grepcent / static financial knowledge base

PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL)

CIK: 0001633917. SIC: 7389 Services-Business Services, NEC. Latest 10-K as of: 2026-02-03.

SIC breadcrumb: Services > Business Services > SIC 7389 Services-Business Services, NEC

SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1633917. Latest filing source: 0001633917-26-000024.

Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.

Selected Fundamentals

MetricValueUnitFYFiled
Revenue33,172,000,000USD20252026-02-03
Net income5,233,000,000USD20252026-02-03
Assets80,173,000,000USD20252026-02-03

Financials

Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-03. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001633917.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.

Flow metrics use full-year FY periods from 10-K/10-K/A filings; balance-sheet metrics use FY-end instants. Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures. Missing metrics are omitted rather than fabricated.

Metric2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Revenue15,451,000,00017,772,000,00021,454,000,00025,371,000,00027,518,000,00029,771,000,00031,797,000,00033,172,000,000
Net income1,401,000,0001,795,000,0002,057,000,0002,459,000,0004,202,000,0004,169,000,0002,419,000,0004,246,000,0004,147,000,0005,233,000,000
Operating income1,586,000,0002,127,000,0002,194,000,0002,719,000,0003,289,000,0004,262,000,0003,837,000,0005,028,000,0005,325,000,0006,065,000,000
Diluted EPS1.151.471.712.073.543.522.093.843.995.41
Operating cash flow3,158,000,0002,531,000,0005,480,000,0004,071,000,0006,219,000,0005,797,000,0005,813,000,0004,843,000,0007,450,000,0006,416,000,000
Capital expenditures669,000,000667,000,000823,000,000704,000,000866,000,000908,000,000706,000,000623,000,000683,000,000852,000,000
Dividends paid0.000.00130,000,000
Share buybacks995,000,0001,006,000,0003,520,000,0001,411,000,0001,635,000,0003,373,000,0004,199,000,0005,002,000,0006,047,000,0006,052,000,000
Assets33,103,000,00040,774,000,00043,332,000,00051,333,000,00070,379,000,00075,803,000,00078,624,000,00082,166,000,00078,725,000,00080,173,000,000
Liabilities18,391,000,00024,780,000,00027,946,000,00034,404,000,00050,316,000,00054,076,000,00058,350,000,00061,115,000,00058,308,000,00059,917,000,000
Stockholders' equity14,712,000,00015,994,000,00015,386,000,00016,885,000,00020,019,000,00021,727,000,00020,274,000,00021,051,000,00020,417,000,00020,256,000,000
Cash and cash equivalents1,590,000,0002,883,000,0007,575,000,0007,349,000,0004,794,000,0005,197,000,0007,776,000,0009,081,000,0006,662,000,0008,049,000,000
Free cash flow2,489,000,0001,864,000,0004,657,000,0003,367,000,0005,353,000,0004,889,000,0005,107,000,0004,220,000,0006,767,000,0005,564,000,000

Ratios

ROE and ROA use period-end equity/assets. Liabilities / equity uses total liabilities divided by stockholders' equity. Current ratio uses current assets divided by current liabilities when both are reported.

Metric2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Net margin13.31%13.84%19.59%16.43%8.79%14.26%13.04%15.78%
Operating margin14.20%15.30%15.33%16.80%13.94%16.89%16.75%18.28%
Return on equity9.52%11.22%13.37%14.56%20.99%19.19%11.93%20.17%20.31%25.83%
Return on assets4.23%4.40%4.75%4.79%5.97%5.50%3.08%5.17%5.27%6.53%
Liabilities / equity1.251.551.822.042.512.492.882.902.862.96
Current ratio1.521.431.271.431.331.221.281.291.281.29

Financial Charts

Quarterly

Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-05-05. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001633917.json.

Flow metrics use discrete quarter-length periods from 10-Q/10-Q/A filings. Q4 revenue and net income are derived only when annual FY and nine-month YTD facts exist for the same fiscal year; derived Q4 values are labeled. EPS Q4 is not derived.

QuarterEnd DateRevenueNet IncomeDiluted EPSMethod
2022-Q22022-06-30-0.29reported discrete quarter
2022-Q32022-09-301.15reported discrete quarter
2023-Q12023-03-310.70reported discrete quarter
2023-Q22023-03-31795,000,000reported discrete quarter
2023-Q22023-06-307,287,000,0000.92reported discrete quarter
2023-Q32023-06-301,029,000,000reported discrete quarter
2023-Q32023-09-307,418,000,0000.93reported discrete quarter
2023-Q42023-12-318,026,000,0001,402,000,000derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD
2024-Q12024-03-317,699,000,000888,000,0000.83reported discrete quarter
2024-Q22024-03-31888,000,000reported discrete quarter
2024-Q22024-06-307,885,000,0001.08reported discrete quarter
2024-Q32024-06-301,128,000,000reported discrete quarter
2024-Q32024-09-307,847,000,0000.99reported discrete quarter
2024-Q42024-12-318,366,000,0001,121,000,000derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD
2025-Q12025-03-317,791,000,0001,287,000,0001.29reported discrete quarter
2025-Q22025-03-311,287,000,000reported discrete quarter
2025-Q22025-06-308,288,000,0001.29reported discrete quarter
2025-Q32025-06-301,261,000,000reported discrete quarter
2025-Q32025-09-308,417,000,0001.30reported discrete quarter
2025-Q42025-12-318,676,000,0001,437,000,000derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD
2026-Q12026-03-318,353,000,0001,113,000,0001.21reported discrete quarter

Quarterly Charts

Macro Cross-References

Latest quarter (10-Q)

Latest 10-Q source: 0001633917-26-000067.

Extracted structurally from real Item 2 body heading to real Item 3/4 boundary. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2026-05-05. Report date: 2026-03-31.

ITEM 2: MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements that involve expectations, plans, or intentions (such as those relating to future business, future results of operations or financial condition, new or planned features or services, mergers or acquisitions, or management strategies). These forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “may,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend,” “continue,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “outlook,” and other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, those discussed in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 (the “2025 Form 10-K”), as supplemented in the risk factors set forth below in Part II, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of this Form 10-Q, as well as in our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, related notes, and the other information appearing in this report and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation except as required by law, to update any of our forward-looking statements after the date of this report to reflect actual results, new information, or future events or circumstances. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. You should read the following “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in conjunction with the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the related notes that appear in this report. Unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, references to “we,” “our,” “us,” “the Company,” and “PayPal” refer to PayPal Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

THE COMPANY

At PayPal, our mission is to revolutionize commerce globally. Our products are designed to enable digital payments and simplify commerce experiences for consumers and merchants to make selling, shopping, and sending and receiving money simple, personalized, and secure, whether online or in-person. Our two-sided platform serves millions of consumers and merchants worldwide.

Regulatory environment

We operate globally and in a rapidly evolving regulatory environment characterized by a heightened focus by regulators globally on all aspects of the payments industry, including anti-money laundering, countering terrorist financing, privacy, cybersecurity, and consumer protection. The laws and regulations applicable to us, including those enacted prior to the advent of digital payments, continue to evolve through legislative and regulatory action and judicial interpretation. New or changing laws and regulations, including changes to their interpretation and implementation, as well as increased penalties and enforcement actions related to non-compliance, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We monitor these areas closely and are focused on designing compliant solutions for our customers.

Cybersecurity and information security

Cybersecurity and information security risks for global payments and technology companies like us have increased significantly in recent years. Although we have developed systems and processes designed to protect the data we manage, prevent data loss and other security incidents, and enable us to effectively respond to known and potential risks, and expect to continue to expend significant resources to bolster these protections, we have experienced and expect to continue to experience cybersecurity incidents and remain subject to these risks. There can be no assurance that our security measures will provide sufficient protection or security to prevent breaches or attacks. For additional information regarding our cybersecurity and information security risks, see Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors in our 2025 Form 10-K, as supplemented and, to the extent inconsistent, superseded below (if applicable) in Part II, Item 1A, Risk Factors of this Form 10-Q.

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1Q 2026 FORM 10-Q44

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Recent developments

On April 29, 2026, the Company announced a strategic reorganization of its business and executive leadership team intended to accelerate execution of its long-term growth priorities, simplify its operating structure, streamline decision-making, and drive innovation. This strategic reorganization and business simplification program, which will focus on realigning our operating structure and accelerating the adoption of Artificial Intelligence and automation across the company, is expected to deliver at least $1.5 billion in gross annualized run-rate savings over the next two to three years. The Company expects to provide additional details regarding the structure of the program and anticipated phasing of savings realization in future periods as the program is developed and implemented.

MACROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

A deterioration in macroeconomic conditions resulting from uncertainties and effects from tariffs, inflation, international conflicts, and interest rates could continue to increase the risk of lower consumer spending, merchant and consumer bankruptcy, insolvency, business failure, higher credit losses, foreign exchange fluctuations, or other business interruption, which may adversely impact our business. We are unable to reasonably estimate the total potential impact on our financial results that may ultimately result from such changes in the macroeconomic environment.

OVERVIEW OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following table provides a summary of our condensed consolidated financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025:

Three Months Ended March 31,Increase/(Decrease)
20262025DollarPercent
(In millions, except percentages and per share data)
Net revenues$8,353$7,791$5627%
Operating expenses6,8656,26160410%
Operating income1,4881,530(42)(3)%
Operating margin18%20%****
Other income (expense), net(95)73(168)(230)%
Income tax expense280316(36)(11)%
Effective tax rate20%20%****
Net income (loss)$1,113$1,287$(174)(14)%
Net income (loss) per diluted share$1.21$1.29$(0.08)(6)%
Net cash provided by operating activities$1,134$1,160$(26)(2)%

All amounts in tables are rounded to the nearest million, except as otherwise noted. As a result, certain amounts may not recalculate using the rounded amounts provided.

** Not meaningful.

THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2026 AND 2025

The increase in net revenues was driven primarily by growth in total payment volume (“TPV”) of 11% and growth in revenue earned from an independent chartered financial institution (“partner institution”), partially offset by the unfavorable impact of hedging activities.

The increase in operating expenses was due primarily to an increase in transaction expense.

Our operating margin declined, reflecting the unfavorable impact of a higher transaction expense growth rate.

The decrease in net income was due to a decrease in operating income and a decrease in other income (expense), net, which was primarily attributable to net losses and impairments on strategic investments in the current period compared to net gains in the prior period, partially offset by a decrease in income tax expense driven by a lower level of pre-tax income and tax effects of stock-based compensation.

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1Q 2026 FORM 10-Q45

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IMPACT OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES

We have significant international operations that are denominated in foreign currencies, primarily the British pound, Euro, Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, and Indian rupee, subjecting us to foreign exchange risk which may adversely impact our financial results. The strengthening or weakening of the United States (“U.S.”) dollar versus foreign currencies in which we conduct our international operations impacts the translation of our net revenues and expenses generated in these foreign currencies into the U.S. dollar. We generated approximately 42% and 43% of our net revenues from customers domiciled outside of the U.S. in the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively. Because we generate substantial net revenues internationally, we are subject to the risks of doing business outside of the U.S. See Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors in our 2025 Form 10-K, as supplemented and, to the extent inconsistent, superseded (if applicable) below in Part II, Item 1A, Risk Factors of this Form 10-Q.

We calculate the year-over-year impact of foreign exchange rate movements on our business using prior period foreign exchange rates applied to current period transactional currency amounts. While changes in foreign exchange rates affect our reported results, we have a foreign currency exposure management program in which we use foreign exchange contracts, designated as cash flow hedges, intended to reduce the impact on earnings from foreign exchange rate movements. Gains and losses from these foreign exchange contracts are recognized as a component of transaction revenues or operating expenses (as applicable) in the same period the forecasted transactions impact earnings.

In the three months ended March 31, 2026, year-over-year foreign exchange rate movements relative to the U.S. dollar had the following impact on our reported results:

Three Months Ended March 31, 2026
(In millions)
Favorable impact to net revenues (exclusive of hedging impact)$257
Hedging impact(86)
Favorable impact to net revenues171
Unfavorable impact to operating expenses (exclusive of hedging impact)(137)
Hedging impact(2)
Unfavorable impact to operating expenses(139)
Net favorable impact to operating income$32

KEY METRICS AND FINANCIAL RESULTS

KEY METRICS

TPV, number of payment transactions, active accounts, and number of payment transactions per active account are key non-financial performance metrics (“key metrics”) that management uses to measure the scale of our platform and the relevance of our products and services to our customers, and are defined as follows:

•TPV is the value of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed on our payments platform or enabled by PayPal via a partner payment solution, not including gateway-exclusive transactions.

•Number of payment transactions is the total number of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed on our payments platform or enabled by PayPal via a partner payment solution, not including gateway-exclusive transactions.

•An active account is an account registered directly with PayPal or a platform access partner that has completed a transaction on our platform, not including gateway-exclusive transactions, within the past 12 months. A platform access partner is a third party w

[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]

Latest 10-K MD&A

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Published MD&A gate trimmed front/tail over-capture. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2026-02-03. Report date: 2025-12-31.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

You should read the following “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes that appear in this report. Unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, references to “we,” “our,” “us,” “the Company,” and “PayPal” refer to PayPal Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations focuses on a discussion of 2025 results as compared to 2024 results. For a discussion of 2024 results as compared to 2023 results, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” within our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the SEC on February 4, 2025.

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

THE COMPANY

At PayPal, our mission is to revolutionize commerce globally. Our products are designed to enable digital payments and simplify commerce experiences for consumers and merchants to make selling, shopping, and sending and receiving money simple, personalized, and secure, whether online or in-person. Our two-sided platform serves millions of consumers and merchants worldwide.

Regulatory environment

We operate globally and in a rapidly evolving regulatory environment characterized by a heightened focus by regulators globally on all aspects of the payments industry, including anti-money laundering, countering terrorist financing, privacy, cybersecurity, and consumer protection. The laws and regulations applicable to us, including those enacted prior to the advent of digital payments, continue to evolve through legislative and regulatory action and judicial interpretation. New or changing laws and regulations, including changes to their interpretation and implementation, as well as increased penalties and enforcement actions related to non-compliance, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We monitor these areas closely and are focused on designing compliant solutions for our customers.

Cybersecurity and information security

Cybersecurity and information security risks for global payments and technology companies like us have increased significantly in recent years. Although we have developed systems and processes designed to protect the data we manage, prevent data loss and other security incidents, and enable us to effectively respond to known and potential risks, and expect to continue to expend significant resources to bolster these protections, we have experienced and expect to continue to experience cybersecurity incidents and remain subject to these risks. There can be no assurance that our security measures will provide sufficient protection or security to prevent breaches or attacks. For additional information regarding our cybersecurity and information security risks, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Cyberattacks and security vulnerabilities could result in serious harm to our reputation, business, and financial condition” and “Item 1C. Cybersecurity.”

MACROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

A deterioration in macroeconomic conditions resulting from uncertainties and effects from tariffs, inflation, international conflicts, and interest rates could continue to increase the risk of lower consumer spending, merchant and consumer bankruptcy, insolvency, business failure, higher credit losses, foreign exchange fluctuations, or other business interruption, which may adversely impact our business. We are unable to reasonably estimate the total potential impact on our financial results that may ultimately result from such changes in the macroeconomic environment.

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FY 2025 FORM 10-K32

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OVERVIEW OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following table provides a summary of our consolidated financial results for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023:

Year Ended December 31,Percent Increase/(Decrease)
20252024202320252024
(In millions, except percentages and per share amounts)
Net revenues$33,172$31,797$29,7714%7%
Operating expenses27,10726,47224,7432%7%
Operating income6,0655,3255,02814%6%
Operating margin18%17%17%****
Other income (expense), net2274383**(99)%
Income tax expense1,0591,1821,165(10)%1%
Effective tax rate17%22%22%****
Net income (loss)$5,233$4,147$4,24626%(2)%
Net income (loss) per diluted share$5.41$3.99$3.8435%4%
Net cash provided by operating activities$6,416$7,450$4,843(14)%54%

All amounts in tables are rounded to the nearest million, except as otherwise noted. As a result, certain amounts may not recalculate using the rounded amounts provided.

** Not meaningful.

Net revenues increased $1.4 billion, or 4%, in 2025 compared to 2024 driven primarily by growth in total payment volume (“TPV”, as defined below under “Key Metrics”) of 7% and an increase in interest and fee revenue earned on our loans receivable portfolio, partially offset by the unfavorable impact of hedging activities.

Total operating expenses increased $635 million, or 2%, in 2025 compared to 2024 due primarily to an increase in transaction expense, sales and marketing expense, and transaction and credit losses, partially offset by a decline in general and administrative expense, and restructuring and other expenses.

Operating income increased $740 million, or 14%, in 2025 compared to 2024 due to the increase in net revenues, partially offset by the increase in operating expenses. Our operating margin was 18% and 17% for 2025 and 2024, respectively, reflecting the positive impact of a lower transaction expense growth rate.

Net income increased $1.1 billion, or 26%, in 2025 compared to 2024 due to the previously discussed increase in operating income of $740 million, an increase of $223 million in other income (expense), net, and a decline in income tax expense of $123 million driven primarily by discrete tax adjustments including tax effects of stock-based compensation and a non-recurring internal legal entity restructuring, partially offset by Pillar Two minimum tax expense.

IMPACT OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES

We have significant international operations that are denominated in foreign currencies, primarily the British pound, Euro, Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, and Indian rupee, subjecting us to foreign exchange risk which may adversely impact our financial results. The strengthening or weakening of the United States (“U.S.”) dollar versus foreign currencies in which we conduct our international operations impacts the translation of our net revenues and expenses generated in these foreign currencies into the U.S. dollar. In 2025 and 2024, we generated approximately 43% of our net revenues from customers domiciled outside of the U.S. compared to 42% in 2023. Because we generate substantial net revenues internationally, we are subject to the risks of doing business outside of the U.S., including those discussed under “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

We calculate the year-over-year impact of foreign exchange rate movements on our business using prior period foreign exchange rates applied to current period transactional currency amounts. While changes in foreign exchange rates affect our reported results, we have a foreign currency exposure management program in which we use foreign exchange contracts, designated as cash flow hedges, intended to reduce the impact on earnings from foreign exchange rate movements. Gains and losses from these foreign exchange contracts are recognized as a component of transaction revenues or operating expenses (as applicable) in the same period the forecasted transactions impact earnings.

