Side by side
PayPal Debit Card vs Charles Schwab
PayPal Debit Card
47 positive (85%) · 5 mixed (9%) · 3 negative (5%)
Trust + time weighted: +80%
AI summary — not a quote
The PayPal Debit Card is highly regarded in the credit card community as a 'sleeper' pick for its 5% cashback on a user-selected category. It is particularly valued for its broad definition of 'groceries,' which includes major retailers like Costco, Walmart, and Target—stores often excluded from traditional grocery category rewards. While it requires more manual maintenance than a standard credit card, it offers a high reward rate with no credit check.
Pros
- 5% cashback on a selected category up to $1,000 in monthly spend.
- Unusually broad grocery category that includes Costco, Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs.
- No credit check required for approval as it is a debit card.
- Instant cashback rewards rather than waiting for a monthly statement.
Cons
- Requires manual category selection every single month via the PayPal app.
- Users must manage account funding or set up auto-reloads to ensure transactions aren't declined.
- Some users report technical issues with the card or specific categories (like utilities) not appearing for everyone.
Top excerpts
PayPal Debit Card - 5% Restaurants ($1,000/month) . . . Big sleeper is the PayPal Debit. I love this community; shout out to the commenter that put me on to this card.
I'd definitely add the PayPal debit card to your quiver. It'll get 5% back on a selected category up to $1000/Mo in purchases. ... No credit hit (since it is a debit card) and instant cashback.
The common recommendation for PayPal Debit is groceries (and it includes Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs as grocery)
While Amex is nice to have, stuff like PayPal Debit and the Kroger card I have would mostly be able to replace it in terms of grocery spend.
Your shopping is ideal for PayPal Debit (5% at all those stores)
Charles Schwab
24 positive (80%) · 4 mixed (13%) · 2 negative (7%)
Trust + time weighted: +63%
AI summary — not a quote
Charles Schwab is highly recommended by the Reddit community, particularly within travel and personal finance circles, as a premier choice for international banking and low-cost investing. Its standout feature is the Investor Checking account, which provides unlimited worldwide ATM fee rebates and no foreign transaction fees, making it a staple for digital nomads and frequent travelers. Beyond banking, it is frequently cited alongside Fidelity and Vanguard as a top-tier institution for IRAs and index fund investing due to its low fee structure and reputable customer service.
Pros
- Unlimited worldwide ATM fee rebates
- No foreign transaction fees on debit card usage
- No account minimums or monthly maintenance fees
- Reliable 24/7 phone support and customer service
Cons
- Opening a checking account usually requires opening a parallel brokerage account
- Occasional reports of rigid or inconsistent security verification procedures during account lockouts
Top excerpts
It's basically a thinly veiled shit advertisement for Schwab, whatever that is. ... OP allegedly failed several security questions (after a lot of back and forth, no less), gets locked out of the account, calls them back an unknown number of days later and magically gets into the account with the same responses to the security questions.
Either Schwab is shit at security, OP is shit at story telling, or OP is simply lying. Probably all three.
Schwab doesn't charge you to purchase something internationally, but they may make you pay worse conversion rates to compensate.
Not American, but I heard Schwab avoids a conversion fee, but I'm not sure how much they markup the exchange rate. In any case pay with your card as much as possible.
For travelers, Schwab is the best. No foreign transaction fees and no ATM fees and it's a free account.