# PayPal Pools: how they work, limits and fees Canonical URL: https://www.evenoutapp.com/guides/paypal-pools Updated: 2026-10-06 A PayPal pool collects money from a group for a purchase such as a gift or a trip. The creator needs a PayPal Balance account, a verified identity and an account in good standing, and can run 5 active pools of up to $20,000 each. Contributors need no PayPal account. All the money belongs to the creator, and PayPal bars charity and fundraising pools. Key points: - A pool holds up to $20,000, one person can have 5 active pools, and a pool can stay open for up to one year in the US. - The creator needs a PayPal Balance account, identity verification and an account in good standing. Contributors need no PayPal account. - Creating a pool is free. Contributing from a PayPal balance or a US bank has no cost, while credit and debit card contributions carry fees. - All money in the pool belongs to the creator, who always sees each contributor's name and amount. Contributors can hide theirs from everyone else. - On a $360 gift pool, an instant transfer to a bank costs $6.30 at 1.75%. A standard transfer to a bank is free. ## What is a PayPal pool? PayPal describes pools as "a way for you to pool money together for group purchases, such as a camping trip or upcoming travel plans". As of October 2026 they are still offered in the US. PayPal lists group-funded birthday presents, wedding gifts, honeymoon funds, social events, club activities and group trips as typical uses. One rule shapes everything else: "All money in the pool belongs to the pool creator." The pool is a collection point, and the creator decides what happens to the money. ## How do you create a pool and get the money out? On PayPal.com the steps are short: 1. Go to Send & Request and choose pool money in the side menu. 2. Name the pool, add a description and an end date, and set a goal amount if you want one. 3. Select Agree and Create. 4. Share the pool link. Contributors can chip in without a PayPal account. In the app, the path is Send, then Pool, then Start Pooling, then a name, then the details. To take the money out, open the pool details screen and tap "Transfer money to your PayPal balance". Enter an amount up to the pool's available balance, review it and confirm. From the balance you can spend, send it to friends or family, or move it to your bank. ## What are the limits and rules? The limits are short and specific: - **Who can create one.** You need a PayPal Balance account, identity verification and an account in good standing. - **How big.** One pool can collect a maximum of $20,000, and one person can have 5 active pools. - **How long.** A pool can stay open for up to one year in the US. The creator can change the end date and the optional goal at any point, and can close the pool early. - **Who can contribute.** Anyone, with or without PayPal. Contributors can hide their name and amount from the group, but the creator always sees both. - **What it cannot be used for.** Charity and other fundraising. The Acceptable Use Policy applies, and any pool can be reported from its page. ## What does a PayPal pool cost? Creating a pool is free, and so is moving pooled money into your own PayPal balance. A standard transfer from there to a bank account is free too. As of October 2026, PayPal's fee page lists an instant transfer out at 1.75%, with a $0.25 minimum and a $25 maximum. For contributors, PayPal says paying from a PayPal balance or a US bank account has no cost. Friends who do not use PayPal can chip in with a credit or debit card, and fees apply to those card transactions. International fees apply to contributions sent from outside the US. Take a worked example. Say 10 people chip in $36 each for a $360 gift. - **Collected:** 10 times $36 is $360, which is under the $20,000 cap. - **Moved to the creator's balance:** no cost. - **Standard transfer to a bank:** no cost. - **Instant transfer to a bank:** 1.75% of $360 is $6.30, which sits between the $0.25 minimum and the $25 maximum. Nine people paying from a PayPal balance and one using a card means the card payment carries a fee and the other nine do not. ## Who should run the pool? Choose someone the whole group trusts, because the money is theirs until they spend it. If the creator moves the $360 into a personal balance on Friday and buys the gift on Sunday, the group relies on that person for two days. If a stranger asks you to chip into a pool, treat it like any other request from someone you do not know. [PayPal Friends and Family scams](https://www.evenoutapp.com/guides/paypal-friends-and-family-scams) explains the red flags in payments between people, and [how to request money on PayPal](https://www.evenoutapp.com/guides/how-to-request-money-on-paypal) covers the plain request route. ## When is a pool the wrong tool? A pool fits one purchase with a known total. It does not track a running split. When costs keep coming and several people pay for different things, a ledger works better. EvenOut keeps who paid and who owes in one group, and "Settle up" records the payments. EvenOut does not hold or move money, so people still pay through PayPal or another way. Cash App has its own version, described in [Cash App Pools](https://www.evenoutapp.com/guides/cash-app-pools), and [collecting money for a group gift](https://www.evenoutapp.com/guides/how-to-collect-money-for-a-group-gift) compares the options for a one-off collection. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can a PayPal pool be used for charity or a fundraiser? No. PayPal says you cannot use a pool to raise money for charity or for other fundraising purposes. Its listed uses are group-funded birthday presents, wedding gifts, honeymoon funds, social events, club activities and group trips. A pool that breaks the Acceptable Use Policy can be reported from the pool page. ### Can I keep taking contributions after the goal is reached? Yes. PayPal says people can contribute until you close the pool, even past the goal, and the goal amount is optional. A pool closes on its end date, though organizers can update the end date at any point, up to one year in the US, and can close a pool early. ### What currency does a PayPal pool collect in? PayPal says all received money is collected in the primary currency of your PayPal account. International fees apply to contributions sent from outside the US, so check the fee page before asking friends abroad to chip in. ### Can I use a pool to split a bill after it is paid? A pool collects money before a purchase. For a bill that is already paid, PayPal's Split a bill on PayPal.com creates a money request for each person you pick. It runs from Pay & Get Paid, then Get Paid, then Split a bill. ## Sources - PayPal Help: What are pools? - PayPal: Pool money - PayPal: Fees (last updated May 19, 2026) - PayPal Help: How do I split a bill using PayPal?