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FY 2025 FORM 10-K33

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In the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the year-over-year foreign exchange rate movements relative to the U.S. dollar had the following impact on our reported results:

Year Ended December 31,
20252024
(In millions)
Favorable (unfavorable) impact to net revenues (exclusive of hedging impact)$339$(18)
Hedging impact(166)48
Favorable impact to net revenues17330
(Unfavorable) favorable impact to operating expense (exclusive of hedging impact)(162)28
Hedging impact(6)
(Unfavorable) favorable impact to operating expense(168)28
Net favorable impact to operating income$5$58

While we enter into foreign exchange contracts to help reduce the impact on earnings from foreign exchange rate movements, it is impossible to eliminate the total effects of this exposure.

Prior to 2025, we used foreign exchange contracts, designated as net investment hedges, to reduce the foreign exchange risk related to our investment in certain foreign subsidiaries. Gains and losses associated with these instruments will remain in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) until the underlying foreign subsidiaries are sold or substantially liquidated.

Given that we also have foreign exchange risk on our assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of our subsidiaries, we have an additional balance sheet foreign currency exposure management program in which we use foreign exchange contracts to help offset the impact of foreign exchange rate movements on our assets and liabilities. The foreign exchange gains and losses on our assets and liabilities are recorded in other income (expense), net, and are offset by the gains and losses on the foreign exchange contracts. These foreign exchange contracts reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the impact of foreign exchange rate movements on our assets and liabilities.

Additionally, in connection with transactions occurring in multiple currencies on our payments platform, we generally set our foreign exchange rates daily and may face financial exposure if we incorrectly set our foreign exchange rates or as a result of fluctuations between setting of foreign exchange rates and timing of transactions. While we have processes in place to mitigate these risks, it is impossible to eliminate the total effects of possible exposure associated with setting foreign exchange rates on our payments platform.

KEY METRICS AND FINANCIAL RESULTS

KEY METRICS

TPV, number of payment transactions, active accounts, and number of payment transactions per active account are key non-financial performance metrics (“key metrics”) that management uses to measure the scale of our platform and the relevance of our products and services to our customers, and are defined as follows:

•TPV is the value of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed on our payments platform or enabled by PayPal via a partner payment solution, not including gateway-exclusive transactions.

•Number of payment transactions is the total number of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed on our payments platform or enabled by PayPal via a partner payment solution, not including gateway-exclusive transactions.

•An active account is an account registered directly with PayPal or a platform access partner that has completed a transaction on our platform, not including gateway-exclusive transactions, within the past 12 months. A platform access partner is a third party whose customers are provided access to PayPal’s platform or services through such third-party’s login credentials, including individuals and entities that utilize Hyperwallet’s payout capabilities. A user may register on our platform to access different products and may register more than one account to access a product. Accordingly, a user may have more than one active account. The number of active accounts provides management with additional perspective on the overall scale of our platform, but may not have a direct relationship to our operating results.

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•Number of payment transactions per active account reflects the total number of payment transactions within the previous 12-month period, divided by active accounts at the end of the period. The number of payment transactions per active account provides management with insight into the average number of times an account engages in payments activity on our payments platform in a given period. The number of times a consumer account or a merchant account transacts on our platform may vary significantly from the average number of payment transactions per active account.

As our transaction revenue growth is typically correlated with TPV growth and the number of payment transactions completed on our payments platform, management uses these metrics to gain insights into the scale and strength of our payments platform, the engagement level of our customers, and underlying activity and trends which may be indicators of current and future performance. We present these key metrics to enhance investors’ evaluation of the performance of our business and operating results.

Our key metrics are calculated using internal company data based on the activity we measure on our payments platform and compiled from multiple systems, including systems that are internally developed or acquired through business combinations. While the measurement of our key metrics is based on what we believe to be reasonable methodologies and estimates, there are inherent challenges and limitations in measuring our key metrics globally at scale. The methodologies used to calculate our key metrics require significant judgment.

We regularly review our processes for calculating these key metrics, and from time to time we may make adjustments to improve the accuracy or relevance of our metrics. For example, we continuously apply models, processes, and practices designed to detect and prevent fraudulent account creation on our platforms, and work to improve and enhance those capabilities. When we detect a significant volume of illegitimate activity, we generally remove the activity identified from our key metrics. Although such adjustments may impact key metrics reported in prior periods, we generally do not update previously reported key metrics to reflect these subsequent adjustments unless the retrospective impact of process improvements or enhancements is determined by management to be material.

NET REVENUES

Our revenues are classified into the following two categories:

•Transaction revenues: Net transaction fees charged to merchants and consumers on a transaction basis based on the TPV completed on our payments platform. Growth in TPV is directly impacted by the number of payment transactions that we enable on our payments platform. We generate additional revenue from merchants and consumers: on transactions where we perform currency conversion, when we enable cross-border transactions (i.e., transactions where the merchant and consumer are in different countries), when we facilitate the instant transfer of funds for our customers from their PayPal or Venmo account to their bank account or debit card, when we facilitate the purchase and sale of cryptocurrencies, as contractual compensation from sellers that violate our contractual terms (for example, through fraud or counterfeiting), and other miscellaneous fees.

•Revenues from other value added services: Net revenues derived primarily from revenue earned through partnerships, referral fees, subscription fees, gateway fees, and other services we provide to our consumers and merchants. We also earn revenues from interest and fees earned on our portfolio of loans receivable, and interest earned on certain assets underlying customer balances.

Our revenues can be significantly impacted by a number of factors, including the following:

•The mix of merchants, products, and services;

•The mix between domestic and cross-border transactions;

•The geographic region or country in which a transaction occurs; and

•The amount of our loans receivable outstanding with consumers and merchants.

Refer to “Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K for further discussion on factors that may impact our revenue.

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Net revenue analysis

The components of our net revenues for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 were as follows (in millions):

Transaction revenues

Transaction revenues grew $956 million, or 3%, in 2025 compared to 2024. The increase in 2025 was driven primarily by an increase of approximately $740 million and $340 million in revenue from PayPal and Venmo products and services, respectively, which was largely driven by growth in TPV and number of payment transactions, and an increase of approximately $150 million in revenue from Braintree products and services, predominantly attributable to growth in TPV despite a decline in the number of payment transactions over the same period. The increase in TPV for Braintree products and services despite a decline in the number of payment transactions is due to our strategic shift as we focus on profitable growth. Transaction revenues in 2025 were also impacted by approximately $210 million of unfavorable impact from hedging activities resulting from losses in 2025 compared to gains in 2024.

As a result of our stronger focus on profitable growth and ongoing negotiations with merchants, we experienced lower volume and transaction revenue from our Braintree offerings in the first half of 2025 followed by revenue and TPV growth in the second half of 2025.

The graphs below present the respective key metrics (in millions) for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023:

*Reflects active accounts at the end of the applicable period.

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The following table provides a summary of related metrics:

Year Ended December 31,Percent Increase/ (Decrease)
20252024202320252024
Number of payment transactions per active account57.760.658.7(5)%3%
Percent of cross-border TPV(1)12%12%12%****
Percent of TPV generated outside of the U.S.37%37%36%****

(1) Cross-border TPV occurs primarily between two PayPal accounts in different countries and includes transactions initiated through our Xoom product.

** Not meaningful.

We had active accounts of 439 million and 434 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, an increase of 1%. Number of payment transactions was 25.4 billion and 26.3 billion for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, a decrease of 4%. TPV was $1.79 trillion and $1.68 trillion for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, an increase of 7%.

Transaction revenues growth was lower than the growth in TPV in 2025 due primarily to changes in product mix, merchant mix, and unfavorable impact from foreign exchange hedging activities.

Revenues from other value added services

Revenues from other value added services increased $419 million, or 14%, in 2025 compared to 2024 due primarily to an approximately $350 million increase in interest and fee revenue earned from our loans receivable portfolios as well as an increase of approximately $160 million from revenue earned from an independent chartered financial institution (“partner institution”). Revenue from the partner institution is earned primarily through a revenue share arrangement based on the economic performance of the program related to our U.S. revolving consumer credit product and PayPal and Venmo branded credit cards, when such performance exceeds a minimum return threshold. These factors favorably impacting revenues from other value added services were partially offset by a decline of approximately $110 million from lower revenues from Honey and interest earned on certain assets underlying customer account balances resulting from lower interest rates.

Consumers that have outstanding loans and interest receivable due to our partner institution may experience hardships that result in losses recognized by the partner institution, which may result in a decrease in our revenue share earned in future periods. In the event the overall return on the PayPal branded credit programs funded by the partner institution does not meet a minimum rate of return (“minimum return threshold”) in a particular quarter, our revenue share for that period would be zero. Further, in the event the overall return on the PayPal branded credit programs managed by the partner institution does not meet the minimum return threshold as measured over four consecutive quarters and in the following quarter, we would be required to make a payment to the partner institution, subject to certain limitations. Through December 31, 2025, the overall return on the PayPal branded credit programs funded by the partner institution exceeded the minimum return threshold.

Seasonality

The Company does not experience meaningful seasonality with respect to net revenues. No individual quarter in 2025, 2024, or 2023 accounted for more than 30% of annual net revenue.

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OPERATING EXPENSES

The following table summarizes our operating expenses and related metrics we use to assess the trends in each:

Year Ended December 31,Percent Increase/ (Decrease)
20252024202320252024
(In millions, except percentages)
Transaction expense$15,987$15,697$14,3852%9%
Transaction and credit losses1,7201,4421,68219%(14)%
Customer support and operations1,7041,7681,919(4)%(8)%
Sales and marketing2,2832,0011,80914%11%
Technology and development3,1032,9792,9734%%
General and administrative1,9792,1472,059(8)%4%
Restructuring and other331438(84)(24)%**
Total operating expenses$27,107$26,472$24,7432%7%
Transaction expense rate(1)0.89%0.93%0.94%****
Transaction and credit loss rate(2)0.10%0.09%0.11%****

(1) Transaction expense rate is calculated by dividing transaction expense by TPV.

(2) Transaction and credit loss rate is calculated by dividing transaction and credit losses by TPV.

** Not meaningful.

Transaction expense

Transaction expense is primarily composed of the costs we incur to accept a customer’s funding source of payment. These costs include fees paid to payment processors and other financial institutions when we draw funds from a customer’s credit or debit card, bank account, or other funding source they have stored in their digital wallet. We refer to the allocation of funding sources used by our consumers as our “funding mix.” The cost of funding a transaction with a credit or debit card is generally higher than the cost of funding a transaction from a bank or through internal sources such as a PayPal or Venmo account balance or our consumer credit products. As we expand the availability and presentation of alternative funding sources to our customers, our funding mix may change, which could increase or decrease our transaction expense rate. The cost of funding a transaction is also impacted by the geographic region or country in which a transaction occurs, as we generally pay lower rates for transactions funded with credit or debit cards outside the U.S. Our transaction expense rate is impacted by changes in product mix, merchant mix, regional mix, funding mix, and fees paid to payment processors and other financial institutions. Macroeconomic environment changes may also result in behavioral shifts in consumer spending patterns affecting the type of funding source they use, which could also impact the funding mix.

Transaction expense increased $290 million, or 2%, in 2025 compared to 2024 due to the increase in TPV of 7%, partially offset by favorable changes in merchant mix to lower cost merchants within our Braintree products and services. The decrease in transaction expense rate in 2025 compared to 2024 was primarily attributable to a lower proportion of TPV from Braintree products and services, which generally have higher expense rates than other products and services, and changes in merchant mix.

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Transaction and credit losses

Transaction losses include the expense associated with our customer protection programs, fraud, and chargebacks. Credit losses include the current expected credit losses associated with our consumer and merchant loans receivable portfolio. Our transaction and credit losses fluctuate depending on many factors, including TPV, product mix, current and projected macroeconomic conditions such as unemployment rates, retail e-commerce sales and average weekly earnings, merchant insolvency events, changes to and usage of our customer protection programs, the impact of regulatory changes, and the credit quality of loans receivable arising from transactions funded with our credit products for consumers and loans and advances to merchants. Estimating our current expected credit loss allowances for our loans receivable portfolios is an inherently uncertain process and the ultimate losses we incur may vary from the current estimates. We regularly update our allowance estimates as new facts become known and events occur that may impact the ultimate losses incurred. A deterioration in macroeconomic conditions or other factors beyond those considered in our estimates could result in credit losses that exceed our current estimated credit losses and adversely impact our future operating results.

The components of our transaction and credit losses for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 were as follows (in millions):

Transaction and credit losses increased $278 million, or 19%, in 2025 compared to 2024.

Transaction losses were approximately $1.3 billion and $1.1 billion for 2025 and 2024, respectively, reflecting an increase of $223 million, or 20%. Transaction loss rate (transaction losses divided by TPV) was flat at 0.07% for both the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, compared to 0.08% in 2023. The increase in transaction losses in 2025 was primarily due to an increase in losses driven by fraud incidents impacting our PayPal products and services.

Credit losses increased $55 million in 2025 compared to 2024. The components of credit losses for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 were as follows (in millions):

Year Ended December 31,
2025(3)20242023(3)
Net charge-offs(1)$328$372$549
Reserve build (release)(2)55(44)(59)
Credit losses$383$328$490

(1) Net charge-offs includes principal charge-offs partially offset by recoveries for consumer and merchant receivables.

(2) Reserve build (release) represents change in allowance for principal receivables excluding foreign currency remeasurement.

(3) Includes changes in the allowance due to the reclassification of certain loans and interest receivable to or from held for sale.

Credit losses in the year ended December 31, 2025 were primarily attributable to loan originations during the period. Credit losses in the year ended December 31, 2024 were primarily attributable to loan originations during the period, partially offset by improvement in the credit quality of loans outstanding.

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Consumer loan portfolio

We have entered into forward flow arrangements with third-party investors to sell certain loans receivable portfolios. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, loans and interest receivable, held for sale was $1.7 billion and $541 million, respectively.

The consumer loans and interest receivable balance as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $5.5 billion and $5.4 billion, respectively, net of participation interest sold, reflecting an increase of 1%. The increase was driven primarily by growth of our revolving credit product in the United Kingdom (“U.K.”) of approximately $370 million and our installment credit products in the U.S. and Japan of approximately $190 million and $110 million, respectively, partially offset by the impact of the reclassification of $574 million of U.S. short-term, non-interest bearing installment loans to held for sale in the third quarter of 2025 and associated forward flow arrangement.

The following table provides information regarding the credit quality of our consumer loans and interest receivable balance:

December 31,
20252024
Percent of consumer loans and interest receivable current96.4%96.6%
Percent of consumer loans and interest receivable 90 days outstanding(1)1.4%1.6%
Net charge-off rate(2)4.0%4.5%

(1) Represents percentage of balances which are 90 days past the billing date or contractual repayment date, as applicable.

(2) Net charge-off rate is the annualized ratio of net credit losses during the three months ended December 31, 2025, excluding fraud losses, on consumer loans as a percentage of the average daily amount of consumer loans and interest receivable balance during the same period.

In response to changing portfolio performance and macroeconomic environment, we continue to monitor risk and evaluate and modify our acceptable risk parameters. Modifications to the acceptable risk parameters did not have a material impact on our consumer loans for the year ended December 31, 2025.

Merchant loan portfolio

We offer access to merchant finance products for certain small and medium-sized businesses, which we refer to as our merchant finance offerings. Total merchant loans, advances, and fees receivable outstanding, net of participation interest sold, as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $1.8 billion and $1.5 billion, respectively, reflecting an increase of 23%. The increase was due primarily to growth of approximately $190 million in our PayPal Business Loans (“PPBL”) product in the U.S. and growth in our PayPal Working Capital (“PPWC”) product portfolio of approximately $150 million, primarily in Germany, and to a lesser extent, in the U.S. and the U.K.

The following table provides information regarding the credit quality of our merchant loans, advances, and fees receivable balance:

December 31,
20252024
Percent of merchant loans, advances, and fees receivable current89.8%90.4%
Percent of merchant loans, advances, and fees receivable 90 days outstanding(1)3.5%2.8%
Net charge-off rate (2)7.3%5.3%

(1) Represents percentage of balances which are 90 days past the original expected or contractual repayment period, as applicable.

(2) Net charge-off rate is the annualized ratio of net credit losses during the three months ended December 31, 2025, excluding fraud losses, on merchant loans and advances as a percentage of the average daily amount of merchant loans, advances, and fees receivable balance during the same period.

In response to changing portfolio performance and macroeconomic environment, we continue to monitor risk and evaluate and modify our acceptable risk parameters. Modifications to the acceptable risk parameters did not have a material impact on our merchant loans for the year ended December 31, 2025.

For additional information, see “Note 11—Loans and Interest Receivable” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements, and “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Our credit products expose us to additional risks” included in this Form 10-K.

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Customer support and operations

Customer support and operations includes costs incurred in our global customer operations centers, including costs to provide call support to our customers, costs to support our trust and security programs protecting our consumers and merchants, and other costs incurred related to the delivery of our products, including payment devices, card production, and customer onboarding and compliance costs.

Customer support and operations expenses decreased $64 million, or 4%, in 2025 compared to 2024 due primarily to a decline in employee-related costs of approximately $110 million and software expenses of approximately $40 million, partially offset by an increase of approximately $80 million in other operating charges and contractors and consulting costs.

Sales and marketing

Sales and marketing includes costs incurred for customer acquisition, business development, advertising, marketing programs, and certain incentives paid to users that are not our customers and revenue share paid to partners that are not our customers.

Sales and marketing expenses increased $282 million, or 14%, in 2025 compared to 2024 due primarily to higher spend of approximately $340 million on marketing and brand advertising, including our PayPal Everywhere and Venmo Everything advertising campaigns, partially offset by lower employee-related costs of approximately $50 million.

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Technology and development

Technology and development includes costs incurred in connection with the development of our payments platform, new products, and the improvement of our existing products, including the amortization of software and website development costs incurred in developing our payments platform, which are capitalized. It also includes acquired developed technology and our site operations and other infrastructure costs incurred to support our payments platform.

Technology and development expenses increased $124 million, or 4%, in 2025 compared to 2024 due primarily to increases in contractor and consultants costs of approximately $80 million, costs from cloud computing services utilized in delivering our products and services of approximately $70 million, and software maintenance costs of approximately $60 million, partially offset by a decline in depreciation and amortization expense of approximately $50 million.

General and administrative

General and administrative includes costs incurred to provide support to our business, including legal, human resources, finance, risk and compliance, executive, and other support operations.

General and administrative expenses decreased $168 million, or 8%, in 2025 compared to 2024 due primarily to a decline in employee-related costs of approximately $120 million as well as a decline of approximately $80 million in indirect tax expense and contingency reserves.

Restructuring and other

Restructuring and other primarily consist of restructuring expenses, asset impairment charges, gain on sale of divested business, and losses on loans and interest receivable, held for sale.

