  I  hit  the  $10K  mark?  in  fact,  I  would  have  

hit  the  $10K  mark  years  ago  were  I  not  purposely  avoiding  PayPal  payments!   

It  should  be  quite  the  opposite.  Anyway,  I’ll  simply  avoid  Paypal   transactions,  

work  around  them  or  avoid  entirely  any  merchant  who  doesn’t  give  me  an  

alternative.  Unfortunately,  PayPal's  inane  policy  of  cutting  off  someone  AFTER  

they  have  demonstrated  their  spending  reliability  to the tune of $10,000,  gives  me  

no choice but to avoid PayPal to the extent I can and reserve my use of it to those increasingly rare situations when it is the lesser of evils.