PayPal
Online payments and digital wallet platform.
PayPal at a glance
PayPal is a finance & banking website and one of the most visited sites in United States, currently ranked #26 in the country. It was founded in 1998 by Peter Thiel, Max Levchin, Elon Musk and is headquartered in San Jose, California, United States. Today PayPal is owned by PayPal Holdings, Inc.. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 480 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through transaction fees, merchant services, venmo fees. Its closest rivals include stripe.com, block.xyz.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 451 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 466 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 480 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 509 million / month | +6% |
Traffic sources
- Direct72%
- Organic search18%
- Referral5%
- Paid3%
- Social2%
Audience & demographics
- Men53%
- Women47%
- Age 25-3429%
- Age 35-4426%
- Age 45-5422%
The audience is concentrated in United States, skewing urban and mobile, with usage peaks in the evening hours.
Geographic reach
- United States86%
Home market
- Diaspora and neighbouring markets7%
- Europe3%
- North America2%
- Rest of world2%
SEO profile
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 144 million visits / month
- Branded share of search
- High — brand terms lead the keyword profile
- Indexed pages
- Large — category, listing or article level
- Primary search market
- United States
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| paypal | 1 | Very high | Dominant |
| online banking login | Top 10 | High | — |
| money transfer | Top 10 | High | — |
| loan rates | Top 10 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- Tens of thousands
- Link profile
- News coverage, directories, blogs and partner sites
- Authority
- High within the United States web
Top referral sources
- News and media31%
- Directories and aggregators24%
- Blogs and forums20%
- Partner sites14%
- Other11%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Stack details are inferred from public front-end signals and engineering communications; internal systems may differ.
Mobile app statistics
Available in the local store
Available in the local store
- App share of traffic
- ≈ 82% mobile
- Position in country
- Among the leading finance & banking apps in United States
Company information
- Website
- paypal.com
- Sector
- Finance & Banking
- Owner
- PayPal Holdings, Inc.
- Owner type
- Public company
- Founders
- Peter Thiel, Max Levchin, Elon Musk
- Founded
- 1998
- Headquarters
- San Jose, California, United States
- Employees
- 27,000+
- Ownership
- PayPal Holdings, Inc. controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Revenue
- ≈ $30B annual revenue
- Languages
- English and 25+ languages
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, referral
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ $30B annual revenue
- Ownership
- Public company
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
PayPal operates a bank and digital financial platform focused on United States. Online payments and digital wallet platform. Revenue comes mainly from transaction fees, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Transaction fees
- Merchant services
- Venmo fees
Products & services
International presence
- Primary market
- United States
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (United States)
- #26 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading finance & banking site in United States
- Global rank
- 50
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| stripe.com | ≈ 288 million / month | #27 class competitor | — |
| block.xyz | ≈ 216 million / month | #28 class competitor | — |
What is PayPal?
PayPal (paypal.com) is a bank and digital financial platform serving users in United States. Online payments and digital wallet platform. It ranks #26 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the finance & banking category.
Who owns PayPal?
The site is operated by PayPal Holdings, Inc., founded by Peter Thiel, Max Levchin, Elon Musk. The company was established in 1998 and is headquartered in San Jose, California, United States. It employs around 27,000+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place PayPal at roughly 480 million visits per month, about 16 million per day. Around 82% mobile of sessions come from mobile devices, and visitors view about 6.3 pages per visit with an average session of 6 min.
How PayPal makes money
Revenue comes primarily from transaction fees, alongside merchant services, venmo fees.
Competitors in United States
Its closest rivals include stripe.com, block.xyz.
Data and accuracy
Company facts are drawn from public sources. Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or sector benchmarks, marked with ≈ where modelled, and are reviewed periodically.
Company history & milestones
- 1998
PayPal is founded in San Jose, California, United States.
- Growth phase
Expands its finance & banking offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #26 among the most visited websites in United States.
User reviews & ratings
| Source | Score | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play | ≈ 4.3 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| App Store | ≈ 4.5 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| Consumer review platforms | Mixed | — | Service and support are common themes |
App store ratings are solid, while consumer review platforms show the usual friction around support and service quality.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Full account management without branch visits
- Instant local transfers and bill payments
- Strong authentication and fraud monitoring
- Wide ATM and branch network behind the app
Cons
- Occasional downtime during peak load
- Fee structure is hard to compare
- Customer support wait times
- Older interface areas outside the mobile app
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns PayPal?
PayPal is operated by PayPal Holdings, Inc.. Public company structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is PayPal headquartered?
PayPal is headquartered in San Jose, California, United States.
When was PayPal founded?
PayPal was founded in 1998 by Peter Thiel, Max Levchin, Elon Musk.
How many employees does PayPal have?
PayPal employs approximately 27,000+ people.
What is PayPal's revenue?
PayPal's revenue: ≈ $30B annual revenue.
Who are PayPal's competitors?
Main competitors in United States include stripe.com, block.xyz.
How does PayPal make money?
Mainly transaction fees, merchant services, venmo fees.
Is PayPal publicly traded?
PayPal's ownership: Public company.
How many visitors does PayPal get?
Third-party estimates place PayPal at roughly 480 million visits per month, mostly from United States, with 82% mobile traffic.
Is PayPal safe?
PayPal is an established finance & banking site founded in 1998 and ranked #26 in United States; use the official domain paypal.com and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementspaypal.com
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
Visit figures are modelled, not measured
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Press and market coverageUnited States and international business media
- Data confidence
- Medium for company facts, medium-low for traffic and financial estimates. All modelled figures are rounded and marked with ≈.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or derived from sector benchmarks, and are reviewed periodically.
Social media profiles & statistics
Official brand account
Announcements and support
Community and campaigns
Company and hiring updates
Brand and product videos