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Restructuring and other decreased $107 million in 2025 compared to 2024 due primarily to a decrease in restructuring charges of approximately $170 million, partially offset by an increase in net loss of approximately $60 million from fair value adjustments to measure loans and interest receivable, held for sale, at the lower of cost or fair value, and loss on sale of loans and interest receivable previously held for sale.

During the second quarter of 2025, management undertook a large-scale initiative (the “2Q 2025 Plan”) to reengineer our existing technology infrastructure to improve scalability, reduce network latency, decrease operational costs, and optimize our workforce. The 2Q 2025 Plan is a transformative unified program designed to streamline operations and includes exiting certain data centers to migrate to more efficient cloud-based solutions. The 2Q 2025 Plan is expected to be executed over a period of 18 to 42 months with the workforce component to be substantially completed in 2027 and the technology infrastructure component to be substantially completed in 2028. The associated restructuring charges during the year ended December 31, 2025 were $102 million, consisting of $96 million in employee severance and benefits costs and $6 million in other restructuring costs.

In connection with this restructuring, we expect to incur employee severance and benefits costs of approximately $90 million to $100 million, asset impairment and accelerated depreciation charges of approximately $40 million to $60 million, and other restructuring costs of approximately $110 million to $140 million over the term of the 2Q 2025 Plan. Other restructuring costs relate to process re-engineering and one-time migration to cloud solutions and consist of contractor costs, consulting fees, and prepaid software and maintenance costs without future economic benefit. We expect annualized cost savings of approximately $280 million associated with the impacted workforce and operational costs for our technology infrastructure. We expect that we will begin to realize these cost savings upon the completion of the components of the 2Q 2025 Plan, and also expect to reinvest a portion of the reduction in annual costs to drive business priorities. The timing of activities, cost, and savings estimates continue to be developed and are subject to change.

During the first quarter of 2025, management initiated a workforce reduction to ensure compliance with a new regulation impacting operations in an international market. The associated restructuring charges during the year ended December 31, 2025 were $36 million and included employee severance and benefits costs, which were completed in the third quarter of 2025. We do not anticipate cost savings in conjunction with this reduction.

For information on restructuring plans completed prior to 2025 as well as the restructuring liabilities associated with the 2Q 2025 Plan, see “Note 17—Restructuring and Other” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

Other income (expense), net

Other income (expense), net increased $223 million compared to 2024. This increase in other income (expense), net was due primarily to net gains on strategic investments in the current period compared to net losses and impairments in the prior period, which contributed an increase of approximately $450 million, partially offset by declines in interest income of approximately $150 million resulting from lower average cash and investment balances, and an increase in interest expense of approximately $60 million due to incremental expense from the March 2025 and May 2024 debt issuances.

Income tax expense

Our effective income tax rate was 17% and 22% in 2025 and 2024, respectively. The decrease in our effective income tax rate in 2025 compared to 2024 was due primarily to discrete tax adjustments including tax effects of stock-based compensation and a non-recurring internal legal entity restructuring, partially offset by Pillar Two minimum tax expense. See “Note 16—Income Taxes” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for more information on our effective tax rate.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

We require liquidity and access to capital to fund our global operations, including our customer protection programs, credit products, capital expenditures, investments in our business, potential acquisitions and strategic investments, stock repurchases and dividend payments, working capital, and other cash needs. We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents, and investments, cash expected to be generated from operations, and our expected access to capital markets, together with potential external funding through third-party sources, will be sufficient to meet our cash requirements within the next 12 months and beyond.

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SOURCES OF LIQUIDITY

Cash, cash equivalents, and investments

The following table summarizes our cash, cash equivalents, and investments as of December 31, 2025 and 2024:

Year Ended December 31,
20252024
(In millions)
Cash, cash equivalents, and investments(1)(2)$12,848$13,947

(1) Excludes assets related to funds receivable and customer accounts of $38.2 billion and $37.7 billion as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

(2) Excludes total restricted cash of nil and $1 million at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and strategic investments of $1.9 billion and $1.6 billion at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

Cash, cash equivalents, and investments held by our foreign subsidiaries were $7.5 billion at December 31, 2025 and $8.5 billion at December 31, 2024, or 58% and 61%, of our total cash, cash equivalents, and investments as of those respective dates. At December 31, 2025, all of our cash, cash equivalents, and investments held by foreign subsidiaries were subject to U.S. taxation under Subpart F, Net Controlled Foreign Corporation Tested Income (“NTCI”) formally known as Global Intangible Low Taxed Income (GILTI), or the one-time transition tax under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Subsequent repatriations to the U.S. will not be taxable from a U.S. federal tax perspective except for any tax on foreign exchange gains and losses; however, they may be subject to state income or foreign withholding tax.

A significant aspect of our global cash management activities involves meeting our customers’ requirements to access their cash while simultaneously meeting our regulatory financial ratio commitments in various jurisdictions. Our global cash balances are required not only to provide operational liquidity to our businesses, but also to support our global regulatory requirements across our regulated subsidiaries. Accordingly, not all of our cash is available for general corporate purposes.

Cash flows

The following table summarizes our consolidated statements of cash flows:

Year Ended December 31,
202520242023
(In millions)
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities$6,416$7,450$4,843
Investing activities7971,689752
Financing activities(5,958)(8,276)(2,993)
Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash273(207)76
Net change in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash$1,528$656$2,678

Operating activities

Cash flows from operating activities includes net income adjusted for certain non-cash expenses, timing differences between expenses recognized for provision for transaction and credit losses and actual cash transaction losses incurred, originations and proceeds from repayments and sales of loans and interest receivable originally classified as held for sale, and changes in other assets and liabilities. Significant non-cash expenses for the period include depreciation and amortization and stock-based compensation. The cash impact from actual transaction losses incurred during a period is reflected as changes in other assets and liabilities. The expenses recognized during the period for provision for credit losses are estimates of current expected credit losses on our consumer and merchant credit products. Actual charge-offs of receivables related to our consumer and merchant credit products have no impact on cash from operating activities.

Net cash provided by operating activities declined $1.0 billion in 2025 compared to 2024 due primarily to an increase of approximately $1.2 billion in originations of loans receivable held for sale, net of sales and repayments, an impact of approximately $450 million from net gains on strategic investments, and an impact of approximately $230 million from stock-based compensation, partially offset by an increase of approximately $280 million in transaction and credit losses, and a decrease of $250 million in the accretion of discounts on investments, net of amortization premiums.

Cash paid for income taxes, net in 2025, 2024, and 2023 was $1.1 billion, $1.0 billion, and $2.1 billion, respectively.

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Investing activities

Cash flows from investing activities includes purchases, maturities and sales of investments; cash paid for acquisitions and strategic investments; purchases and sales of property and equipment; purchases, originations, sales, and principal repayment of loans receivable, originally classified as held for investment; changes in funds receivable; changes in collateral posted related to derivative instruments, net; and purchases and maturities of reverse repurchase agreements.

Net cash provided by investing activities decreased $892 million in 2025 compared to 2024 due primarily to changes in funds receivable of approximately $3.2 billion, an increase of approximately $220 million in collateral posted related to derivative instruments, and an increase in purchases of property and equipment of approximately $170 million, partially offset by a decrease of approximately $1.8 billion in purchases of investments, net of maturities and sales, and a decrease of approximately $1.0 billion in purchases and originations of loans receivable, net of principal repayments.

Financing activities

Cash flows from financing activities includes proceeds from issuance of common stock, purchases of treasury stock, tax withholdings related to net share settlements of equity awards, borrowings and repayments under financing arrangements, changes in funds payable and amounts due to customers, changes in collateral received related to derivative instruments, net, borrowings and repayments under repurchase agreements, and dividend payments.

Net cash used in financing activities decreased $2.3 billion in 2025 compared to 2024 due primarily to changes related to funds payable and amounts due to customers of approximately $2.1 billion, and an increase of approximately $600 million in borrowings under financing arrangements, net of repayments, partially offset by a decline of approximately $320 million in collateral received related to derivative instruments.

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

Foreign exchange rates had a positive impact of $273 million and negative impact of $207 million on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash during 2025 and 2024, respectively. The positive impact in 2025 was due primarily to favorable fluctuations in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the British pound and, to a lesser extent, the Australian dollar and Euro. The negative impact in 2024 was primarily due to unfavorable fluctuations in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the Australian dollar and, to a lesser extent, the British pound and Euro.

Available credit and debt

In June 2023, we entered into a credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) that provides for an unsecured $5.0 billion, five-year revolving credit facility. The Credit Agreement includes a $150 million letter of credit sub-facility and a $600 million swingline sub-facility, with available borrowings under the revolving credit facility reduced by the amount of any letters of credit and swingline borrowings outstanding from time to time. As of December 31, 2025, no borrowings were outstanding under the Credit Agreement and as such, $5.0 billion of borrowing capacity was available for the purposes permitted by the Credit Agreement, subject to customary conditions to borrowing.

In February 2022, we entered into a credit agreement (the “Paidy Credit Agreement”) with Paidy as co-borrower, which provided for an unsecured revolving credit facility of ¥60.0 billion, which was modified in September 2022 to increase the borrowing capacity by ¥30.0 billion for a total borrowing capacity of ¥90.0 billion (approximately $575 million as of December 31, 2025). As of December 31, 2025, ¥90.0 billion (approximately $575 million) was drawn down under the Paidy Credit Agreement. Accordingly, at December 31, 2025, no borrowing capacity was available under the Paidy Credit Agreement.

We maintain uncommitted credit facilities in various regions throughout the world with a borrowing capacity of approximately $80 million in the aggregate, where we can withdraw and utilize the funds at our discretion for general corporate purposes. As of December 31, 2025, substantially all of the borrowing capacity under these credit facilities was available, subject to customary conditions to borrowing.

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In November 2025, we established a commercial paper program that allows us to issue up to $5.0 billion of unsecured commercial paper notes (“Commercial Paper Notes”) through private placement using third-party broker-dealers (the “Commercial Paper Program”). Borrowings under the Commercial Paper Program are supported by the Credit Agreement. The Company intends to maintain availability under the Credit Agreement in an amount at least equal to the aggregate outstanding borrowings under the Commercial Paper Program. Net proceeds from the issuance of the Commercial Paper Notes may be used for general corporate purposes. The maturities of the Commercial Paper Notes may vary but may not exceed 397 days from the date of issuance. There were $200 million in Commercial Paper Notes outstanding as of December 31, 2025.

In March 2025, May 2024, June 2023, May 2022, May 2020 and September 2019, we issued fixed and floating rate notes with varying maturity dates (collectively referred to as the “Notes”). Proceeds from the issuance of these Notes may be used for general corporate purposes, which may include funding the repayment or redemption of outstanding debt, share repurchases, ongoing operations, capital expenditures, and possible acquisitions of businesses, assets, or strategic investments. As of December 31, 2025, we had an aggregate principal amount of $10.9 billion in debt outstanding with varying maturity dates.

For additional information, see “Note 12—Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

Depending on market conditions, we may from time to time issue debt, including in private or public offerings, to fund our operating activities, finance acquisitions, make strategic investments, repurchase shares under our stock repurchase program, or reduce our cost of capital.

Credit ratings

As of December 31, 2025, we continue to be rated investment grade by Standard and Poor’s Financial Services, LLC, Fitch Ratings, Inc., and Moody’s Investors Services, Inc. We expect that these credit rating agencies will continue to monitor our performance, including our capital structure and results of operations. Our goal is to be rated investment grade, but as circumstances change, various factors could result in our credit ratings being downgraded or put on a watch list for possible downgrading. If that were to occur, it could increase our borrowing rates, including the interest rate on borrowings under our credit agreements.

CURRENT AND FUTURE CASH REQUIREMENTS

Our material cash requirements include funds to support current and potential: operating activities, credit products, customer protection programs, stock repurchases, dividend payments, strategic investments, acquisitions, other commitments, capital expenditures, and other future obligations.

Credit products

Growth in our portfolio of loans receivable increases our liquidity needs, and any inability to meet those liquidity needs could adversely affect our business. We continue to evaluate partnerships and third-party sources of funding for our credit products.

The Luxembourg Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (the “CSSF”) has agreed that PayPal’s management may designate up to 50% of European customer balances held in our Luxembourg banking subsidiary to fund European and U.K. credit activities. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the cumulative amount approved by PayPal to be designated to fund credit activities was $2.0 billion as of those respective dates and represented approximately 26% of European customer balances made available for our corporate use as of those respective dates, as determined by applying financial regulations maintained by the CSSF. We may periodically seek to change the designation of amounts of European customer balances for our credit activities, as we deem necessary, based on utilization of the approved funds and anticipated credit funding requirements. Under certain exceptional circumstances, corporate liquidity could be called upon to meet our obligations related to our European customer balances.

We have entered into forward flow arrangements with third-party investors to sell certain loans receivable portfolios. In 2023, we entered into a multi-year agreement with a third-party investment firm to sell loans receivable, which was amended and restated in 2024 and 2025. In 2025, we entered into an updated multi-year agreement with this third-party investment firm to extend the commitment period through March 2028 and increase the maximum loans to be sold to €65 billion. Also in 2025, we entered into an arrangement with a separate third-party investment firm which has a duration of two years and up to $7.0 billion of loans receivable sales over the term. During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, we had net proceeds of $26.7 billion and $20.8 billion, respectively, of loans and interest receivable sold under these arrangements. For additional information, see “Note 1—Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

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While our objective is to expand the availability of our credit products with capital from external sources, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in achieving that goal.

Customer protection programs

The risk of losses from our customer protection programs are specific to individual consumers, merchants, and transactions, and may also be impacted by regional variations in, and changes or modifications to, the programs, including as a result of changes in regulatory requirements. For the periods presented in these consolidated financial statements included in this report, our transaction loss rate ranged between 0.07% and 0.08% of TPV. Historical loss rates may not be indicative of future results.

Capital return program

Stock repurchases

During the year ended December 31, 2025, we repurchased approximately $6.0 billion of our common stock in the open market under our stock repurchase programs authorized in June 2022 and February 2025. As of December 31, 2025, a total of approximately $13.9 billion remained available for future repurchases of our common stock under our February 2025 stock repurchase program. For additional information, see “Note 14—Stockholders’ Equity” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

Implementation of dividend program

In October 2025, we announced that our Board of Directors approved the initiation of a quarterly cash dividend program and declared a cash dividend of $0.14 per share on our common stock, totaling approximately $130 million. The dividend was payable on December 10, 2025, to stockholders of record of our common stock as of the close of business on November 19, 2025. Dividend payments in future quarters will be subject to and contingent upon market conditions and approval by our Board of Directors at its sole discretion.

Future obligations

We have certain fixed contractual obligations and commitments that include future estimated payments for general operating purposes. Changes in our business needs, contractual cancellation provisions, fluctuating interest rates, and other factors may result in actual payments differing from our estimates. We cannot provide certainty regarding the timing and amounts of these payments. The following table summarizes our obligations as of December 31, 2025 that are expected to impact liquidity and cash flow in future periods. We believe we will be able to fund these obligations through our existing cash and investment portfolio and cash expected to be generated from operations.

Purchase ObligationsLeasesLong-term DebtTotal
Payments Due During the Year Ending December 31,(In millions)
2026$829$182$1,811$2,822
20276991811,4462,326
20286211471,4672,235
20295751251,8152,515
20305721101,2611,943
Thereafter663488,7709,184
$3,362$1,093$16,570$21,025

The significant assumptions used in our determination of amounts presented in the above table are as follows:

•Purchase obligation amounts include minimum purchase commitments for cloud computing services, advertising, and other goods and services entered into in the ordinary course of business.

•Lease amounts include primarily minimum rental payments under our non-cancelable operating leases predominantly for office and data center facilities. The amounts presented are consistent with contractual terms and are not expected to differ significantly from actual results under our existing leases, unless a substantial change in our headcount needs requires us to expand our occupied space or exit an office facility early.

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•Long-term debt amounts represent the future principal and interest payments (based on contractual interest rates) on our fixed and floating-rate debt and amounts outstanding under our credit facilities. For more information, see “Note 12—Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

As we are unable to reasonably predict the timing of settlement of liabilities related to unrecognized tax benefits, net, the table above does not include $2.9 billion recorded in other long-term liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2025.

Other considerations

Our liquidity, access to capital, and borrowing costs could be adversely impacted by declines in our credit rating, our financial performance, and global credit market conditions, as well as a broad range of other factors. In addition, our liquidity, access to capital, and borrowing costs could also be negatively impacted by the outcome of any of the legal or regulatory proceedings to which we are a party. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Note 13—Commitments and Contingencies” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for additional discussion of these and other risks that our business faces.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

The application of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates and assumptions about certain items and future events that directly affect our reported financial condition. We have established detailed policies and control procedures to provide reasonable assurance that the methods used to make estimates and assumptions are well controlled and are applied consistently from period to period. The accounting estimates and assumptions discussed in this section are those that we consider to be the most critical to our financial statements. An accounting estimate or assumption is considered critical if both (a) the nature of the estimate or assumption is material due to the levels of subjectivity and judgment involved, and (b) the impact within a reasonable range of outcomes of the estimate and assumption is material to our financial condition. Management has discussed the development, selection, and disclosure of these estimates with the Audit and Finance Committee of our Board of Directors. Our significant accounting policies, including recent accounting pronouncements, are described in “Note 1—Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10‑K.

A quantitative sensitivity analysis is provided where information is reasonably available, can be reliably estimated, and provides material information to investors. The amounts used to assess sensitivity are included to allow users of this report to understand a general directional cause and effect of changes in the estimates and do not represent management’s predictions of variability. For all of these estimates, it should be noted that future events rarely develop exactly as forecasted, and such estimates require regular review and adjustment.

ALLOWANCE FOR TRANSACTION AND CREDIT LOSSES

Transaction and credit losses include the expense associated with our customer protection programs, fraud, chargebacks, and credit losses associated with our loans receivable balances. Our transaction and credit losses fluctuate depending on many factors, including: total TPV, product mix, current and projected macroeconomic conditions, merchant insolvency events, changes to and usage of our customer protection programs, the impact of regulatory changes, and the credit quality of loans receivable arising from transactions funded with our credit products, which include revolving and installment credit products offered to consumers at checkout, as well as merchant loans and advances arising from the PPWC and PPBL products.

We establish allowances for negative customer balances and estimated transaction losses arising from processing customer transactions, such as chargebacks for unauthorized credit card use and merchant-related chargebacks due to non-delivery or unsatisfactory delivery of eligible purchased items, purchase protection program claims, account takeovers, and bank returns and reversals. Additions to the allowance, in the form of provisions, are reflected in transaction and credit losses on our consolidated statements of income (loss). The allowances are based on known facts and circumstances, internal factors including experience with similar cases, historical trends involving collection and write-off patterns, and the mix of transaction and loss types, as well as current and projected macroeconomic factors, as appropriate. Actual losses may vary from amounts recorded given the estimates used in determining allowances for negative customer balances and transaction losses involve judgment and uncertainties and historical loss patterns may not be predictive of future losses. Changes in loss rate assumptions could have a material impact on the allowance for transaction losses. We evaluate these assumptions and estimates on an ongoing basis and periodically update our allowance as new facts become known and events occur that may impact the ultimate settlement or recovery of losses.

