Paypal vs Skrill – which one is better?

If you are looking for a digital payment option and have narrowed down your choice to Paypal and Skrill, you are at the right place. For those wanting to know the pros and cons of these two payment methods, we offer a quick PayPal vs Skrill overview. 

Paypal vs Skrill Key Takeaways

• Paypal general overview
• Skrill general overview
• Security 
• Availability
• Registration
• Customer support
• Pros and Cons
• Paypal vs Skrill: Bottom line

General Overview: Paypal

Paypal is the leader in online payment in the world. It is also one of the oldest. Created in 2000, the service seduced customers very quickly. Today, more than 100 million users across more than 200 countries have a Paypal account. This digital wallet is particularly reliable, very secure, and allows us to pay on most online sales sites.

It is appreciated for its practicality, very simple to use, and for its competitive costs. Since then, some competitors have offered a lower price, but Paypal is still competitive, at least for customers. For sellers, it’s a different story, and the fees are higher than with many other POS systems.

General overview: Skrill

Skrill is also one of the most popular payment methods in the world of e-commerce. Less known than Paypal, it is nonetheless one of the most used electronic wallets in the world. 

The first Skrill prepaid card dates back to 2009, an eternity in the computer world. And this assembly dates from the partnership agreements with eBay. What could be better than receiving payment for items sold and being able to use the money collected directly on a credit card? The Paypal giant does not allow this. And this is precisely where Skrill is so much better. In 2013, Skrill acquired Paysafecard, which is the European leader in online prepaid payment methods.

Security

Is Skrill safe? The security of the Skrill payment system is optimal. There is only a risk of losing money if you pay on a fraudulent site, but it will never have access to your main bank account. Signing up is quick and easy; transfers are instant from one Skrill account to another. This is a solution that has been proven for a long time. Choosing Skrill means choosing security for a digital wallet that allows you to send, spend, and receive money online and pay at global merchants. It is a fast and safe way to make international payments with money transfers that cost no more than 10 euros.

The Paypal security is excellent since we never again transmit our credit card numbers to the sites where we place an order. We only give our email address linked to Paypal, and that’s it. Our bank account can be linked to our Paypal account to facilitate exchanges, and the 3D Secure protocol for Visa and Mastercard is then relevant. In short, Paypal is the leader, and its usefulness and seriousness are no longer to be proven.

Security is one of the main strengths of Paypal’s online payment service. And for a good reason, we give nothing more to a buyer or seller than the email address linked to our Paypal account. Therefore, our bank details never enter the loop and are perfectly protected. To connect to Paypal, you must enter your password at each visit. There is a timeout, and the page resets after a few minutes of non-use. You must then enter your identifiers again to connect.

Skrill account opening and fees

Apart from the ten euros for a bank card, Skrill registration is free. You can make payments with the funds you have loaded on the card. It allows you to have full control over your expenses. It is a simple, very fast, and widely used solution worldwide that allows you to receive payments directly on your bank card.

Skrill is an international tool that makes transferring funds between two accounts much easier. The free Skrill Mobile application allows you to enjoy many advantages anywhere in the world. Fees are reduced to only 10 euros per year, and free money transfers for sending and receiving.

Skrill is also an interesting solution to separate money for different expenses since the card is prepaid. That is the case for online gamblers who know exactly where they are with their spending. Users do not have to expose their banking information to merchants or gambling sites. 

The fees are clear and transparent, and with the VIP program, these fees go almost to zero.

Using Skrill, there is no need for a credit or debit card. One can have a regular bank account and make and receive payments.

Paypal account opening and fees

First of all, you should know that it is not necessarily necessary to open a Paypal account to make single or one-time payments. Indeed, Paypal can provide you with identifiers to make your payment, and the service will be free. If you want to use Paypal regularly, then it is preferable to open an account. Here’s how.

You must first follow the registration procedure. You are asked for a lot of personal information, including your age. The service is reserved for people aged 18 and over. Do not lie. It is useless since you will have to validate your identity.

You will have to give an email address, your user ID, and choose a password as complicated as possible. We then accept the terms of use of the site and the privacy policy, and we validate our registration.

The account is then opened, but it will have to be confirmed. For this, you must register a bank card. A few cents will then be withdrawn from your bank account, and you will have to give the exact amount of the withdrawal to validate the card.

As a classic user, simply pay for purchases through Paypal, and you will not pay any fees. All services are completely free. Regardless of the merchant site, you will simply pay the price of your purchase, and you do not give anything to Paypal.

Sending money to a friend is again completely free, as long as you use the same currency.

Customer service

Paypal has very good customer service. You can first find many answers on the forum of the site or the Facebook page. Secure messaging gives us the ability to get answers that are generally quite quick. Finally, by phone, Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., you will come across an adviser who is always friendly.

Skrill customer support is very agile and easily reachable. You can visit the FAQ section on their website for your queries and troubleshooting. Also, you can get their support via phone or email. If there are security issues, it’s best to contact them directly via phone number. Their customer service is also reachable through their social media accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Availability

Today, Skrill is available in 200 countries and trades in 40 currencies. Millions of users use it daily. When you receive a payment on Paypal, you must transfer the money to your account or use it for online payment. At Skrill, you can pay directly at your bakery or your favorite bar without having to transfer anything. The best!

And it’s not over. We have discussed, on other pages, the evolution of Veritas Card or Lydia towards the neobank. For the moment, Skrill has not planned anything in this direction. But, and we trust you to go and see on the pages in question, the price of credit cards and the cost of using these cards at the two neo banks mentioned above are quite high. At Skrill, a blue card costs only €10 a year. And all money transfers are free, both when sending and when receiving.

Pros and cons

It depends on your expectations regarding which payment service you will finally choose. However, let’s look at each service’s main pros and cons. 

PayPal Pros

Paypal is a reliable and perfectly secure payment service.

Bank details are never shared.

We love the speed of transactions that are done almost instantly.

It’s discreet. You can have money in your Paypal account and use it without our bank knowing.

Paypal Cons

Currency exchange is not advantageous.

No prepaid cards like at Neteller or Skrill to spend your money in physical stores or online stores that do not use Paypal.

Paypal is a Luxembourg bank, meaning your transactions are not anonymous. If a European country wishes to take a look, they can do so.

Skrill pros

There aren’t deposit fees when opening an account at Skrill

It’s a simple and secure wallet to manage, hold and send your funds

Skrill cons

Skrill is not so popular and broadly used as Paypal

There is an inactive account fee applied if you don’t use your account after twelve months

Paypal vs Skrill: Bottom Line

Both payment services are highly reputable. What could make a difference are various fees. So it’s necessary to check them before opening your account. Also, your choice will depend on what would be the purpose of your account. If it’s mainly for online shopping, we advise using Paypal since almost all online shops accept it. For those only searching for a low fees wallet connected to their debit card, Skrill could be the best option.