Hello @TripsieDaisy,
Welcome to the PayPal Community! I'm glad you reached out regarding this concern. In short, no, you should never have to pay an amount to someone before receiving a payment. You may be charged a fee after receiving a payment, but you'll always see the transaction in your PayPal account first before you are charged a fee. You can read more about How to spot fake, fraudulent, or phishing emails and sites here as well as Common scams and how to spot them.
Best wishes on this and future transactions,
- Jon K
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