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We also establish an allowance for loans and interest receivable, which represents our estimate of current expected credit losses inherent in our portfolio of loans and interest receivable and includes expected credit losses from modifications of receivables to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. Determining appropriate current expected credit loss allowances for loans and interest receivable is an inherently uncertain process and ultimate losses may vary from the current estimates. We regularly update our allowance estimates as new facts become known and events occur that may impact the settlement or recovery of losses. The allowances are maintained at a level we deem appropriate to adequately provide for current expected credit losses at the balance sheet date after incorporating the impact of externally sourced macroeconomic forecasts. As of December 31, 2025, we utilized externally published projections of forecasted U.S. unemployment rates and retail e-commerce sales and forecasted U.K. average weekly earnings, among others, over the reasonable and supportable forecast period. As of December 31, 2024, we utilized externally published projections of forecasted U.S. unemployment rates, forecasted U.S. and U.K. retail e-commerce sales, and forecasted U.K. household disposable income, among others, over the reasonable and supportable forecast period. The overall principal and interest coverage ratio as of both December 31, 2025 and 2024 was approximately 7%. A significant change in the forecasted macroeconomic factors could result in a material change in our allowances. An increase of 1% in the principal and interest coverage ratio would increase our allowances by approximately $73 million based on the loans and interest receivable balance outstanding as of December 31, 2025.

ACCOUNTING FOR INCOME TAXES

Our annual tax rate is based on our income, statutory tax rates, and tax planning opportunities available to us in the various jurisdictions in which we operate. Tax laws are complex and subject to different interpretations by the taxpayer and respective government taxing authorities. Significant judgment is required in determining our tax expense and in evaluating our tax positions, including evaluating uncertainties. We review our tax positions quarterly and adjust the balances as new information becomes available. Our income tax rate is significantly affected by the tax rates that apply to our foreign earnings. In addition to local country tax laws and regulations, our income tax rate depends on the extent that our foreign earnings are taxed by the U.S. through provisions such as the NCTI tax and base erosion anti-abuse tax.

Deferred tax assets represent amounts available to reduce income taxes payable on taxable income in future years. Such assets arise because of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, as well as from net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. We evaluate the recoverability of these future tax deductions and credits by assessing the adequacy of future expected taxable income from all sources, including reversal of taxable temporary differences, forecasted operating earnings, and available tax planning strategies. These sources of income rely heavily on estimates that are based on a number of factors, including our historical experience and short-range and long-range business forecasts. To the extent deferred tax assets are not expected to be realized, we record a valuation allowance.

We recognize and measure uncertain tax positions in accordance with U.S. GAAP, pursuant to which we only recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. We report a liability for unrecognized tax benefits resulting from uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. U.S. GAAP further requires that a change in judgment related to the expected ultimate resolution of uncertain tax positions be recognized in earnings in the quarter in which such change occurs. We recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense.

We file annual income tax returns in multiple taxing jurisdictions around the world. A number of years may elapse before an uncertain tax position is audited by the relevant tax authorities and finally resolved. While it is often difficult to predict the final outcome or the timing of resolution of any particular uncertain tax position, we believe that our reserves for income taxes are adequate. We adjust these reserves, as well as the related interest and penalties, where appropriate in light of changing facts and circumstances. Settlement of any particular position could require the use of cash.

Based on our results for the year ended December 31, 2025, an increase in our income tax expense of $63 million would have resulted in a one-percentage point increase in our effective tax rate.

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LOSS CONTINGENCIES

We are regularly involved in various claims, regulatory and legal proceedings, and investigations of potential violations by regulatory authorities. On a regular basis, we review the status of each significant matter and assess our potential financial exposure. If the potential loss from any claim, legal proceeding, or potential regulatory violation is considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated, we accrue a liability for the estimated loss. Significant judgment is required in both the determination of probability and whether an exposure is reasonably estimable. Our judgments are subjective and are based on the status of the legal or regulatory proceedings, the merits of our defenses, and consultation with in-house and outside legal counsel. Because of uncertainties related to these matters, accruals are based on the best information available at the time. As additional information becomes available, we reassess the potential liability related to pending claims, litigation, or other potential violations and may revise our estimates. Due to the inherent uncertainties of legal and regulatory processes in the multiple jurisdictions in which we operate, our judgments may differ materially from the actual outcomes.

REVENUE RECOGNITION

Application of the accounting principles in U.S. GAAP related to the measurement and recognition of revenue requires us to make judgments and estimates. Complex arrangements with nonstandard terms and conditions may require significant contract interpretation to determine the appropriate accounting. Specifically, the determination of whether we are a principal to a transaction (gross revenue) or an agent (net revenue) can require considerable judgment. Further, we provide incentive payments to consumers and merchants. Evaluating whether these incentives are a payment to a customer, or consideration payable on behalf of a customer, requires judgment. Incentives determined to be made to a customer, or payable on behalf of a customer, are recorded as a reduction to gross revenue. Incentives that are earned by the customer based on performance targets are recorded when earned, based on management’s estimate of each customer’s future performance. These accruals are regularly reviewed and estimates of performance are adjusted, as appropriate, based on changes in performance expectations, actual customer performance, amendments to existing contracts, or the execution of new contracts. Changes in judgments with respect to these assumptions and estimates could impact the amount of revenue recognized.

EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS FOR IMPAIRMENT

We have strategic investments in non-marketable equity securities, which include investments that do not have a readily determinable fair value and are measured at cost minus impairment, if any, and are adjusted for changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for an identical or similar investment in the same issuer (the Measurement Alternative). We review these investments regularly to determine if impairment has occurred. We assess whether an impairment loss on these non-marketable equity securities, which are primarily investments in privately held companies, has occurred based on qualitative factors such as the companies’ financial condition and business outlook, industry performance, regulatory, economic or technological environment, and other relevant events and factors affecting the company. When indicators of impairment exist, we estimate the fair value of these non-marketable equity securities using the market approach and/or the income approach. If any impairment is identified, we write down the investment to its fair value and record the corresponding charge through other income (expense), net on our consolidated statements of income (loss). Estimating fair value requires judgment and use of estimates such as discount rates, forecasted cash flows, and market data of comparable companies, among others. For sensitivity analysis performed on our strategic investments, see “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk—Equity Investment Risk.”

MD&A history

Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.

FY 2024 10-K MD&A

SEC filing source: 0001633917-25-000019.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Published MD&A gate trimmed front/tail over-capture. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2025-02-04. Report date: 2024-12-31.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

You should read the following “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes that appear in this report. Unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, references to “we,” “our,” “us,” “the Company,” and “PayPal” refer to PayPal Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations focuses on a discussion of 2024 results as compared to 2023 results. For a discussion of 2023 results as compared to 2022 results, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” within our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC on February 8, 2024.

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

THE COMPANY

At PayPal, our mission is to revolutionize commerce globally. Our products are designed to enable digital payments and simplify commerce experiences for consumers and merchants to make selling, shopping, and sending and receiving money simple, personalized, and secure, online or offline, including mobile. Our two-sided platform serves millions of consumers and merchants worldwide.

Regulatory environment

We operate globally and in a rapidly evolving regulatory environment characterized by a heightened focus by regulators globally on all aspects of the payments industry, including anti-money laundering, countering terrorist financing, privacy, cybersecurity, and consumer protection. The laws and regulations applicable to us, including those enacted prior to the advent of digital payments, continue to evolve through legislative and regulatory action and judicial interpretation. New or changing laws and regulations, including changes to their interpretation and implementation, as well as increased penalties and enforcement actions related to non-compliance, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We monitor these areas closely and are focused on designing compliant solutions for our customers.

Cybersecurity and information security

Cybersecurity and information security risks for global payments and technology companies like us have increased significantly in recent years. Although we have developed systems and processes designed to protect the data we manage, prevent data loss and other security incidents, and enable us to effectively respond to known and potential risks, and expect to continue to expend significant resources to bolster these protections, we have experienced and expect to continue to experience cybersecurity incidents and remain subject to these risks. There can be no assurance that our security measures will provide sufficient protection or security to prevent breaches or attacks. For additional information regarding our cybersecurity and information security risks, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Cyberattacks and security vulnerabilities could result in serious harm to our reputation, business, and financial condition” and “Item 1C. Cybersecurity.”

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OVERVIEW OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following table provides a summary of our consolidated financial results for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022:

Year Ended December 31,Percent Increase/(Decrease)
20242023202220242023
(In millions, except percentages and per share amounts)
Net revenues$31,797$29,771$27,5187%8%
Operating expenses26,47224,74323,6817%4%
Operating income5,3255,0283,8376%31%
Operating margin17%17%14%****
Other income (expense), net4383(471)(99)%181%
Income tax expense1,1821,1659471%23%
Effective tax rate22%22%28%****
Net income (loss)$4,147$4,246$2,419(2)%76%
Net income (loss) per diluted share$3.99$3.84$2.094%84%
Net cash provided by operating activities$7,450$4,843$5,81354%(17)%

All amounts in tables are rounded to the nearest million, except as otherwise noted. As a result, certain amounts may not recalculate using the rounded amounts provided.

** Not meaningful.

Net revenues increased $2.0 billion, or 7%, in 2024 compared to 2023 driven primarily by growth in total payment volume (“TPV”, as defined below under “Key Metrics”) of 10%.

Total operating expenses increased $1.7 billion, or 7%, in 2024 compared to 2023 due primarily to an increase in transaction expense, and to a lesser extent, restructuring and other, partially offset by a reduction in transaction and credit losses.

Operating income increased $297 million, or 6%, in 2024 compared to 2023 due to net revenues increasing more than operating expenses. Our operating margin remained consistent at 17% for both 2024 and 2023.

Net income decreased $99 million, or 2%, in 2024 compared to 2023 due to the previously discussed increase in operating income of $297 million and a decrease of $379 million in other income (expense), net, driven primarily by net losses on strategic investments in the current period as compared to net gains on strategic investments in the prior period.

IMPACT OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES

We have significant international operations that are denominated in foreign currencies, primarily the British pound, Euro, Australian dollar, and Canadian dollar, subjecting us to foreign exchange risk which may adversely impact our financial results. The strengthening or weakening of the United States (“U.S.”) dollar versus foreign currencies in which we conduct our international operations impacts the translation of our net revenues and expenses generated in these foreign currencies into the U.S. dollar. In 2024, 2023, and 2022, we generated approximately 43%, 42%, and 43% of our net revenues from customers domiciled outside of the U.S., respectively. Because we generate substantial net revenues internationally, we are subject to the risks of doing business outside of the U.S., including those discussed under “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

We calculate the year-over-year impact of foreign exchange rate movements on our business using prior period foreign exchange rates applied to current period transactional currency amounts. While changes in foreign currency exchange rates affect our reported results, we have a foreign currency exposure management program in which we use foreign exchange contracts, designated as cash flow hedges, intended to reduce the impact on earnings from foreign exchange rate movements. Gains and losses from these foreign exchange contracts are recognized as a component of transaction revenues or operating expenses (as applicable) in the same period the forecasted transactions impact earnings.

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In the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the year-over-year foreign exchange rate movements relative to the U.S. dollar had the following impact on our reported results:

Year Ended December 31,
20242023
(In millions)
(Unfavorable) favorable impact to net revenues (exclusive of hedging impact)$(18)$128
Hedging impact48111
Favorable impact to net revenues30239
Favorable (Unfavorable) impact to operating expense28(29)
Net favorable impact to operating income$58$210

While we enter into foreign exchange contracts to help reduce the impact on earnings from foreign exchange rate movements, it is impossible to eliminate the total effects of this exposure.

We also use foreign exchange contracts, designated as net investment hedges, to reduce the foreign exchange risk related to our investment in certain foreign subsidiaries. Gains and losses associated with these instruments will remain in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) until the underlying foreign subsidiaries are sold or substantially liquidated.

Given that we also have foreign exchange risk on our assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of our subsidiaries, we have an additional balance sheet foreign currency exposure management program in which we use foreign exchange contracts to help offset the impact of foreign exchange rate movements on our assets and liabilities. The foreign exchange gains and losses on our assets and liabilities are recorded in other income (expense), net, and are offset by the gains and losses on the foreign exchange contracts. These foreign exchange contracts reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the impact of foreign exchange rate movements on our assets and liabilities.

Additionally, in connection with transactions occurring in multiple currencies on our payments platform, we generally set our foreign exchange rates daily and may face financial exposure if we incorrectly set our foreign exchange rates or as a result of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates between the times that we set our foreign exchange rates and when transactions occur. While we have processes in place to mitigate these risks, it is impossible to eliminate the total effects of any possible exposure associated with setting foreign exchange rates on our payments platform.

KEY METRICS AND FINANCIAL RESULTS

KEY METRICS

TPV, number of payment transactions, active accounts, and number of payment transactions per active account are key non-financial performance metrics (“key metrics”) that management uses to measure the scale of our platform and the relevance of our products and services to our customers, and are defined as follows:

•TPV is the value of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed on our payments platform or enabled by PayPal via a partner payment solution, not including gateway-exclusive transactions.

•Number of payment transactions is the total number of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed on our payments platform or enabled by PayPal via a partner payment solution, not including gateway-exclusive transactions.

•An active account is an account registered directly with PayPal or a platform access partner that has completed a transaction on our platform, not including gateway-exclusive transactions, within the past 12 months. A platform access partner is a third party whose customers are provided access to PayPal’s platform or services through such third-party’s login credentials, including individuals and entities that utilize Hyperwallet’s payout capabilities. A user may register on our platform to access different products and may register more than one account to access a product. Accordingly, a user may have more than one active account. The number of active accounts provides management with additional perspective on the overall scale of our platform, but may not have a direct relationship to our operating results.

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•Number of payment transactions per active account reflects the total number of payment transactions within the previous 12-month period, divided by active accounts at the end of the period. The number of payment transactions per active account provides management with insight into the average number of times an account engages in payments activity on our payments platform in a given period. The number of times a consumer account or a merchant account transacts on our platform may vary significantly from the average number of payment transactions per active account.

As our transaction revenue is typically correlated with TPV growth and the number of payment transactions completed on our payments platform, management uses these metrics to gain insights into the scale and strength of our payments platform, the engagement level of our customers, and underlying activity and trends which may be indicators of current and future performance. We present these key metrics to enhance investors’ evaluation of the performance of our business and operating results.

Our key metrics are calculated using internal company data based on the activity we measure on our payments platform and compiled from multiple systems, including systems that are internally developed or acquired through business combinations. While the measurement of our key metrics is based on what we believe to be reasonable methodologies and estimates, there are inherent challenges and limitations in measuring our key metrics globally at scale. The methodologies used to calculate our key metrics require significant judgment.

We regularly review our processes for calculating these key metrics, and from time to time we may make adjustments to improve the accuracy or relevance of our metrics. For example, we continuously apply models, processes, and practices designed to detect and prevent fraudulent account creation on our platforms, and work to improve and enhance those capabilities. When we detect a significant volume of illegitimate activity, we generally remove the activity identified from our key metrics. Although such adjustments may impact key metrics reported in prior periods, we generally do not update previously reported key metrics to reflect these subsequent adjustments unless the retrospective impact of process improvements or enhancements is determined by management to be material.

NET REVENUES

Our revenues are classified into the following two categories:

•Transaction revenues: Net transaction fees charged to merchants and consumers on a transaction basis based on the TPV completed on our payments platform. Growth in TPV is directly impacted by the number of payment transactions that we enable on our payments platform. We generate additional revenue from merchants and consumers: on transactions where we perform currency conversion, when we enable cross-border transactions (i.e., transactions where the merchant and consumer are in different countries), to facilitate the instant transfer of funds for our customers from their PayPal or Venmo account to their bank account or debit card, to facilitate the purchase and sale of cryptocurrencies, as contractual compensation from sellers that violate our contractual terms (for example, through fraud or counterfeiting), and other miscellaneous fees.

•Revenues from other value added services: Net revenues derived primarily from revenue earned through partnerships, referral fees, subscription fees, gateway fees, and other services we provide to our consumers and merchants. We also earn revenues from interest and fees earned on our portfolio of loans receivable, and interest earned on certain assets underlying customer balances.

Our revenues can be significantly impacted by a number of factors, including the following:

•The mix of merchants, products, and services;

•The mix between domestic and cross-border transactions;

•The geographic region or country in which a transaction occurs; and

•The amount of our loans receivable outstanding with consumers and merchants.

Refer to “Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K for further discussion on factors that may impact our revenue.

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Net revenue analysis

The components of our net revenues for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 were as follows (in millions):

Transaction revenues

Transaction revenues grew $2.0 billion, or 7%, in 2024 compared to 2023 driven primarily by an increase in revenues of approximately $1.3 billion, $0.5 billion, and $0.2 billion from our Braintree, core PayPal, and Venmo products and services, respectively, which resulted from growth in TPV and the number of payment transactions.

As a result of ongoing negotiations with merchants, including our stronger focus on profitable growth, we expect lower volume and transaction revenue growth from our Braintree offerings in 2025.

The graphs below present the respective key metrics (in millions) for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022:

*Reflects active accounts at the end of the applicable period.

The following table provides a summary of related metrics:

Year Ended December 31,Percent Increase/ (Decrease)
20242023202220242023
Number of payment transactions per active account60.658.751.43%14%
Percent of cross-border TPV(1)12%12%13%****

(1) Cross-border TPV occurs primarily between two PayPal accounts in different countries and includes transactions initiated through our Xoom product.

** Not meaningful.

We had active accounts of 434 million and 426 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, an increase of 2%. Number of payment transactions was 26.3 billion and 25.0 billion for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, an increase of 5%. TPV was $1.68 trillion and $1.53 trillion for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, an increase of 10%.

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Transaction revenues growth was lower than the growth in TPV in 2024 due primarily to changes in mix from core PayPal products and services with a higher volume from large merchants, which have lower pricing.

Revenues from other value added services

Revenues from other value added services increased $41 million, or 1%, in 2024 compared to 2023 due primarily to an approximately $380 million increase in interest earned on certain assets underlying customer account balances resulting from higher interest rates and higher customer balances, partially offset by a decline in the revenue of approximately $160 million earned from an independent chartered financial institution (“partner institution”). Revenue from the partner institution is earned primarily through our revenue share associated with our U.S. revolving consumer credit product and PayPal and Venmo branded credit cards. Revenues from other value added services were also impacted by an approximately $180 million decline from: lower interest and fee revenue on our PayPal Business Loan (“PPBL”) products, lower revenues from Honey, and lower revenues resulting from the sale of Happy Returns in the forth quarter of 2023.

