If you already use PayPal for online shopping or paying friends, you’ll be pleased to know you can also use it to pay your email account subscription.
If you’re not familiar with PayPal, it’s an excellent alternative to credit and debit cards, and comes with a range of benefits and buyer protections that most card options do not.
What is PayPal?
PayPal is an easy and secure way to make payments online — without needing to pull out your card or re-enter your details each time. Once you’ve set it up, you can manage your payment details in one place through your PayPal account.
To explain how it works…
- When you pay for something online with your card, you usually need to type in your long card number, the expiry date, and the little code on the back. That information is then sent securely to the seller so they can process your payment.
- With PayPal, it works a bit differently. You give your card details once to PayPal and they keep them safe. After that, when you pay a bill or shop online by selecting PayPal at the checkout, PayPal will pay the seller on your behalf (drawing funds from your nominated card or bank account), so the seller never sees your card number.
Image created by The Messaging Company based on inspiration from this source. Original source unknown.
How many Australians use PayPal?
Many Australians already use PayPal when paying or shopping online. According to GetApp, 71 per cent of Australians say it is their preferred way to pay online. Roy Morgan’s 2025 Trusted Brand Awards also recognised PayPal as Australia’s Most Trusted Brand for Payments, Cards and Loans for the fifth year in a row.
These findings show that PayPal has become a familiar and reliable choice for people across the country.
What’s so good about PayPal?
PayPal has several advantages. Here are some of the main ones, with real-life examples.
1. Keep your details in one place
With PayPal, you only provide your card details once. After that, PayPal handles the rest.
Neil’s story
Neil is busy with work and family, and when his card was recently replaced, he spent hours updating payment details across different accounts. Now he uses PayPal to keep everything in one place, and updating only in that one central place has saved him time and stress.
2. Reduce failed payments
PayPal may help reduce failed payments compared to cards. One reason is that when you update your card details in PayPal, those details are then used for all future payments. This can mean payments are more likely to go through without issues.
Rosemary’s story
Rosemary manages most of her bills online. She once had a card payment fail when a bill was due, which caused her stress and a $25. late fee. Since moving her payments to PayPal, she has not incurred any late payment fees and feels more confident that her payments will go through smoothly.
3. Buyer protection
When you pay with PayPal, your personal bank or card details are not shared with sellers. In addition, if something goes wrong, such as your order not arriving or being very different from what you expected, you can open a dispute and may receive a refund.
4. Trusted and secure
PayPal has been around for decades and is trusted by millions of people in Australia and overseas. That history gives many people extra confidence when they are paying online.
Behind the scenes, PayPal also uses security tools to help protect accounts. For example, not only are your card or bank details kept private, but you can add an extra step such as a code sent to your phone if you want more protection when logging in.
Annette’s story
Annette worries about scams and had once been tricked by a fake website. She now feels more confident using PayPal because she added the optional step of a code sent to her phone when logging in. It reassures her that even if someone tried to guess her password, they would not be able to get into her account.
5. Convenient and flexible
PayPal works across thousands of online stores, and let’s you send money to friends, family, or anyone – using just their email address. For many, it’s easier than typing out bank details or remembering BSBs.
6. Widely accepted
PayPal is accepted by many online businesses, from large retailers to smaller operators with an online presence. In Australia, you can sometimes also use PayPal to pay bills, including through Australia Post’s Post Billpay service.
7. Fast growth among older users
During COVID-19, people over 50 were the fastest-growing group of PayPal users. Many older Australians started shopping online or sending money digitally because it was safer and more convenient.
To learn more about PayPal, visit their official site here.
Secure payments with The Messaging Company
Whether you pay by card, direct debit, or PayPal, be assured that we handle your payment details with care. We use a PCI-DSS Level 1 service provider, which is the highest standard set by the Payment Card Industry for managing payment information. This means your card or bank details are processed securely and are not shared with us directly.
To make things easier, your payment method is stored so that your subscription can renew automatically and you don’t have to worry about scam emails asking you to pay us manually.
If you would prefer not to keep a payment method on file, you can email us from your registered email account to request its removal. We usually action these requests within five business days. (Please note that if your account does not have a payment method on file when your renewal is due, your email service may be interrupted.)
How to update your payment method with us
You can update your payment method at any time. For a step by step guide on how to update your details, see our support page here.