
PayPal's stock has been on a rollercoaster ride in recent years, with its earnings reports often causing market fluctuations.
In the latest earnings transcript, PayPal's management expressed optimism about the company's future prospects, citing its growing user base and increasing adoption of digital payments.
PayPal's revenue growth has been steady, with the company's net payment volume (NPV) increasing by 20% year-over-year in the latest quarter.
The company's leadership believes that its focus on innovation and customer experience will continue to drive growth and profitability in the future.
Q1 2021 Earnings Call
During the Q1 2021 Earnings Call, PayPal's President and CEO Dan Schulman reported that the company's total payment volume grew 31% year-over-year to $312 billion.
The company's net revenue for Q1 2021 was $6.3 billion, a 21% increase from Q1 2020.
PayPal's active account base grew 15% year-over-year to 426 million.
The company's Venmo platform saw a 56% increase in payment volume year-over-year, reaching $230 billion.
PayPal's transaction revenue for Q1 2021 was $6.1 billion, up 26% from Q1 2020.
The company's net income for Q1 2021 was $1.1 billion, a 24% increase from Q1 2020.
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PayPal Stock Performance
PayPal's active accounts grew 1% from a year earlier to 432 million in Q3, marking the first year-over-year increase since the second quarter of 2023.
The company added one million new debit card users after introducing a new loyalty rewards program in September.
PayPal's transaction margin dollars are expected to grow by a mid-single-digit percentage, up from prior guidance of low to mid-single digit growth.
The stock rose 7.7% to 63.36 in midday trading after the Q3 earnings report.
PayPal repurchased $1.8 billion of its own stock in Q3, showing confidence in the company's future growth.
PayPal Stock: Braintree
PayPal's Braintree strategy has been making headlines, especially with recent price hikes for its clients like Uber, Airbnb, and DoorDash. Analysts had debated the impact of these price hikes on PayPal's earnings.
Braintree's transaction margins and profitability are improving thanks to these price hikes. However, this may lead to lower payment volumes and revenue in the near-term.
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PayPal's Chief Executive Alex Chriss believes they're making progress with their pricing strategy, citing two consecutive quarters of meaningful contribution to transaction margin dollar growth. Braintree is now contributing to PayPal's growth.
Chriss expects Braintree's payment volume and revenue to continue declining in 2025. This is a significant change for the company.
PayPal is innovating and bringing new services to the table, such as Fastlane and an ads platform, to strengthen its partnerships with merchants. This is part of Chriss's big changes since taking the helm in late September 2023.
PayPal Stock Buyback
PayPal has been actively repurchasing its own stock, with a notable $1.8 billion repurchase in Q3. This move is a clear indication of the company's confidence in its own value.
Transaction margin dollars are expected to grow by a mid-single-digit percentage, a significant increase from the previously forecasted low to mid-single digit growth.
Financial Metrics
PayPal reported $6.5 billion in revenue for the quarter, a 7.5% growth YoY, which is the lowest in the last 5 years.
The company's revenue growth rate of 7.5% is slower than the Total Payment Volume (TPV) growth rate of 13.1%. This is due to a lower Take Rate compared to Q1 2021.
The Total Payment Volume (TPV) grew 13.1% YoY, with TPV excluding eBay growing 17% YoY. The management previously guided for 19-22% YoY growth in TPV for the full year of 2022, but has since slashed this guidance to 13-15%.
GAAP Operating Income declined 32% from Q1 2021, with Transaction expense and Transaction and credit losses increasing at a faster pace than revenues. The Transaction Margin, a measure of PayPal's gross profitability, declined to 50.9%, the lowest level in the last five years with the exception of Q1 2020.
PayPal reported $509 million in GAAP Net Income, a 53.6% decline from Q1 2021, and $1.03 billion in non-GAAP Net Income, a 29% decline from Q1 2021.
PayPal Stock Ratings
PayPal's Fastlane guest checkout is generating buzz, and analysts are optimistic about its potential in 2025. This innovative checkout process doesn't require users to create PayPal accounts.
PayPal has partnered with Adyen, Fiserv, and Global Payments to expand its reach, and has also strengthened ties with e-commerce firm Shopify.
PayPal's stock has a Relative Strength Rating of 92 out of 99, according to IBD Stock Check-up. This suggests strong performance in the market.
An investor day planned for late February will be a key catalyst for understanding PayPal's medium- and long-term financial profile.
Total Payment Volume
PayPal reported a Total Payment Volume of $323 billion in Q1 2022, which is a 13.1% year-over-year growth rate, the slowest in the last five years.
The company's growth rate was initially guided to be 19-22% YoY, but this was later slashed to 13-15%. This change in guidance suggests that the company is being more conservative in its expectations.