Consumers that have outstanding loans and interest receivable due to our partner institution may experience hardships that result in losses recognized by the partner institution, which may result in a decrease in our revenue share earned in future periods. In the event the overall return on the PayPal branded credit programs funded by the partner institution does not meet a minimum rate of return (“minimum return threshold”) in a particular quarter, our revenue share for that period would be zero. Further, in the event the overall return on the PayPal branded credit programs managed by the partner institution does not meet the minimum return threshold as measured over four consecutive quarters and in the following quarter, we would be required to make a payment to the partner institution, subject to certain limitations. Through December 31, 2024, the overall return on the PayPal branded credit programs funded by the partner institution exceeded the minimum return threshold.

Seasonality

The Company does not experience meaningful seasonality with respect to net revenues. No individual quarter in 2024, 2023, or 2022 accounted for more than 30% of annual net revenue.

OPERATING EXPENSES

The following table summarizes our operating expenses and related metrics we use to assess the trends in each:

Year Ended December 31,Percent Increase/ (Decrease)
20242023202220242023
(In millions, except percentages)
Transaction expense$15,697$14,385$12,1739%18%
Transaction and credit losses1,4421,6821,572(14)%7%
Customer support and operations1,7681,9192,120(8)%(9)%
Sales and marketing2,0011,8092,25711%(20)%
Technology and development2,9792,9733,253%(9)%
General and administrative2,1472,0592,0994%(2)%
Restructuring and other438(84)207**(141)%
Total operating expenses$26,472$24,743$23,6817%4%
Transaction expense rate(1)0.93%0.94%0.90%****
Transaction and credit loss rate(2)0.09%0.11%0.12%****

(1) Transaction expense rate is calculated by dividing transaction expense by TPV.

(2) Transaction and credit loss rate is calculated by dividing transaction and credit losses by TPV.

** Not meaningful.

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Transaction expense

Transaction expense is primarily composed of the costs we incur to accept a customer’s funding source of payment. These costs include fees paid to payment processors and other financial institutions when we draw funds from a customer’s credit or debit card, bank account, or other funding source they have stored in their digital wallet. We refer to the allocation of funding sources used by our consumers as our “funding mix.” The cost of funding a transaction with a credit or debit card is generally higher than the cost of funding a transaction from a bank or through internal sources such as a PayPal or Venmo account balance or our consumer credit products. As we expand the availability and presentation of alternative funding sources to our customers, our funding mix may change, which could increase or decrease our transaction expense rate. The cost of funding a transaction is also impacted by the geographic region or country in which a transaction occurs, as we generally pay lower rates for transactions funded with credit or debit cards outside the U.S. Our transaction expense rate is impacted by changes in product mix, merchant mix, regional mix, funding mix, and fees paid to payment processors and other financial institutions. Macroeconomic environment changes may also result in behavioral shifts in consumer spending patterns affecting the type of funding source they use, which could also impact the funding mix.

Transaction expense increased $1.3 billion, or 9%, in 2024 compared to 2023 due to Braintree, which has a higher expense rate than our other products and services, representing a larger portion of TPV. The decrease in transaction expense rate in 2024 compared to 2023 was attributable to favorable changes in regional mix, product mix, and certain third-party pricing incentives within our core PayPal products and services. For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, approximately 37%, 36%, and 35% of TPV, respectively, was generated outside of the U.S.

Transaction and credit losses

Transaction losses include the expense associated with our customer protection programs, fraud, and chargebacks. Credit losses include the current expected credit losses associated with our consumer and merchant loans receivable portfolio. Our transaction and credit losses fluctuate depending on many factors, including TPV, product mix, current and projected macroeconomic conditions such as unemployment rates, retail e-commerce sales and household disposable income, merchant insolvency events, changes to and usage of our customer protection programs, the impact of regulatory changes, and the credit quality of loans receivable arising from transactions funded with our credit products for consumers and loans and advances to merchants. Estimating our current expected credit loss allowances for our loans receivable portfolios is an inherently uncertain process and the ultimate losses we incur may vary from the current estimates. We regularly update our allowance estimates as new facts become known and events occur that may impact the ultimate losses incurred. A deterioration in macroeconomic conditions or other factors beyond those considered in our estimates could result in credit losses that exceed our current estimated credit losses and adversely impact our future operating results.

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The components of our transaction and credit losses for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 were as follows (in millions):

Transaction and credit losses decreased $240 million, or 14%, in 2024 compared to 2023.

Transaction losses were approximately $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion for 2024 and 2023, respectively, reflecting a decrease of $78 million, or 7%. Transaction loss rate (transaction losses divided by TPV) was 0.07%, 0.08%, and 0.09% for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively. The decrease in transaction losses and the associated transaction loss rate in 2024 was primarily due to lower losses from our Venmo products and services resulting from enhanced risk mitigation strategies.

Credit losses decreased $162 million in 2024 compared to 2023. The components of credit losses for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 were as follows (in millions):

Year Ended December 31,
20242023(3)2022
Net charge-offs(1)$372$549$267
Reserve (release) build(2)(44)(59)135
Credit losses$328$490$402

(1) Net charge-offs includes principal charge-offs partially offset by recoveries for consumer and merchant receivables.

(2) Reserve (release) build represents change in allowance for principal receivables excluding foreign currency remeasurement.

(3) Includes changes in the allowance due to the reclassification of loans and interest receivable to or from held for sale.

Credit losses in the year ended December 31, 2024 were primarily attributable to loan originations during the period partially offset by improvement in the credit quality of loans outstanding. Credit losses in the year ended December 31, 2023 were primarily attributable to loan originations during the period and a deterioration in the credit quality of loans outstanding.

Consumer loan portfolio

In June 2023, we entered into a multi-year agreement with a global investment firm to sell United Kingdom (“U.K.”) and other European buy now, pay later loan receivables, consisting of eligible loans and interest receivables, including a forward-flow arrangement for the sale of future originations of eligible loans over a 24-month commitment period (collectively, “eligible consumer installment receivables”). In December 2024, this agreement was amended and restated to extend the commitment period to December 2026 and to increase the maximum balance of loans that can be sold at a time. For additional information, see “Note 1—Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, loans and interest receivable, held for sale was $541 million and $563 million, respectively.

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The consumer loans and interest receivable balance as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $5.4 billion and $4.8 billion, respectively, net of participation interest sold, reflecting an increase of 13%. The increase was driven primarily by growth of approximately $390 million and $250 million in our installment credit products driven by growth in Japan and the U.S., respectively, as well as growth of approximately $170 million in our revolving credit product in the U.K., partially offset by a decline of approximately $180 million in our installment credit products in Germany due to the forward-flow arrangement with the global investment firm.

The following table provides information regarding the credit quality of our consumer loans and interest receivable balance:

December 31,
20242023
Percent of consumer loans and interest receivable current96.6%95.4%
Percent of consumer loans and interest receivable 90 days outstanding(1)1.6%2.2%
Net charge-off rate(2)4.5%7.2%

(1) Represents percentage of balances which are 90 days past the billing date or contractual repayment date, as applicable.

(2) Net charge-off rate is the annualized ratio of net credit losses during the three months ended December 31, 2024, excluding fraud losses, on consumer loans as a percentage of the average daily amount of consumer loans and interest receivable balance during the same period.

The decline in net charge-off rate for consumer receivables at December 31, 2024 as compared to December 31, 2023 was due primarily to the improvement in credit quality of the U.S. interest-bearing installment products.

In response to changing portfolio performance and macroeconomic environment, we continue to monitor risk and evaluate and modify our acceptable risk parameters. Changes to such parameters in 2024 resulted in an increase of U.S. interest-bearing installment loan originations in 2024.

Merchant loan portfolio

We offer access to merchant finance products for certain small and medium-sized businesses, which we refer to as our merchant finance offerings. Total merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable outstanding, net of participation interest sold, as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $1.5 billion and $1.2 billion, respectively, reflecting an increase of 23%. The increase was due primarily to growth of approximately $170 million in our PayPal Working Capital (“PPWC”) product portfolio, primarily from the U.S., Germany and the U.K., as well as growth of approximately $110 million in our PPBL product in the U.S.

The following table provides information regarding the credit quality of our merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable balance:

December 31,
20242023
Percent of merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable current90.4%87.0%
Percent of merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable 90 days outstanding(1)2.8%5.6%
Net charge-off rate (2)5.3%18.8%

(1) Represents percentage of balances which are 90 days past the original expected or contractual repayment period, as applicable.

(2) Net charge-off rate is the annualized ratio of net credit losses during the three months ended December 31, 2024, excluding fraud losses, on merchant loans and advances as a percentage of the average daily amount of merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable balance during the same period.

The increase in the percent of current merchant receivables and decrease in percent of merchant receivables greater than 90 days outstanding and the net charge-off rate for merchant receivables at December 31, 2024 as compared to December 31, 2023 was due primarily to the improvement in underwriting and credit quality of the PPBL portfolio.

In response to changing portfolio performance and macroeconomic environment, we continue to monitor risk and evaluate and modify our acceptable risk parameters. Changes to such parameters resulted in an increase in PPBL originations in 2024.

For additional information, see “Note 11—Loans and Interest Receivable” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements, and “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Our credit products expose us to additional risks” included in this Form 10-K.

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Customer support and operations

Customer support and operations includes costs incurred in our global customer operations centers, including costs to provide call support to our customers, costs to support our trust and security programs protecting our consumers and merchants, and other costs incurred related to the delivery of our products, including payment devices, card production, and customer onboarding and compliance costs.

Customer support and operations expenses decreased $151 million, or 8%, in 2024 compared to 2023 due primarily to a decline in employee-related costs of approximately $100 million associated with a headcount reduction. The decline in customer support and operations expenses year-over-year was also impacted by a reduction in other costs incurred related to delivery of our products, including warehouses, shipping, and payment devices and a decrease in contractors and consulting costs, partially offset by an increase in customer onboarding and compliance costs and card issuance costs.

Sales and marketing

Sales and marketing includes costs incurred for customer acquisition, business development, advertising, and marketing programs.

Sales and marketing expenses increased $192 million, or 11%, in 2024 compared to 2023 due primarily to higher spend of approximately $260 million on marketing and brand advertising, including the launch of our PayPal Everywhere advertising campaign, partially offset by a decline in employee-related costs.

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Technology and development

Technology and development includes costs incurred in connection with the development of our payments platform, new products, and the improvement of our existing products, including the amortization of software and website development costs incurred in developing our payments platform, which are capitalized. It also includes acquired developed technology and our site operations and other infrastructure costs incurred to support our payments platform.

Technology and development expenses remained consistent in 2024 compared to 2023 due primarily to a decline in employee-related costs associated with headcount reduction offset by an increase in costs related to contractors and consultants and software maintenance costs.

General and administrative

General and administrative includes costs incurred to provide support to our business, including legal, human resources, finance, risk and compliance, executive, and other support operations.

General and administrative expenses increased $88 million, or 4%, in 2024 compared to 2023 due primarily to an increase in professional services expense, a contingency reserve, and indirect tax expense, partially offset by a decline in depreciation expense and facilities costs.

Restructuring and other

Restructuring and other primarily consist of restructuring expenses, asset impairment charges, gain on sale of divested business, and losses on loans and interest receivable, held for sale.

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Restructuring and other increased $522 million in 2024 compared to 2023 primarily resulting from restructuring charges and fair value adjustments on loans and interest receivable, held for sale and a gain on sale of a divested business, in which we recorded a pre-tax gain of $339 million in 2023 with no comparable activity in the current period.

During the first quarter of 2024, management initiated a global workforce reduction intended to streamline operations, focus resources on core strategic priorities, and improve our cost structure. The associated restructuring charges during the year ended December 31, 2024 were $307 million and included employee severance and benefits costs and stock-based compensation expense, which were substantially completed by the fourth quarter of 2024. The estimated reduction in annualized employee-related costs associated with the impacted workforce is approximately $575 million, including approximately $165 million in stock-based compensation. We reinvested a portion of the reduction in annual costs associated with the impacted workforce to drive business priorities.

During the first quarter of 2023, management initiated a global workforce reduction intended to focus resources on core strategic priorities, and improve our cost structure and operating efficiency. The associated restructuring charges during the year ended December 31, 2023 were $122 million. We primarily incurred employee severance and benefits costs, which were substantially completed in the fourth quarter of 2023.

For information on the associated restructuring liabilities, see “Note 17—Restructuring and Other” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

We continue to review our real estate and facility capacity requirements due to our new and evolving work models. We incurred asset impairment charges of nil and $61 million in the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, due to exiting certain leased properties, which resulted in a reduction of right-of-use lease assets and related leasehold improvements.

In the year ended December 31, 2023, we recognized a gain of $17 million due to the sale of an owned property. We also incurred a loss of $14 million related to another owned property, which was previously held for sale, in the year ended December 31, 2023.

During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, approximately $129 million and $74 million of losses were recorded in restructuring and other, which included net loss on sale of loans and interest receivable previously held for sale (inclusive of transaction costs) and fair value adjustments to measure loans and interest receivable, held for sale, at the lower of cost or fair value.

Other income (expense), net

Other income (expense), net of $4 million in 2024 decreased $379 million compared to $383 million in 2023. This decline in other income (expense), net was due primarily to net losses and impairments on strategic investments in the current period compared to net gains in the prior period, which contributed a decline of approximately $490 million year-over-year, partially offset by an increase in interest income of approximately $180 million resulting from an increase in average cash balances and interest rates year-over-year.

Income tax expense

Our effective income tax rate was 22% in both 2024 and 2023. Our effective income tax rate in 2024 remained consistent compared to 2023 and was impacted primarily by changes in jurisdictional mix of income, U.S. income taxed at different rates, discrete tax adjustments, and tax expense in prior period associated with sale of a divested business. See “Note 16—Income Taxes” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for more information on our effective tax rate.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

We require liquidity and access to capital to fund our global operations, including our customer protection programs, credit products, capital expenditures, investments in our business, potential acquisitions and strategic investments, working capital, and other cash needs. We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents, and investments, cash expected to be generated from operations, and our expected access to capital markets, together with potential external funding through third-party sources, will be sufficient to meet our cash requirements within the next 12 months and beyond.

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SOURCES OF LIQUIDITY

Cash, cash equivalents, and investments

The following table summarizes our cash, cash equivalents, and investments as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:

Year Ended December 31,
20242023
(In millions)
Cash, cash equivalents, and investments(1)(2)$13,846$15,493

(1) Excludes assets related to funds receivable and customer accounts of $37.7 billion and $38.9 billion as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

(2) Excludes total restricted cash of $1 million and $3 million at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and strategic investments of $1.6 billion and $1.8 billion at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Cash, cash equivalents, and investments held by our foreign subsidiaries were $8.5 billion at December 31, 2024 and $10.0 billion at December 31, 2023, or 62% and 64%, of our total cash, cash equivalents, and investments as of those respective dates. At December 31, 2024, all of our cash, cash equivalents, and investments held by foreign subsidiaries were subject to U.S. taxation under Subpart F, Global Intangible Low Taxed Income (“GILTI”) or the one-time transition tax under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“Tax Act”). Subsequent repatriations to the U.S. will not be taxable from a U.S. federal tax perspective except for any tax on foreign exchange gains and losses; however, they may be subject to state income or foreign withholding tax.

A significant aspect of our global cash management activities involves meeting our customers’ requirements to access their cash while simultaneously meeting our regulatory financial ratio commitments in various jurisdictions. Our global cash balances are required not only to provide operational liquidity to our businesses, but also to support our global regulatory requirements across our regulated subsidiaries. Accordingly, not all of our cash is available for general corporate purposes.

Cash flows

The following table summarizes our consolidated statements of cash flows:

Year Ended December 31,
202420232022
(In millions)
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities$7,450$4,843$5,813
Investing activities1,589752(3,328)
Financing activities(8,276)(2,993)(1,203)
Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash(207)76(155)
Net change in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash$556$2,678$1,127

Operating activities

Cash flows from operating activities includes net income adjusted for certain non-cash expenses, timing differences between expenses recognized for provision for transaction and credit losses and actual cash transaction losses incurred, originations and proceeds from repayments and sales of loans and interest receivable held for sale, and changes in other assets and liabilities. Significant non-cash expenses for the period include depreciation and amortization and stock-based compensation. The cash impact from actual transaction losses incurred during a period is reflected as changes in other assets and liabilities. The expenses recognized during the period for provision for credit losses are estimates of current expected credit losses on our consumer and merchant credit products. Actual charge-offs of receivables related to our consumer and merchant credit products have no impact on cash from operating activities.

Net cash provided by operating activities grew $2.6 billion in 2024 compared to 2023 due primarily to changes in deferred taxes of approximately $900 million, changes in working capital of approximately $760 million, an increase of approximately $530 million in sales and repayments of loans receivable held for sale, net of originations, and an impact of approximately $490 million from losses on strategic investments.

Cash paid for income taxes, net in 2024, 2023, and 2022 was $1.0 billion, $2.1 billion, and $878 million, respectively.

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Investing activities

Cash flows from investing activities includes purchases, maturities and sales of investments; cash paid for acquisitions and strategic investments; purchases and sales of property and equipment; purchases, originations, sales, and principal repayment of loans receivable, originally classified as held for investment; changes in funds receivable; changes in collateral posted related to derivative instruments, net; and purchases and maturities of reverse repurchase agreements.

Net cash provided by investing activities increased $837 million in 2024 compared to 2023 due primarily to an increase of $5.9 billion from changes related to funds receivable, partially offset by a decrease of $3.0 billion in sales and repayments of loans receivables, net of purchases and originations, and an increase of $1.6 billion in purchases of investments, net of sales and maturities.

Financing activities

Cash flows from financing activities includes proceeds from issuance of common stock, purchases of treasury stock, tax withholdings related to net share settlements of equity awards, borrowings and repayments under financing arrangements, changes in funds payable and amounts due to customers, changes in collateral received related to derivative instruments, net, and borrowings and repayments under repurchase agreements.

Net cash used in financing activities increased $5.3 billion in 2024 compared to 2023 due primarily to a decrease of $3.8 billion from changes related to funds payable and amounts due to customers, an increase of $1.0 billion in share repurchases of our common stock, and an increase of approximately $590 million in repayments, net of borrowings under financing arrangements.

Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

Foreign exchange rates had a negative impact of $207 million and positive impact of $76 million on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash during 2024 and 2023, respectively. The negative impact in 2024 was primarily due to unfavorable fluctuations in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the Australian dollar and, to a lesser extent, the British pound and Euro. The positive impact in 2023 was primarily due to favorable fluctuations in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the British pound.

Available credit and debt

In June 2023, we entered into a credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) that provides for an unsecured $5.0 billion, five-year revolving credit facility. The Credit Agreement includes a $150 million letter of credit sub-facility and a $600 million swingline sub-facility, with available borrowings under the revolving credit facility reduced by the amount of any letters of credit and swingline borrowings outstanding from time to time. As of December 31, 2024, no borrowings were outstanding under the Credit Agreement and as such, $5.0 billion of borrowing capacity was available for the purposes permitted by the Credit Agreement, subject to customary conditions to borrowing.

In February 2022, we entered into a credit agreement (the “Paidy Credit Agreement”) with Paidy as co-borrower, which provided for an unsecured revolving credit facility of ¥60.0 billion, which was modified in September 2022 to increase the borrowing capacity by ¥30.0 billion for a total borrowing capacity of ¥90.0 billion (approximately $574 million as of December 31, 2024). In the year ended December 31, 2024, ¥90.0 billion (approximately $574 million) was drawn down under the Paidy Credit Agreement. Accordingly, at December 31, 2024, no borrowing capacity was available under the Paidy Credit Agreement.

We maintain uncommitted credit facilities in various regions throughout the world with a borrowing capacity of approximately $80 million in the aggregate, where we can withdraw and utilize the funds at our discretion for general corporate purposes. As of December 31, 2024, substantially all of the borrowing capacity under these credit facilities was available, subject to customary conditions to borrowing.

In May 2024, June 2023, May 2022, May 2020 and September 2019, we issued fixed rate notes with varying maturity dates (collectively referred to as the “Notes”). Proceeds from the issuance of these Notes may be used for general corporate purposes, which may include funding the repayment or redemption of outstanding debt, share repurchases, ongoing operations, capital expenditures, and possible acquisitions of businesses, assets, or strategic investments. As of December 31, 2024, we had an aggregate principal amount of $10.6 billion in fixed rate debt outstanding with varying maturity dates.

For additional information, see “Note 12—Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

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Depending on market conditions, we may from time to time issue debt, including in private or public offerings, to fund our operating activities, finance acquisitions, make strategic investments, repurchase shares under our stock repurchase program, or reduce our cost of capital.

Credit ratings

As of December 31, 2024, we continue to be rated investment grade by Standard and Poor’s Financial Services, LLC, Fitch Ratings, Inc., and Moody’s Investors Services, Inc. We expect that these credit rating agencies will continue to monitor our performance, including our capital structure and results of operations. Our goal is to be rated investment grade, but as circumstances change, there are factors that could result in our credit ratings being downgraded or put on a watch list for possible downgrading. If that were to occur, it could increase our borrowing rates, including the interest rate on borrowings under our credit agreements.

CURRENT AND FUTURE CASH REQUIREMENTS

Our material cash requirements include funds to support current and potential: operating activities, credit products, customer protection programs, stock repurchases, strategic investments, acquisitions, other commitments, capital expenditures, and other future obligations.

Credit products

Growth in our portfolio of loans receivable increases our liquidity needs, and any inability to meet those liquidity needs could adversely affect our business. We continue to evaluate partnerships and third-party sources of funding for our credit products.

The Luxembourg Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (the “CSSF”) has agreed that PayPal’s management may designate up to 50% of European customer balances held in our Luxembourg banking subsidiary to fund European, U.K., and U.S. credit activities. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the cumulative amount approved by PayPal to be designated to fund credit activities was $2.0 billion and $3.0 billion, respectively, and represented approximately 26% and 39% of European customer balances made available for our corporate use as of those respective dates, as determined by applying financial regulations maintained by the CSSF. We may periodically seek to change the designation of amounts of European customer balances for our credit activities, as we deem necessary, based on utilization of the approved funds and anticipated credit funding requirements. Under certain exceptional circumstances, corporate liquidity could be called upon to meet our obligations related to our European customer balances.

In June 2023, we entered into a multi-year agreement with a global investment firm to sell our eligible consumer installment receivables portfolio. In December 2024, this agreement was amended and restated to extend the commitment period to December 2026 and to increase the maximum balance of loans that can be sold at a time. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we sold $20.8 billion and $5.5 billion, respectively, of loans and interest receivable in connection with this agreement. For additional information, see “Note 1—Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

While our objective is to expand the availability of our credit products with capital from external sources, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in achieving that goal.

Customer protection programs

The risk of losses from our customer protection programs are specific to individual consumers, merchants, and transactions, and may also be impacted by regional variations in, and changes or modifications to, the programs, including as a result of changes in regulatory requirements. For the periods presented in these consolidated financial statements included in this report, our transaction loss rate ranged between 0.07% and 0.09% of TPV. Historical loss rates may not be indicative of future results.

Stock repurchases

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we repurchased approximately $6.0 billion of our common stock in the open market under our stock repurchase program authorized in June 2022. As of December 31, 2024, a total of approximately $4.9 billion remained available for future repurchases of our common stock under our June 2022 stock repurchase program. For additional information, see “Note 14—Stock Repurchase Programs” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

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Future obligations

We have certain fixed contractual obligations and commitments that include future estimated payments for general operating purposes. Changes in our business needs, contractual cancellation provisions, fluctuating interest rates, and other factors may result in actual payments differing from our estimates. We cannot provide certainty regarding the timing and amounts of these payments. The following table summarizes our obligations as of December 31, 2024 that are expected to impact liquidity and cash flow in future periods. We believe we will be able to fund these obligations through our existing cash and investment portfolio and cash expected to be generated from operations.

Purchase ObligationsLeasesTransition TaxLong-term DebtTotal
Payments Due During the Year Ending December 31,(In millions)
2025$849$171354$1,542$2,916
20265781771,7382,493
20271311597971,087
202811109522642
20293881,7851,876
Thereafter51989,2639,466
$1,577$902$354$15,647$18,480

The significant assumptions used in our determination of amounts presented in the above table are as follows:

•Purchase obligation amounts include minimum purchase commitments for cloud computing services, advertising, and other goods and services entered into in the ordinary course of business.

•Lease amounts include primarily minimum rental payments under our non-cancelable operating leases primarily for office and data center facilities. The amounts presented are consistent with contractual terms and are not expected to differ significantly from actual results under our existing leases, unless a substantial change in our headcount needs requires us to expand our occupied space or exit an office facility early.

•Transition tax represents the one-time mandatory tax on previously deferred foreign earnings under the Tax Act.

•Long-term debt amounts represent the future principal and interest payments (based on contractual interest rates) on our fixed-rate debt. For more information, see “Note 12—Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

As we are unable to reasonably predict the timing of settlement of liabilities related to unrecognized tax benefits, net, the table above does not include $2.6 billion recorded in other long-term liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2024.

Other considerations

Our liquidity, access to capital, and borrowing costs could be adversely impacted by declines in our credit rating, our financial performance, and global credit market conditions, as well as a broad range of other factors. In addition, our liquidity, access to capital, and borrowing costs could also be negatively impacted by the outcome of any of the legal or regulatory proceedings to which we are a party. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Note 13—Commitments and Contingencies” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for additional discussion of these and other risks that our business faces.

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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

The application of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates and assumptions about certain items and future events that directly affect our reported financial condition. We have established detailed policies and control procedures to provide reasonable assurance that the methods used to make estimates and assumptions are well controlled and are applied consistently from period to period. The accounting estimates and assumptions discussed in this section are those that we consider to be the most critical to our financial statements. An accounting estimate or assumption is considered critical if both (a) the nature of the estimate or assumption is material due to the levels of subjectivity and judgment involved, and (b) the impact within a reasonable range of outcomes of the estimate and assumption is material to our financial condition. Management has discussed the development, selection, and disclosure of these estimates with the Audit, Risk, and Compliance Committee of our Board of Directors. Our significant accounting policies, including recent accounting pronouncements, are described in “Note 1—Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10‑K.

A quantitative sensitivity analysis is provided where information is reasonably available, can be reliably estimated, and provides material information to investors. The amounts used to assess sensitivity are included to allow users of this report to understand a general directional cause and effect of changes in the estimates and do not represent management’s predictions of variability. For all of these estimates, it should be noted that future events rarely develop exactly as forecasted, and such estimates require regular review and adjustment.

ALLOWANCE FOR TRANSACTION AND CREDIT LOSSES

Transaction and credit losses include the expense associated with our customer protection programs, fraud, chargebacks, and credit losses associated with our loans receivable balances. Our transaction and credit losses fluctuate depending on many factors, including: total TPV, product mix, current and projected macroeconomic conditions, merchant insolvency events, changes to and usage of our customer protection programs, the impact of regulatory changes, and the credit quality of loans receivable arising from transactions funded with our credit products, which include revolving and installment credit products offered to consumers at checkout, as well as merchant loans and advances arising from the PPWC and PPBL products.

We establish allowances for negative customer balances and estimated transaction losses arising from processing customer transactions, such as chargebacks for unauthorized credit card use and merchant-related chargebacks due to non-delivery or unsatisfactory delivery of purchased items, purchase protection program claims, account takeovers, and bank returns and reversals. Additions to the allowance, in the form of provisions, are reflected in transaction and credit losses on our consolidated statements of income (loss). The allowances are based on known facts and circumstances, internal factors including experience with similar cases, historical trends involving collection and write-off patterns, and the mix of transaction and loss types, as well as current and projected macroeconomic factors, as appropriate.

We also establish an allowance for loans and interest receivable, which represents our estimate of current expected credit losses inherent in our portfolio of loans and interest receivable and includes expected credit losses from modifications of receivables to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. Determining appropriate current expected credit loss allowances for loans and interest receivable is an inherently uncertain process and ultimate losses may vary from the current estimates. We regularly update our allowance estimates as new facts become known and events occur that may impact the settlement or recovery of losses. The allowances are maintained at a level we deem appropriate to adequately provide for current expected credit losses at the balance sheet date after incorporating the impact of externally sourced macroeconomic forecasts. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we utilized externally published projections of forecasted U.S. unemployment rates, forecasted U.S. and U.K. retail e-commerce sales, and forecasted U.K. household disposable income, among others, over the reasonable and supportable forecast period. The overall principal and interest coverage ratio as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 was approximately 7% and 9%, respectively. A significant change in the forecasted macroeconomic factors could result in a material change in our allowances. An increase of 1% in the principal and interest coverage ratio would increase our allowances by approximately $69 million based on the loans and interest receivable balance outstanding as of December 31, 2024.

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ACCOUNTING FOR INCOME TAXES

Our annual tax rate is based on our income, statutory tax rates, and tax planning opportunities available to us in the various jurisdictions in which we operate. Tax laws are complex and subject to different interpretations by the taxpayer and respective government taxing authorities. Significant judgment is required in determining our tax expense and in evaluating our tax positions, including evaluating uncertainties. We review our tax positions quarterly and adjust the balances as new information becomes available. Our income tax rate is significantly affected by the tax rates that apply to our foreign earnings. In addition to local country tax laws and regulations, our income tax rate depends on the extent that our foreign earnings are taxed by the U.S. through provisions such as the GILTI tax and base erosion anti-abuse tax.

Deferred tax assets represent amounts available to reduce income taxes payable on taxable income in future years. Such assets arise because of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, as well as from net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. We evaluate the recoverability of these future tax deductions and credits by assessing the adequacy of future expected taxable income from all sources, including reversal of taxable temporary differences, forecasted operating earnings, and available tax planning strategies. These sources of income rely heavily on estimates that are based on a number of factors, including our historical experience and short-range and long-range business forecasts. To the extent deferred tax assets are not expected to be realized, we record a valuation allowance.

We recognize and measure uncertain tax positions in accordance with U.S. GAAP, pursuant to which we only recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. We report a liability for unrecognized tax benefits resulting from uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. U.S. GAAP further requires that a change in judgment related to the expected ultimate resolution of uncertain tax positions be recognized in earnings in the quarter in which such change occurs. We recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense.

We file annual income tax returns in multiple taxing jurisdictions around the world. A number of years may elapse before an uncertain tax position is audited by the relevant tax authorities and finally resolved. While it is often difficult to predict the final outcome or the timing of resolution of any particular uncertain tax position, we believe that our reserves for income taxes are adequate. We adjust these reserves, as well as the related interest and penalties, where appropriate in light of changing facts and circumstances. Settlement of any particular position could require the use of cash.

Based on our results for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase in our income tax expense of $53 million would have resulted in a one-percentage point increase in our effective tax rate.

LOSS CONTINGENCIES

We are regularly involved in various claims, regulatory and legal proceedings, and investigations of potential violations by regulatory oversight authorities. On a regular basis, we review the status of each significant matter and assess our potential financial exposure. If the potential loss from any claim, legal proceeding, or potential regulatory violation is considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated, we accrue a liability for the estimated loss. Significant judgment is required in both the determination of probability and whether an exposure is reasonably estimable. Our judgments are subjective and are based on the status of the legal or regulatory proceedings, the merits of our defenses, and consultation with in-house and outside legal counsel. Because of uncertainties related to these matters, accruals are based on the best information available at the time. As additional information becomes available, we reassess the potential liability related to pending claims, litigation, or other violations and may revise our estimates. Due to the inherent uncertainties of legal and regulatory processes in the multiple jurisdictions in which we operate, our judgments may differ materially from the actual outcomes.

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REVENUE RECOGNITION

Application of the accounting principles in U.S. GAAP related to the measurement and recognition of revenue requires us to make judgments and estimates. Complex arrangements with nonstandard terms and conditions may require significant contract interpretation to determine the appropriate accounting. Specifically, the determination of whether we are a principal to a transaction (gross revenue) or an agent (net revenue) can require considerable judgment. Further, we provide incentive payments to consumers and merchants. Evaluating whether these incentives are a payment to a customer, or consideration payable on behalf of a customer, requires judgment. Incentives determined to be made to a customer, or payable on behalf of a customer, are recorded as a reduction to gross revenue. Incentives that are earned by the customer based on performance targets are recorded when earned, based on management’s estimate of each customer’s future performance. These accruals are regularly reviewed and estimates of performance are adjusted, as appropriate, based on changes in performance expectations, actual customer performance, amendments to existing contracts, or the execution of new contracts. Changes in judgments with respect to these assumptions and estimates could impact the amount of revenue recognized.

EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS FOR IMPAIRMENT

We have strategic investments in non-marketable equity securities, which include investments that do not have a readily determinable fair value and are measured at cost minus impairment, if any, and are adjusted for changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for an identical or similar investment in the same issuer (the Measurement Alternative). We review these investments regularly to determine if impairment has occurred. We assess whether an impairment loss on these non-marketable equity securities, which are primarily investments in privately held companies, has occurred based on qualitative factors such as the companies’ financial condition and business outlook, industry performance, regulatory, economic or technological environment, and other relevant events and factors affecting the company. When indicators of impairment exist, we estimate the fair value of these non-marketable equity securities using the market approach and/or the income approach. If any impairment is identified, we write down the investment to its fair value and record the corresponding charge through other income (expense), net on our consolidated statements of income (loss). Estimating fair value requires judgment and use of estimates such as discount rates, forecasted cash flows, and market data of comparable companies, among others. For sensitivity analysis performed on our strategic investments, see “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk—Equity Investment Risk.”

FY 2023 10-K MD&A

SEC filing source: 0001633917-24-000024.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Published MD&A gate trimmed front/tail over-capture. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2024-02-08. Report date: 2023-12-31.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

You should read the following “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes that appear in this report. Unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, references to “we,” “our,” “us,” “the Company,” and “PayPal” refer to PayPal Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations focuses on a discussion of 2023 results as compared to 2022 results. For a discussion of 2022 results as compared to 2021 results, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” within our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the SEC on February 10, 2023.

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

THE COMPANY

We are a leading technology platform that enables digital payments and simplifies commerce experiences on behalf of merchants and consumers worldwide. PayPal is committed to democratizing financial services to help improve the financial health of individuals and to increase economic opportunity for entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes around the world. Our goal is to enable our merchants and consumers to manage and move their money anywhere in the world in the markets we serve, anytime, on any platform, and using any device when sending payments or getting paid, including person-to-person payments.

Regulatory environment

We operate globally and in a rapidly evolving regulatory environment characterized by a heightened focus by regulators globally on all aspects of the payments industry, including countering terrorist financing, anti-money laundering, privacy, cybersecurity, and consumer protection. The laws and regulations applicable to us, including those enacted prior to the advent of digital payments, continue to evolve through legislative and regulatory action and judicial interpretation. New or changing laws and regulations, including changes to their interpretation and implementation, as well as increased penalties and enforcement actions related to non-compliance, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We monitor these areas closely and are focused on designing compliant solutions for our customers.

Cybersecurity and information security

Cybersecurity and information security risks for global payments and technology companies like us have increased significantly in recent years. Although we have developed systems and processes designed to protect the data we manage, prevent data loss and other security incidents, and enable us to effectively respond to known and potential risks, and expect to continue to expend significant resources to bolster these protections, we remain subject to these risks and there can be no assurance that our security measures will provide sufficient security or prevent breaches or attacks. For additional information regarding our cybersecurity and information security risks, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Cyberattacks and security vulnerabilities could result in serious harm to our reputation, business, and financial condition” and “Item 1C. Cybersecurity.”

MACROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

The broader implications of the macroeconomic environment, including uncertainty around recent international conflicts including the Russia and Ukraine conflict, supply chain shortages, a recession globally or in markets in which we operate, higher inflation rates, higher interest rates, and other related global economic conditions, remain unknown. A deterioration in macroeconomic conditions could continue to increase the risk of lower consumer spending, merchant and consumer bankruptcy, insolvency, business failure, higher credit losses, foreign currency exchange fluctuations, or other business interruption, which may adversely impact our business. If these conditions continue or worsen, they could adversely impact our future financial and operating results.

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OVERVIEW OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following table provides a summary of our consolidated financial results for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021:

Year Ended December 31,Percent Increase/(Decrease)
20232022202120232022
(In millions, except percentages and per share amounts)
Net revenues$29,771$27,518$25,3718%8%
Operating expenses24,74323,68121,1094%12%
Operating income5,0283,8374,26231%(10)%
Operating margin17%14%17%****
Other income (expense), net383(471)(163)181%189%
Income tax expense (benefit)1,165947(70)23%**
Effective tax rate22%28%(2)%****
Net income (loss)$4,246$2,419$4,16976%(42)%
Net income (loss) per diluted share$3.84$2.09$3.5284%(41)%
Net cash provided by operating activities$4,843$5,813$5,797(17)%%

All amounts in tables are rounded to the nearest million, except as otherwise noted. As a result, certain amounts may not recalculate using the rounded amounts provided.

