PayPal Expands P2P Offerings With PayPal Links

PayPal has debuted a peer-to-peer payment offering called PayPal links.

This new method lets users send and receive funds via a personalized, one-time link that can be shared in any conversation, the payments giant said Monday (Sept. 15), noting it arrival comes on the heels of the company’s PayPal World cross-border payment platform.

“Whether you’re texting, messaging or emailing, now your money follows your conversations,” Diego Scotti, general manager of PayPal’s consumer group, said in a news release. “Combined with PayPal World, it’s an unbeatable value proposition, showing up where people connect, making it effortless to pay your friends and family, no matter where they are or what app they’re using.”

According to the release, the service works by letting users create personalized links after opening the PayPal app, entering the details of their payment and request, and generating a unique, one-time link to share.

Each link is private, and designed for one-time use for a specific transaction. Links can be sent in texts, direct messages, emails or chat. Links that go unclaimed expire after 10 days, with funds immediately accessible.

The release added that this service is available now for PayPal users in the U.S., with expansion into the U.K., Italy and other markets set to begin later in the month. The company said it also plans to integrate crypto into PayPal’s new P2P payment flow soon.

As PYMNTS noted in a report earlier this year, P2P payment platforms have gained popularity, particularly among younger consumers who appreciate quick and seamless transactions.

Research by PYMNTS Intelligence shows that these groups are more attracted to digital-first payments and use them for both online and in-store purchases. That same research found that 53% of consumers aged 18-25 and half of those aged 26-41 use P2P apps more frequently because of economic pressures such as inflation. This has caused platforms like Zelle to enjoy growth of 27%, while traditional credit and debit payments grew by 3%.

“The rise in use has led to the emergence of the super app trend, where companies integrate P2P payments into service offerings,” PYMNTS reported. “For example, social platform X and influencer marketing platform Lydia have either incorporated or plan to integrate payment services into their product ecosystems. According to the report, 70% of consumers, particularly those with higher incomes, expressed interest in using a super app.”