Questions about Pay in 3 applications

How is my application for Pay in 3 assessed?

Our decision-making process is automated. We assess your financial position using information about your usage and history with PayPal to decide whether Pay in 3 is suitable for you. We may run a “soft” credit check with an external credit reference agency when you apply if we need more information to make our decision. This “soft” search will only be visible to you and will not affect your credit score.

Will applying for Pay in 3 impact my credit score?

No. Applying for Pay in 3 will not impact your credit score. A “soft” credit check may be needed, but it will not affect your credit score.

However, if you are approved and use Pay in 3 for your purchase, we do share some data on your repayment history with TransUnion. This will include information like your loan amount and payment history (Including missed payments). The data shared may impact your credit file, it will also be visible to other companies, which may impact your ability to obtain credit from other lenders and the cost of accessing it. Missing payment may also affect your ability to use us in the future.

For more information on repayments, please visit Questions about Pay in 3 repayments.

More information is available in our Pay in 3 Terms & Conditions.

My Pay in 3 application has been declined. Why?

Our decision process is automated. We assess your financial position using a combination of the information you provide in your application and information about your usage and history with PayPal to decide if Pay in 3 is suitable for you now.

If your application gets declined, you can still use PayPal to check out securely with other payment methods in your PayPal wallet. The reason may have been provided to you on your application decision page directly, or we may send you a PayPal email explaining why your application didn't go through.

If you would like to better understand why you may have been declined and potential ways to increase future eligibility, visit What are some things I can do that impact my Pay in 3 eligibility?

What does the eligible amount for Pay in 3 mean? 

The Pay in 3 eligible amount is an estimate of how much you can spend with Pay in 3 on eligible purchases between £20 and £3,000 based on your account status, payment history and other factors and may change over time or even go away. You only pay back what you borrow.

Not all customers will see a Pay in 3  eligible amount.

My Pay in 3 eligible amount does not match what I want to spend. 

The eligible amount is an estimate. Your individual Pay in 3 application may be approved for a different amount. You may still be declined for Pay in 3 after fraud, compliance and final creditworthiness checks, as well as checks on any recent activity on your account.

You do not have to use the entire amount shown, and you’ll only pay back what you spend. 

I don’t want to continue my Pay in 3 loan. Can I withdraw from my loan agreement?

If you withdraw from your Pay in 3 loan, you will have to repay us any amounts outstanding on your loan as soon as possible and within 30 days of telling us.

You have fourteen (14) calendar days to withdraw, starting from the day after you make your purchase with Pay in 3. You must inform us of your decision to withdraw by contacting us online at www.paypal.com/uk by selecting ‘Help” and then “contact us”. You can find details in the Additional Product Information Section of your Pay in 3 agreement.

Alternatively, if you wish to return your items for a refund, refer to Questions about Pay in 3 repayments.