How to Buy PayPal Holdings Inc. (PYPL) Stock

Before you can buy stocks and funds, you’ll usually need to open an account with a broker. A broker is a financial service company that provides retail investors with access to a trading platform they can use to buy and sell securities. When you decide to buy or sell a share of stock like PYPL, you’ll place an order through your broker’s platform, which your broker will then execute on your behalf.

Different brokers cater to different audiences, classes of traders, types of investments and more. Some of the factors you might want to consider when you decide which broker you might want to work with might include:

• Minimum account balances. Some brokers require minimum initial deposits to open an account — and if you don’t maintain your broker’s minimum balance, you might be subject to maintenance fees or other penalties. If you don’t have much money to invest right now, search for a broker that offers $0 minimums when opening an account.
• Commissions. Though it’s now possible to invest without paying anything in commission, you shouldn’t assume that all brokers have axed all of their fees. Be sure you understand all of the account maintenance fees and commissions your broker charges before you open an account. Note that commissions often vary between broker platforms and assets.
• Type of platform. If you’re a new investor or you’ve never traded stocks actively before, you may want to choose a broker that focuses on providing a simple and easily navigable platform. If you have experience trading or you’re already familiar with how to buy stocks, we recommend working with a broker that offers extended operating hours and a wider selection of platform tools.
• Access to additional markets. Virtually every broker offering access to customers in the United States will allow you to buy PayPal stock. However, some brokers have taken market access a step further, allowing you to buy and sell options, cryptocurrencies, futures contracts and other types of securities with a single account. If access to these markets are important to you, you may want to consider searching for a broker that provides you with a single place to buy and sell all the investments you’re interested in.

Next, you’ll need to decide how many shares of PayPal stock you want to buy. Take a look at the current market price of PYPL and monitor how it’s changing over time. Remember that if you can’t afford a full share of PYPL, your broker will likely allow you to invest in fractional shares. 

After you decide how many shares of stock you want to buy, you need to decide which type of order you want to use. Your order type tells your broker when you’d like your order to be executed and the price you’re willing to pay for each share of stock you buy. Some of the most common types of orders your broker might provide can include:

• Market buy. A market buy tells your broker that you want to buy a set number of shares of stock at the current market rate. The price you’ll pay per share may vary above or below the price you see on your trading platform as the market fluctuates.
• Limit buy. A limit buy tells your broker that you want to buy a set number of shares of stock at or below a “limit” price that you choose. For example, if you set a limit order to buy PYPL at a price of $250, your broker would only execute the order if it was possible to invest in PYPL at this price or below.
• Stop order. A stop order tells your broker that you want to buy a set number of shares of stock only if the price of the stock rises above a certain level. For example, if PYPL is trading at a price of $250 a share, you might set a stop order with a stop price of $270. If the price of PYPL reaches $270, your order will be converted to a market order and executed. 

Double-check that the details on your order are correct, then submit your order to your broker to execute. If the broker is able to execute your order according to your instructions, you’ll see the shares of stock in your investment portfolio. If the broker cannot execute your order, it may expire at the end of the trading day.