The Total Payment Volume excluding eBay grew 17% YoY, indicating that PayPal's services are still driving significant growth even without eBay's involvement.
The management expects the existing user base to deliver higher TPV volume, despite a relatively low 2.3% expected growth in Active Accounts. This implies that the company is relying on its existing users to drive growth, rather than acquiring new ones.
Operating Expenses & Income
PayPal's operating income took a significant hit, declining by 32% from Q1 2021 to $711 billion in GAAP Operating Income.
The main culprit behind this decline was the rapid increase in transactional costs, which rose by 28.8% year-over-year. Transaction and credit losses also increased at an alarming rate of 35.2% year-over-year.
As a result of these rising costs, PayPal's Transaction Margin, a measure of its gross profitability, plummeted to 50.9%, the lowest level in five years, excluding Q1 2020.
It's worth noting that these expenses are largely driven by interchange and card scheme fees, which are difficult for PayPal to cut due to factors like payment mix and consumer behavior.
PayPal's management may need to take drastic measures to address this issue, potentially including layoffs, to get their spending under control in 2022.
Future Outlook
PayPal's future outlook is looking bright, with a 7.7% stock rise in midday trading after raising its full year 2024 adjusted EPS growth guidance to the low-to-mid-teens.
The company's active user accounts have increased to 173 million, up from 157 million last year, with 4 million new accounts added last quarter. Transaction volume was 27% higher, with $70 billion in total transactions processed.
PayPal's merchant services business reported a 34% growth, outpacing eCommerce growth by 1.5 times. This suggests the company's value proposition is strong, attracting consumers and offering huge conversion lifts to merchants.
PayPal's internal innovation efforts will be a key driver of value going forward, alongside its acquisition firepower. This combination will help the company differentiate its leadership position in the digital payments ecosystem.
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PayPal EPS Outlook Raised
PayPal raised its full year 2024 adjusted EPS growth guidance to the low-to-mid-teens.
This is a significant increase from the prior estimate of mid to high single digits.
Better transaction margin dollars are driving this increased guidance, according to Evercore ISI analyst David Togut.
Transaction margin dollars are expected to grow by a mid-single-digit percentage, up from prior guidance of low to mid-single digit growth.
PayPal's adjusted EPS is expected to grow in the high teens, a notable improvement from the prior guidance of low to mid-teens growth.
The company's stock price rose 7.7% to $63.36 in midday trading, a positive response to the increased guidance.
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Moving in the Right Direction

PayPal is moving in the right direction, with active accounts climbing 1% from a year earlier to 432 million in Q3.
The company has focused on customers that use multiple products monthly, which has contributed to this growth.
PayPal's transaction volume was 27 percent, with $70 billion in total transactions processed, a significant increase from last year.
Transactions per account were also up, from 24 on average to 27, indicating a healthier and more active user base.
PayPal's merchant services business reported a 34 percent growth, outpacing the growth rate of e-commerce.
The company's "assets are difficult to replicate given the firm's sophisticated risk platform, driven by the billions of transactions PayPal processes each year."
PayPal's value proposition "attracts consumers to choose PayPal" and "offers huge conversion lifts" to the merchants who add it as a way for its customers to pay.
The firm is now expecting lower volume and revenue growth in the second half of 2024, but is still confident in its future prospects.

PayPal's new "Fastlane" guest checkout doesn't require users to create PayPal accounts, which could be a game-changer in the digital payments ecosystem.
The company has announced partnerships with Adyen, Fiserv, and Global Payments to support Fastlane, and has expanded ties with e-commerce firm Shopify.
PayPal's stock rose 7.7% to 63.36 in midday trading after the company raised its full-year adjusted EPS growth guidance to the low-to-mid-teens.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the PayPal results for Q3 2024?
For Q3 2024, PayPal's revenue increased 5.8% to $7.85 billion, while net income decreased 1.0% to $1.01 billion. These results show a mixed performance compared to the same quarter in 2023.
What are PayPal earnings for Q2 2024?
PayPal's Q2 2024 earnings per share were $1.19, a 36% increase from the same period last year. Net revenues reached $7.9 billion, with a 9% year-over-year growth on an FX-neutral basis.
Sources
- https://tickertrends.io/transcripts/PYPL/Q1-earnings-transcript-2021
- https://www.investors.com/news/technology/paypal-stock-paypal-earnings-q3-braintreee/
- https://www.investors.com/news/technology/paypal-stock-pypl-earnings-june-2024/
- https://www.pymnts.com/in-depth/2015/pypls-first-report-card/
- https://www.popularfintech.com/p/paypal-q1-2022-earnings-the-case
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