** Not meaningful.

Net revenues increased $2.3 billion, or 8%, in 2023 compared to 2022 driven primarily by growth in total payment volume (“TPV”, as defined below under “Key Metrics”) of 13%.

Total operating expenses increased $1.1 billion, or 4%, in 2023 compared to 2022 due primarily to an increase in transaction expense, partially offset by reductions in sales and marketing expense, restructuring and other, and technology and development expense.

Operating income increased $1.2 billion, or 31%, in 2023 compared to 2022 due to net revenues growing more than operating expenses. Our operating margin was 17% and 14% in 2023 and 2022, respectively, reflecting the positive impact of operating efficiencies in our business and gain on sale of a divested business, partially offset by the negative impact of an increase in transaction expense.

Net income increased by $1.8 billion, or 76%, in 2023 compared to 2022 due to the previously discussed increase in operating income of $1.2 billion and an increase of $854 million in other income (expense), net, driven primarily by net gains on strategic investments in the current period as compared to net losses and impairments on strategic investments in the prior period as well as higher interest income from an increase in interest rates, partially offset by an increase in income tax expense of $218 million primarily related to higher pre-tax income, inclusive of tax expense associated with net gains on strategic investments and the sale of a divested business.

IMPACT OF FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATES

We have significant international operations that are denominated in foreign currencies, primarily the British pound, Euro, Australian dollar, and Canadian dollar, subjecting us to foreign currency exchange risk which may adversely impact our financial results. The strengthening or weakening of the United States (“U.S.”) dollar versus foreign currencies in which we conduct our international operations impacts the translation of our net revenues and expenses generated in these foreign currencies into the U.S. dollar. In 2023, 2022, and 2021, we generated approximately 42%, 43%, and 46% of our net revenues from customers domiciled outside of the U.S., respectively. Because we generate substantial net revenues internationally, we are subject to the risks of doing business outside of the U.S., including those discussed under “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

We calculate the year-over-year impact of foreign currency exchange movements on our business using prior period foreign currency exchange rates applied to current period transactional currency amounts. While changes in foreign currency exchange rates affect our reported results, we have a foreign currency exchange exposure management program in which we use foreign currency exchange contracts, designated as cash flow hedges, intended to reduce the impact on earnings from foreign currency exchange rate movements. Gains and losses from these foreign currency exchange contracts are recognized as a component of transaction revenues or operating expenses (as applicable) in the same period the forecasted transactions impact earnings.

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In the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the year-over-year foreign currency exchange rate movements relative to the U.S. dollar had the following impact on our reported results:

Year Ended December 31,
20232022
(In millions)
Favorable (unfavorable) impact to net revenues (exclusive of hedging impact)$128$(949)
Hedging impact111462
Favorable (unfavorable) impact to net revenues239(487)
(Unfavorable) favorable impact to operating expense(29)492
Net favorable impact to operating income$210$5

While we enter into foreign currency exchange contracts to help reduce the impact on earnings from foreign currency exchange rate movements, it is impossible to predict or eliminate the total effects of this exposure.

We also use foreign currency exchange contracts, designated as net investment hedges, to reduce the foreign currency exchange risk related to our investment in certain foreign subsidiaries. Gains and losses associated with these instruments will remain in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) until the underlying foreign subsidiaries are sold or substantially liquidated.

Given that we also have foreign currency exchange risk on our assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of our subsidiaries, we have an additional foreign currency exchange exposure management program in which we use foreign currency exchange contracts to help offset the impact of foreign currency exchange rate movements on our assets and liabilities. The foreign currency exchange gains and losses on our assets and liabilities are recorded in other income (expense), net, and are offset by the gains and losses on the foreign currency exchange contracts. These foreign currency exchange contracts reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the impact of foreign currency exchange rate movements on our assets and liabilities.

Additionally, in connection with transactions occurring in multiple currencies on our payments platform, we generally set our foreign currency exchange rates daily and may face financial exposure if we incorrectly set our foreign currency exchange rates or as a result of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates between the times that we set our foreign currency exchange rates and when transactions occur.

KEY METRICS AND FINANCIAL RESULTS

KEY METRICS

TPV, number of payment transactions, active accounts, and number of payment transactions per active account are key non-financial performance metrics (“key metrics”) that management uses to measure the scale of our platform and the relevance of our products and services to our customers, and are defined as follows:

•TPV is the value of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed on our payments platform or enabled by PayPal via a partner payment solution, not including gateway-exclusive transactions.

•Number of payment transactions are the total number of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed on our payments platform or enabled by PayPal via a partner payment solution, not including gateway-exclusive transactions.

•An active account is an account registered directly with PayPal or a platform access partner that has completed a transaction on our platform, not including gateway-exclusive transactions, within the past 12 months. A platform access partner is a third party whose customers are provided access to PayPal’s platform or services through such third party’s login credentials, including individuals and entities that utilize Hyperwallet’s payout capabilities. A user may register on our platform to access different products and may register more than one account to access a product. Accordingly, a user may have more than one active account. The number of active accounts provides management with additional perspective on the overall scale of our platform, but may not have a direct relationship to our operating results.

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•Number of payment transactions per active account reflects the total number of payment transactions within the previous 12-month period, divided by active accounts at the end of the period. The number of payment transactions per active account provides management with insight into the average number of times an account engages in payments activity on our payments platform in a given period. The number of times a consumer account or a merchant account transacts on our platform may vary significantly from the average number of payment transactions per active account.

As our transaction revenue is typically correlated with TPV growth and the number of payment transactions completed on our payments platform, management uses these metrics to gain insights into the scale and strength of our payments platform, the engagement level of our customers, and underlying activity and trends which may be indicators of current and future performance. We present these key metrics to enhance investors’ evaluation of the performance of our business and operating results.

Our key metrics are calculated using internal company data based on the activity we measure on our payments platform and compiled from multiple systems, including systems that are internally developed or acquired through business combinations. While the measurement of our key metrics is based on what we believe to be reasonable methodologies and estimates, there are inherent challenges and limitations in measuring our key metrics globally at our scale. The methodologies used to calculate our key metrics require significant judgment.

We regularly review our processes for calculating these key metrics, and from time to time we may make adjustments to improve the accuracy or relevance of our metrics. For example, we continuously apply models, processes, and practices designed to detect and prevent fraudulent account creation on our platforms, and work to improve and enhance those capabilities. When we detect a significant volume of illegitimate activity, we generally remove the activity identified from our key metrics. Although such adjustments may impact key metrics reported in prior periods, we generally do not update previously reported key metrics to reflect these subsequent adjustments unless the retrospective impact of process improvements or enhancements is determined by management to be material.

NET REVENUES

Our revenues are classified into the following two categories:

•Transaction revenues: Net transaction fees charged to merchants and consumers on a transaction basis based on the TPV completed on our payments platform. Growth in TPV is directly impacted by the number of payment transactions that we enable on our payments platform. We generate additional revenue from merchants and consumers: on transactions where we perform currency conversion, when we enable cross-border transactions (i.e., transactions where the merchant and consumer are in different countries), to facilitate the instant transfer of funds for our customers from their PayPal or Venmo account to their bank account or debit card, to facilitate the purchase and sale of cryptocurrencies, as contractual compensation from sellers that violate our contractual terms (for example, through fraud or counterfeiting), and other miscellaneous fees.

•Revenues from other value added services: Net revenues derived primarily from revenue earned through partnerships, referral fees, subscription fees, gateway fees, and other services we provide to our merchants and consumers. We also earn revenues from interest and fees earned on our portfolio of loans receivable, and interest earned on certain assets underlying customer balances.

Our revenues can be significantly impacted by a number of factors, including the following:

•The mix of merchants, products, and services;

•The mix between domestic and cross-border transactions;

•The geographic region or country in which a transaction occurs; and

•The amount of our loans receivable outstanding with merchants and consumers.

Refer to “Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K for further discussion on factors that may impact our revenue.

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Net revenue analysis

The components of our net revenues for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 were as follows (in millions):

Transaction revenues

Transaction revenues grew by $1.7 billion, or 7%, in 2023 compared to 2022 driven primarily by growth in TPV and the number of payment transactions from our Braintree products and services, partially offset by a decline in revenues from our core PayPal products and services, including declines in contractual compensation of $190 million from sellers that violated our contractual terms predominantly in international markets. Transaction revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 were also impacted unfavorably by lower net gains due to hedging activities as compared to the same period of the prior year.

The graphs below present the respective key metrics (in millions) for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021:

*Reflects active accounts at the end of the applicable period.

The following table provides a summary of related metrics:

Year Ended December 31,Percent Increase/ (Decrease)
20232022202120232022
Number of payment transactions per active account58.751.445.414%13%
Percent of cross-border TPV(1)12%13%16%****

(1) Cross-border TPV occurs primarily between two PayPal accounts in different countries and includes transactions initiated through our Xoom product.

** Not meaningful

We had active accounts of 426 million and 435 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, a decrease of 2%. Number of payment transactions was 25.0 billion and 22.3 billion for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, an increase of 12%. TPV was $1.53 trillion and $1.36 trillion or the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, an increase of 13%.

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Transaction revenues growth was lower than the growth in TPV and the number of payment transactions in 2023 due primarily to a decline in revenues from core PayPal products and services, an unfavorable impact from hedging, and declines in foreign currency exchange fees.

Revenues from other value added services

Revenues from other value added services increased by $602 million, or 26%, in 2023 compared to 2022 due primarily to increases in interest earned on certain assets underlying customer account balances resulting from higher interest rates, and to a lesser extent, interest and fee revenue on our loans receivable portfolio driven by consumer interest-bearing installment loans and consumer revolving loans. These drivers positively impacting revenues from other value added services were partially offset by a decline in revenue earned from our PayPal Honey product and a lower revenue share earned from an independent chartered financial institution (“partner institution”).

Consumers that have outstanding loans and interest receivable due to our partner institution may experience hardships that result in losses recognized by the partner institution, which may result in a decrease in our revenue share earned in future periods. In the event the overall return on the PayPal branded credit programs funded by the partner institution does not meet a minimum rate of return (“minimum return threshold”) in a particular quarter, our revenue share for that period would be zero. Further, in the event the overall return on the PayPal branded credit programs managed by the partner institution does not meet the minimum return threshold as measured over four consecutive quarters and in the following quarter, we would be required to make a payment to the partner institution, subject to certain limitations. Through December 31, 2023, the overall return on the PayPal branded credit programs funded by the partner institution exceeded the minimum return threshold.

Seasonality

The Company does not experience meaningful seasonality with respect to net revenues. No individual quarter in 2023, 2022, or 2021 accounted for more than 30% of annual net revenue.

OPERATING EXPENSES

The following table summarizes our operating expenses and related metrics we use to assess the trends in each:

Year Ended December 31,Percent Increase/ (Decrease)
20232022202120232022
(In millions, except percentages)
Transaction expense$14,385$12,173$10,31518%18%
Transaction and credit losses1,6821,5721,0607%48%
Customer support and operations1,9192,1202,075(9)%2%
Sales and marketing1,8092,2572,445(20)%(8)%
Technology and development2,9733,2533,038(9)%7%
General and administrative2,0592,0992,114(2)%(1)%
Restructuring and other(84)20762(141)%234%
Total operating expenses$24,743$23,681$21,1094%12%
Transaction expense rate(1)0.94%0.90%0.83%****
Transaction and credit loss rate(2)0.11%0.12%0.09%****

(1) Transaction expense rate is calculated by dividing transaction expense by TPV.

(2) Transaction and credit loss rate is calculated by dividing transaction and credit losses by TPV.

** Not meaningful.

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Transaction expense

Transaction expense is primarily composed of the costs we incur to accept a customer’s funding source of payment. These costs include fees paid to payment processors and other financial institutions when we draw funds from a customer’s credit or debit card, bank account, or other funding source they have stored in their digital wallet. We refer to the allocation of funding sources used by our consumers as our “funding mix.” The cost of funding a transaction with a credit or debit card is generally higher than the cost of funding a transaction from a bank or through internal sources such as a PayPal or Venmo account balance or our consumer credit products. As we expand the availability and presentation of alternative funding sources to our customers, our funding mix may change, which could increase or decrease our transaction expense rate. The cost of funding a transaction is also impacted by the geographic region or country in which a transaction occurs, as we generally pay lower rates for transactions funded with credit or debit cards outside the U.S. Our transaction expense rate is impacted by changes in product mix, merchant mix, regional mix, funding mix, and fees paid to payment processors and other financial institutions. Macroeconomic environment changes may also result in behavioral shifts in consumer spending patterns affecting the type of funding source they use, which could also impact the funding mix.

Transaction expense increased by $2.2 billion, or 18%, in 2023 compared to 2022 due primarily to an increase in TPV of 13% and unfavorable changes in product mix. The increase in transaction expense rate in 2023 compared to 2022 was also attributable to unfavorable changes in product mix with a higher proportion of TPV from unbranded card processing volume, which generally has higher expense rates than other products and services, partially offset by favorable changes in regional mix with respect to our core PayPal products and services. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, approximately 36%, 35%, and 39% of TPV, respectively, was generated outside of the U.S.

Transaction and credit losses

Transaction losses include the expense associated with our customer protection programs, fraud, and chargebacks. Credit losses include the current expected credit losses associated with our merchant and consumer loans receivable portfolio. Our transaction and credit losses fluctuate depending on many factors, including TPV, product mix, current and projected macroeconomic conditions such as unemployment rates, retail e-commerce sales and household disposable income, merchant insolvency events, changes to and usage of our customer protection programs, the impact of regulatory changes, and the credit quality of loans receivable arising from transactions funded with our credit products for consumers and loans and advances to merchants. Estimating our current expected credit loss allowances for our loans receivable portfolios is an inherently uncertain process and the ultimate losses we incur may vary from the current estimates. We regularly update our allowance estimates as new facts become known and events occur that may impact the ultimate losses incurred. A deterioration in macroeconomic conditions or other factors beyond those considered in our estimates could result in credit losses that exceed our current estimated credit losses and adversely impact our future operating results.

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The components of our transaction and credit losses for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 were as follows (in millions):

Transaction and credit losses increased by $110 million, or 7%, in 2023 compared to 2022.

Transaction losses were approximately $1.2 billion for both 2023 and 2022, reflecting a slight increase of $22 million, or 2%. Transaction loss rate (transaction losses divided by TPV) was 0.08%, 0.09%, and 0.09% for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. The increase in transaction losses in 2023 was primarily attributable to lower recoveries compared to 2022 and higher losses related to fraud schemes, partially offset by a $39 million loss related to an ongoing merchant insolvency proceeding in 2022 with no activity of comparable individual magnitude in the current period.

Credit losses increased by $88 million in 2023 compared to 2022. The components of credit losses for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 were as follows (in millions):

Year Ended December 31,
2023(3)20222021
Net charge-offs(1)$549$267$219
Reserve build (release)(2)(59)135(312)
Credit losses$490$402$(93)

(1) Net charge-offs includes principal charge-offs partially offset by recoveries for consumer and merchant receivables.

(2) Reserve build (release) represents change in allowance for principal receivables excluding foreign currency remeasurement.

(3) Includes changes in the allowance due to the reclassification of loans and interest receivable to or from held for sale.

The provision in the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was primarily attributable to loan originations during the respective periods and a deterioration in the credit quality of loans outstanding. During 2023 and 2022, allowances for our merchant and consumer portfolios included qualitative adjustments that took into account uncertainty with respect to macroeconomic conditions, and around the financial health of our borrowers, including the effectiveness of loan modification programs made available to merchants.

Consumer loan portfolio

As of December 31, 2023, loans and interest receivable, held for sale was $563 million. Loans and interest receivable, held for sale, represents the portion of our installment consumer receivables that we intend to sell. This portfolio includes the substantial majority of our United Kingdom (“U.K.”) and other European buy now, pay later loan receivables. In June 2023, we entered into a multi-year agreement with a global investment firm to sell up to €40 billion of U.K. and other European buy now, pay later loan receivables, consisting of eligible loans and interest receivables, including a forward-flow arrangement for the sale of future originations of eligible loans over a 24-month commitment period (collectively, “eligible consumer installment receivables”). For additional information, see “Note 1—Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

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The consumer loans and interest receivable balance as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $4.8 billion and $5.9 billion, respectively, net of participation interest sold, representing a year-over-year decrease of 19% driven by the sale of eligible consumer installment receivables in the U.K. and other European countries, as discussed above, partially offset by the expansion of our revolving credit product in the U.K. and our installment credit products in Japan.

The following table provides information regarding the credit quality of our consumer loans and interest receivable balance:

December 31,
20232022
Percent of consumer loans and interest receivable current(1)95.4%97.1%
Percent of consumer loans and interest receivable 90 days outstanding(1), (2)2.2%1.4%
Net charge-off rate(1), (3)7.2%4.5%

(1) Amounts as of December 31, 2023 exclude loans and interest receivable, held for sale.

(2) Represents percentage of balances which are 90 days past the billing date or contractual repayment date, as applicable.

(3) Net charge-off rate is the annualized ratio of net credit losses during the three months ended December 31, 2023, excluding fraud losses, on consumer loans as a percentage of the average daily amount of consumer loans and interest receivable balance during the same period.

The increase in net charge-off rate for consumer loans and interest receivable at December 31, 2023 as compared to December 31, 2022 was primarily due to the sale of eligible consumer installment receivables, as discussed above, and deterioration in the credit quality of the U.S. interest-bearing installment product.

We continue to evaluate and modify our acceptable risk parameters related to our consumer loan portfolio in response to the changing macroeconomic environment. In response to declining performance, a number of risk mitigation strategies were implemented in the third quarter of 2023, which resulted in reduced originations for our U.S. interest-bearing installment product.

Merchant loan portfolio

We offer access to merchant finance products for certain small and medium-sized businesses, which we refer to as our merchant finance offerings. Total merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable outstanding, net of participation interest sold, as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 was $1.2 billion and $2.1 billion, respectively, reflecting a decline of 44% due primarily to a decrease in originations related to our PayPal Business Loan (“PPBL”) products in the U.S.

The following table provides information regarding the credit quality of our merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable balance:

December 31,
20232022
Percent of merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable current87.0%90.7%
Percent of merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable 90 days outstanding(1)5.6%3.7%
Net charge-off rate (2)18.8%4.5%

(1) Represents percentage of balances which are 90 days past the original expected or contractual repayment period, as applicable.

(2) Net charge-off rate is the annualized ratio of net credit losses during the three months ended December 31, 2023, excluding fraud losses, on merchant loans and advances as a percentage of the average daily amount of merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable balance during the same period.

