How is my application for Pay in 4 evaluated?

Our decisioning process is automated and we evaluate information such as the information you provided within your application and information about your usage and history with PayPal. We may also use external bureau data to evaluate your application.

Will applying for Pay in 4 impact my credit score?

No. Applying for Pay in 4 will not impact your credit score. A soft credit check may be needed, but it will not affect your credit score.

Why was my Pay in 4 application declined?

If your application gets declined, you can still use PayPal to check out securely with other payment methods in your wallet. We will send you a message in the PayPal Message Center explaining why your application wasn’t approved.

Our Customer Service team can’t see your decline explanation reason(s) and cannot review loan applications.

If you would like to better understand why you may have been declined and potential ways to increase future eligibility after reviewing your secure message center notification, visit What are some things I can do that impact my Pay Later eligibility?.

I was preapproved so why was my Pay in 4 application declined?

Preapproval is not a guarantee of approval as disclosed in the application process. For privacy reasons, only you can see why your application was declined. We have sent a letter with the details and reasons your application was declined to your PayPal Message Center.

I see a prequalified amount for Pay in 4, what does that mean?

A Pay in 4 prequalified amount is an estimate of how much you can spend with Pay in 4 on your next purchase. You only pay back what you borrow. Prequalification does not guarantee approval. You must still apply and be approved for Pay in 4 during checkout.

The prequalified amount may change or even go away as it is based on a number of factors, including but not limited to account status, current loan balance, and repayment history.

Not all customers will see a prequalified amount.

My prequalified Pay in 4 amount does not match what I want to spend.

 The pre-qualified amount is an estimate. Your individual Pay in 4 application may be approved for a different amount. You do not have to use the entire prequalified amount shown.