Tread with caution - Anonymous employee PayPal Employee Review

3.0
4 May 2019
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Plenty of interesting projects. Company doing well so equity is great investment. Company Mission of democratizing financial services is a priority and customer is put first which is great. Very inclusive culture. Many smart people at the company and every 5 years you earn a month off on sabbatical!

Cons

Work life balance is terrible because of my manager signing the team up for way too much. Other teams are better so be careful with what team you accept a job from at PayPal. Despite being a startup cannot move up quickly despite what HR tells you when interviewing. Matrixed and political promotions like at a bigger Fortune 500 company so plan for that and do not accept a level less than your experience level as you will regret it. Do NOT allow HR / recruiters to underhire you because 2-3 years for promotion regardless of work. 1% yearly salary increase is the norm so be prepared to be paid in equity vesting over 3 year periods at 1/3 per year.

Explore other reviews about PayPal

5.0
15 May 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good company to work for, good work life balance

Cons

They should have more developers than other titles.

2.0
13 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

PayPal has a lot of potential. It has two very strong brands in PayPal and Venmo with significant awareness and user bases that other companies envy. There are pockets of teams that are really pushing the envelop to reimagine what PayPal and Venmo could be—especially the Venmo team—and to move with speed given the company must stay focused and not waste time with Apple Pay, Shop Pay, and so many other competitors nipping at PayPal's heels and aggressively taking market share.

Cons

While some teams are pushing to self-disrupt and are moving fast, too many teams—and I'd argue the majority of the company–are living off of PayPal's laurels from the late 2010s through the pandemic. The culture and mindset have to change for the company to remain competitive. Otherwise, they are the Titanic and they're sinking slowly. The former CEO who only last 2 years tried diversifying the company's revenue, planning for the future. But the board and its former chairman (now new CEO) felt he wasn't moving fast enough to stabilize and marketshare. Instead, the board hired the former chairman who made computers and printers at HP—another sinking ship—to lead the oldest fintech company. The loss of confidence in the leadership team and the strategy are only accelerating.

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