Searching “US phone number for PayPal” usually means one of two things. Your US PayPal account still has a number you no longer use, or a login or check is asking for a code you can’t receive abroad. A TripoSIM US number solves both: it receives PayPal’s code in the app wherever you have internet. This post covers how to add it, what PayPal’s help pages say about phone numbers, and how to set up a second login step.

What does PayPal say about adding and confirming a phone number?

PayPal’s help pages, checked in October 2026, describe a simple flow:

  1. Go to Settings, then the Phone Numbers section, and choose Add New (PayPal Help).
  2. Enter the number and choose its phone type (PayPal Help: confirm my phone number).
  3. Choose whether PayPal should text you a code or call you.
  4. Enter the code and confirm. PayPal says the code “expires in 15 minutes from the time it’s issued”.
  5. Optionally set the number as your primary number.

Two details matter if you live abroad. First, you can only remove a phone number if you have at least two on the account. Add and confirm the new number before you try to remove the old one. Second, PayPal offers a call as well as a text, which helps if a text does not arrive.

Will a US virtual number work for PayPal?

Yes, the TripoSIM number does. It receives verification codes (OTP SMS) from apps, and PayPal sent its code to a TripoSIM US number in TripoSIM’s test on October 3, 2026, one of 22 apps TripoSIM tested from October 3 to 18, 2026.

The number lives in the TripoSIM app and works over Wi-Fi or mobile data, so PayPal’s text reaches you abroad, and PayPal’s call option rings in the app too. You can look up other apps in our app check tool. For PayPal, Wise and banks together, see the guide to verification codes, and for the number type, our explainer on what a VoIP number is.

Can I keep a US PayPal account if I live abroad?

Check this before you worry about the phone number. PayPal’s help center says “you can’t change your address to a country that is different from the country you used when you opened your account”, and “If you’re moving abroad, you’ll need to close your existing account and open a new account” (PayPal Help). It also says you can have two PayPal accounts, only one of them a business account, if you keep homes in two countries.

So a US number does not turn PayPal into a US account. If you have moved for good, follow PayPal’s process for your new country and use a mobile number from there. If you still keep a US home and are abroad for a while, a reachable US number helps you keep the account’s contact details working.

How do I add a second login step?

PayPal offers login steps that do not depend on texts. Add one next to your phone number:

  1. Create a passkey. PayPal says a passkey lets you log in “using the same biometrics, PIN, or password you use to unlock your device”. It lists supported devices, such as iOS 16 or later and Android 9 or later, and says passkeys are available for eligible accounts (PayPal Help: passkeys). If the option does not appear for you, your account may not be included yet.
  2. Use an authenticator app for 2-step verification. PayPal’s 2-step verification page names Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator as examples, set up under Settings, then Security (PayPal Help: 2-step verification).
  3. Keep your number on PayPal active. A number you stop paying for can be reassigned. Our guide to number recycling and account security explains the risk.
  4. Request codes once. Wait for the timer, then choose the call option instead of requesting text after text.

When is the TripoSIM number a good fit for PayPal?

It fits when you want PayPal’s codes on a US number while you live abroad, and it also gives you calls with US contacts, voicemail and texts from US and Canadian senders. It receives texts but cannot send them, and it cannot call 911. If you are weighing options, see how to get a US phone number from abroad, or go straight to the plans.

Bottom line

PayPal confirms phone numbers with a code by text or call, and the TripoSIM US number receives it: PayPal sent its code to the number in TripoSIM’s test on October 3, 2026. Keep your PayPal account in your real country, keep the number active, and add a passkey or authenticator app as a second login step.