The decrease in the percent of current merchant receivables, increase in percent of merchant receivables greater than 90 days outstanding, and increase in the net charge-off rate for merchant receivables at December 31, 2023 as compared to December 31, 2022 were primarily due to the expansion of acceptable risk parameters in 2022, which resulted in a decline in the overall credit quality of loans outstanding related to our PPBL product. The significant decline in the merchant receivable portfolio year-over-year due to repayments and reduced originations also resulted in higher delinquency and charge-off rates as a percentage of outstanding loan balance as of December 31, 2023.

We continue to evaluate and modify our acceptable risk parameters related to our merchant loan portfolio in response to the changing macroeconomic environment. In response to declining performance, a number of risk mitigation strategies were implemented throughout 2023, which resulted in reduced originations for our PPBL product.

For additional information, see “Note 11—Loans and Interest Receivable” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements, and “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Our credit products expose us to additional risks” included in this Form 10-K.

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Customer support and operations

Customer support and operations includes costs incurred in our global customer operations centers, including costs to provide call support to our customers, costs to support our trust and security programs protecting our merchants and consumers, and other costs incurred related to the delivery of our products, including payment devices, card production, and customer onboarding and compliance costs.

Customer support and operations costs decreased $201 million, or 9%, in 2023 compared to 2022 due primarily to a decline in employee-related costs, contractors and consulting costs, and customer onboarding and compliance costs.

Sales and marketing

Sales and marketing includes costs incurred for customer acquisition, business development, advertising, and marketing programs.

Sales and marketing expenses decreased $448 million, or 20%, in 2023 compared to 2022 due primarily to lower spending on targeted user incentives and marketing campaigns, and to a lesser extent, a decline in amortization of acquired intangibles.

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Technology and development

Technology and development includes costs incurred in connection with the development of our payments platform, new products, and the improvement of our existing products, including the amortization of software and website development costs incurred in developing our payments platform, which are capitalized. It also includes acquired developed technology and our site operations and other infrastructure costs incurred to support our payments platform.

Technology and development expenses decreased $280 million, or 9%, in 2023 compared to 2022 due primarily to lower intangible amortization and a decline in costs related to contractors and consultants.

General and administrative

General and administrative includes costs incurred to provide support to our business, including legal, human resources, finance, risk and compliance, executive, and other support operations.

General and administrative expenses decreased $40 million, or 2%, in 2023 compared to 2022 due primarily to a decline in depreciation expense and facilities costs.

Restructuring and other

Restructuring and other primarily consist of restructuring expenses, asset impairment charges, gain on sale of divested business, and losses on loans and interest receivable, held for sale.

Restructuring and other decreased by $291 million in 2023 compared to 2022 primarily resulting from gain on sale of a divested business, partially offset by restructuring charges, asset impairment charges, and fair value adjustments on loans and interest receivable, held for sale.

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In the fourth quarter of 2023, we completed the sale of Happy Returns and recorded a pre-tax gain of $339 million, net of transaction costs. For additional information on the divestiture, see “Note 4—Business Combinations and Divestitures” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

During the first quarter of 2023, management initiated a global workforce reduction intended to focus resources on core strategic priorities, and improve our cost structure and operating efficiency. The associated restructuring charges during the year ended December 31, 2023 were $122 million. We primarily incurred employee severance and benefits costs, which were substantially completed in the fourth quarter of 2023. The estimated reduction in annualized employee-related costs associated with the impacted workforce was approximately $280 million, including approximately $85 million in stock-based compensation. We expect to reinvest a portion of the reduction in annual costs associated with the impacted workforce to drive business priorities.

During the first quarter of 2022, management initiated a strategic reduction of the existing global workforce intended to streamline and optimize our global operations to enhance operating efficiency. This effort focused on reducing redundant operations and simplifying our organizational structure. The associated restructuring charges during the year ended December 31, 2022 were $121 million. We primarily incurred employee severance and benefits costs, as well as associated consulting costs. The strategic actions associated with this plan were substantially completed by the fourth quarter of 2022.

For information on the associated restructuring liabilities, see “Note 17—Restructuring and Other” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

Additionally, we are continuing to review our real estate and facility capacity requirements due to our new and evolving work models. We incurred asset impairment charges of $61 million and $81 million in the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, due to exiting certain leased properties, which resulted in a reduction of right-of-use lease assets and related leasehold improvements.

In the year ended December 31, 2023, we recognized a gain of $17 million due to the sale of an owned property. We also incurred a loss of $14 million related to another owned property, which was previously held for sale, in the year ended December 31, 2023.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, approximately $74 million of losses were recorded in restructuring and other, which included net loss on sale of loans and interest receivable previously held for sale (inclusive of transaction costs) and fair value adjustments in order to measure loans and interest receivable, held for sale, at the lower of cost or fair value.

Other income (expense), net

Other income (expense), net of $383 million in 2023 increased $854 million compared to $(471) million in 2022 due primarily to net gains on strategic investments in the current period compared to net losses and impairments in the prior period and higher interest income from an increase in interest rates.

Income tax expense (benefit)

Our effective income tax rate was 22% in 2023 and 28% in 2022. The decrease in our effective income tax rate in 2023 compared to 2022 was primarily attributable to higher tax expense in the prior year related to the intra-group transfer of intellectual property. See “Note 16—Income Taxes” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for more information on our effective tax rate.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

We require liquidity and access to capital to fund our global operations, including our customer protection programs, credit products, capital expenditures, investments in our business, potential acquisitions and strategic investments, working capital, and other cash needs. We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents, and investments, cash expected to be generated from operations, and our expected access to capital markets, together with potential external funding through third party sources, will be sufficient to meet our cash requirements within the next 12 months and beyond.

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SOURCES OF LIQUIDITY

Cash, cash equivalents, and investments

The following table summarizes our cash, cash equivalents, and investments as of December 31, 2023 and 2022:

Year Ended December 31,
20232022
(In millions)
Cash, cash equivalents, and investments(1)(2)$15,493$13,723

(1) Excludes assets related to funds receivable and customer accounts of $38.9 billion and $36.3 billion as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

(2) Excludes total restricted cash of $3 million and $17 million at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and strategic investments of $1.8 billion and $2.1 billion at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Cash, cash equivalents, and investments held by our foreign subsidiaries were $10.0 billion at December 31, 2023 and $8.6 billion at December 31, 2022, or 64% and 62%, of our total cash, cash equivalents, and investments as of those respective dates. At December 31, 2023, all of our cash, cash equivalents, and investments held by foreign subsidiaries were subject to U.S. taxation under Subpart F, Global Intangible Low Taxed Income (“GILTI”) or the one-time transition tax under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“Tax Act”). Subsequent repatriations to the U.S. will not be taxable from a U.S. federal tax perspective, but may be subject to state income or foreign withholding tax.

A significant aspect of our global cash management activities involves meeting our customers’ requirements to access their cash while simultaneously meeting our regulatory financial ratio commitments in various jurisdictions. Our global cash balances are required not only to provide operational liquidity to our businesses, but also to support our global regulatory requirements across our regulated subsidiaries. Accordingly, not all of our cash is available for general corporate purposes.

Cash flows

The following table summarizes our consolidated statements of cash flows:

Year Ended December 31,
202320222021
(In millions)
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities$4,843$5,813$5,797
Investing activities752(3,328)(5,149)
Financing activities(2,993)(1,203)(557)
Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash76(155)(102)
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash$2,678$1,127$(11)

Operating activities

Cash flows from operating activities includes net income adjusted for certain non-cash expenses, timing differences between expenses recognized for provision for transaction and credit losses and actual cash transaction losses incurred, and changes in other assets and liabilities. Significant non-cash expenses for the period include depreciation and amortization and stock-based compensation. The cash impact from actual transaction losses incurred during a period is reflected as changes in other assets and liabilities. The expenses recognized during the period for provision for credit losses are estimates of current expected credit losses on our merchant and consumer credit products. Actual charge-offs of receivables related to our merchants and consumer credit products have no impact on cash from operating activities.

The net cash provided by operating activities of $4.8 billion in 2023 was due primarily to operating income of $5.0 billion, as well as adjustments for non-cash expenses including provision for transaction and credit losses of $1.7 billion, stock-based compensation of $1.5 billion, and depreciation and amortization of $1.1 billion. Cash flows from operating activities was also impacted by proceeds from repayments and sales of loans receivable, originally classified as held for sale, of $10.8 billion and changes in other assets of $203 million. These changes, which favorably impacted cash generated from operations, were offset by originations of loans receivable, held for sale of $11.5 billion, actual cash transaction losses incurred during the period of $1.2 billion, changes in deferred income taxes of $668 million, gain on divestiture of business, excluding transaction costs, of $356 million, net accretion of investments purchased at a discount of $367 million, and changes in liabilities of $222 million.

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The net cash provided by operating activities of $5.8 billion in 2022 was due primarily to operating income of $3.8 billion, as well as adjustments for non-cash expenses including provision for transaction and credit losses of $1.6 billion, depreciation and amortization of $1.3 billion, and stock-based compensation of $1.3 billion. Cash flows from operating activities was also impacted by net losses on our strategic investments of $304 million, and an increase in other liabilities of $856 million. These changes, which favorably impacted cash generated from operations, were partially offset by actual cash transaction losses incurred during the period of $1.2 billion and changes in deferred income taxes of $811 million.

Cash paid for income taxes, net in 2023, 2022, and 2021 was $2.1 billion, $878 million, and $474 million, respectively. Included within cash paid for income taxes for 2023 is $106 million related to the purchase of transferable tax credits as authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Investing activities

Cash flows from investing activities includes purchases, maturities and sales of investments; cash paid for acquisitions and strategic investments; purchases and sales of property and equipment; purchases, originations, sales, and principal repayment of loans receivable, originally classified as held for investment; changes in funds receivable; and changes in collateral posted related to derivative instruments, net.

The net cash provided by investing activities of $752 million in 2023 was due primarily to proceeds from repayments and sales of loans receivable, originally classified as held for investment, of $26.7 billion, maturities and sales of investments of $24.3 billion, and proceeds from divestiture of business, net of cash divested, of $466 million. These cash inflows were partially offset by purchases and originations of loans receivable of $25.2 billion, purchases of investments of $22.0 billion, changes in funds receivable from customers of $2.9 billion, and purchases of property and equipment of $623 million.

The net cash used in investing activities of $3.3 billion in 2022 was due primarily to purchases and originations of loans receivable of $28.2 billion, purchases of investments of $20.2 billion, changes in funds receivable from customers of $2.7 billion, and purchases of property and equipment of $706 million. These cash outflows were partially offset by principal repayment of loans receivable of $24.9 billion and maturities and sales of investments of $23.4 billion.

Financing activities

Cash flows from financing activities includes proceeds from issuance of common stock, purchases of treasury stock, tax withholdings related to net share settlements of equity awards, borrowings and repayments under financing arrangements, changes in funds payable and amounts due to customers, and changes in collateral received related to derivative instruments, net.

The net cash used in financing activities of $3.0 billion in 2023 was due primarily to the repurchase of $5.0 billion of our common stock under our stock repurchase programs, repayments of borrowings under financing arrangements of $1.1 billion (including principal repayment of fixed rate debt that matured in June 2023 and repayment of borrowings under our Paidy credit agreement), tax withholdings of $257 million related to net share settlement of equity awards, and a decline in collateral received related to derivative instruments of $197 million. These cash outflows were partially offset by changes in funds payable and amounts due to customers of $1.9 billion and borrowings under financing arrangements of $1.5 billion (including proceeds from the issuance of fixed rate debt in June 2023, borrowings under our Paidy credit agreement, and short-term overdraft borrowings).

The net cash used in financing activities of $1.2 billion in 2022 was due primarily to the repurchase of $4.2 billion of our common stock under our stock repurchase programs, repayments of borrowings under financing arrangements of $1.7 billion (including the repurchase and redemption of certain fixed rate notes and repayment of borrowings under a prior credit agreement), and tax withholdings of $336 million related to net share settlement of equity awards. These cash outflows were partially offset by borrowings under financing arrangements of $3.5 billion (including proceeds from the issuance of fixed rate debt in May 2022 and borrowings under our Paidy credit agreements) and changes in funds payable and amounts due to customers of $1.4 billion.

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Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

Foreign currency exchange rates had a positive impact of $76 million and negative impact of $155 million on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash during 2023 and 2022, respectively. The positive impact of foreign currency exchange on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash in 2023 was primarily due to favorable fluctuations in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the British pound. The negative impact of foreign currency exchange on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash in 2022 was primarily attributable to the unfavorable impact of fluctuations in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the Australian dollar and, to a lesser extent, to the fluctuations in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the Swedish krona, Japanese yen, Indian rupee, and the Euro.

Available credit and debt

In June 2023, we entered into a credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) that provides for an unsecured $5.0 billion, five-year revolving credit facility and terminated the facility entered into in September 2019. The Credit Agreement includes a $150 million letter of credit sub-facility and a $600 million swingline sub-facility, with available borrowings under the revolving credit facility reduced by the amount of any letters of credit and swingline borrowings outstanding from time to time. As of December 31, 2023, no borrowings were outstanding under the Credit Agreement and as such, $5.0 billion of borrowing capacity was available for the purposes permitted by the Credit Agreement, subject to customary conditions to borrowing.

In February 2022, we entered into a credit agreement (the “Paidy Credit Agreement”) with Paidy as co-borrower, which provided for an unsecured revolving credit facility of ¥60.0 billion, which was modified in September 2022 to increase the borrowing capacity by ¥30.0 billion for a total borrowing capacity of ¥90.0 billion (approximately $638 million as of December 31, 2023). In the year ended December 31, 2023, ¥50.0 billion (approximately $355 million) was drawn down under the Paidy Credit Agreement. Accordingly, at December 31, 2023, ¥40.0 billion (approximately $283 million) of borrowing capacity was available for the purposes permitted by the Paidy Credit Agreement, subject to customary conditions to borrowing.

We maintain uncommitted credit facilities in various regions throughout the world with a borrowing capacity of approximately $80 million in the aggregate, where we can withdraw and utilize the funds at our discretion for general corporate purposes. As of December 31, 2023, the majority of the borrowing capacity under these credit facilities was available, subject to customary conditions to borrowing.

In June 2023, May 2022, May 2020 and September 2019, we issued fixed rate notes with varying maturity dates for an aggregate principal amount of $12.6 billion (collectively referred to as the “Notes”). Proceeds from the issuance of these Notes may be used for general corporate purposes, which may include funding the repayment or redemption of outstanding debt, share repurchases, ongoing operations, capital expenditures, and possible acquisitions of businesses, assets, or strategic investments. As of December 31, 2023, we had $10.6 billion in fixed rate debt outstanding with varying maturity dates.

For additional information, see “Note 12—Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

Depending on market conditions, we may from time to time issue debt, including in private or public offerings, to fund our operating activities, finance acquisitions, make strategic investments, repurchase shares under our stock repurchase programs, or reduce our cost of capital.

We have a cash pooling arrangement with a financial institution for cash management purposes. The arrangement allows for cash withdrawals from the financial institution based upon our aggregate operating cash balances held within the financial institution (“Aggregate Cash Deposits”). The arrangement also allows us to withdraw amounts exceeding the Aggregate Cash Deposits up to an agreed-upon limit. The net balance of the withdrawals and the Aggregate Cash Deposits are used by the financial institution as a basis for calculating our net interest expense or income under the arrangement. As of December 31, 2023, we had a total of $3.9 billion in cash withdrawals offsetting our $3.9 billion in Aggregate Cash Deposits held within the financial institution under the cash pooling arrangement.

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Credit ratings

As of December 31, 2023, we continue to be rated investment grade by Standard and Poor’s Financial Services, LLC, Fitch Ratings, Inc., and Moody’s Investors Services, Inc. We expect that these credit rating agencies will continue to monitor our performance, including our capital structure and results of operations. Our goal is to be rated investment grade, but as circumstances change, there are factors that could result in our credit ratings being downgraded or put on a watch list for possible downgrading. If that were to occur, it could increase our borrowing rates, including the interest rate on borrowings under our credit agreements.

CURRENT AND FUTURE CASH REQUIREMENTS

Our material cash requirements include funds to support current and potential: operating activities, credit products, customer protection programs, stock repurchases, strategic investments, acquisitions, other commitments, and capital expenditures and other future obligations.

Credit products

Growth in our portfolio of loan receivables increases our liquidity needs, and any inability to meet those liquidity needs could adversely affect our business. We continue to evaluate partnerships and third-party sources of funding for our credit products.

The Luxembourg Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (the “CSSF”) agreed that PayPal’s management may designate up to 50% of European customer balances held in our Luxembourg banking subsidiary to fund European, U.K., and U.S. credit activities. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the total amount approved by management to be designated to fund credit activities was $3.0 billion and $3.8 billion, respectively, and represented approximately 39% and 37% of European customer balances made available for our corporate use as of those respective dates, as determined by applying financial regulations maintained by the CSSF. We may periodically seek to designate additional amounts of European customer balances for our credit activities, as we deem necessary, based on utilization of the approved funds and anticipated credit funding requirements. Under certain exceptional circumstances, corporate liquidity could be called upon to meet our obligations related to our European customer balances.

In June 2023, we entered into a multi-year agreement with a global investment firm to sell up to €40 billion of our eligible consumer installment receivables portfolio. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we sold $5.5 billion of loans and interest receivable, in connection with this agreement. For additional information, see “Note 1—Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

While our objective is to expand the availability of our credit products with capital from external sources, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in achieving that goal.

Customer protection programs

The risk of losses from our customer protection programs are specific to individual consumers, merchants, and transactions, and may also be impacted by regional variations in, and changes or modifications to, the programs, including as a result of changes in regulatory requirements. For the periods presented in these consolidated financial statements included in this report, our transaction loss rate ranged between 0.08% and 0.09% of TPV. Historical loss rates may not be indicative of future results.

Stock repurchases

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased approximately $5.0 billion of our common stock in the open market under our stock repurchase programs authorized in July 2018 and June 2022. The June 2022 stock repurchase program became effective during the first quarter of 2023 upon completion of the July 2018 stock repurchase program. As of December 31, 2023, a total of approximately $10.9 billion remained available for future repurchases of our common stock under our June 2022 stock repurchase program. For additional information, see “Note 14—Stock Repurchase Programs” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

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Future obligations

As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, approximately $6.2 billion and $4.9 billion, respectively, of unused credit was available to PayPal Credit account holders in the U.K. While this amount represents the total unused credit available, we have not experienced, and do not anticipate, that all of our PayPal Credit account holders will access their entire available credit at any given point in time. In addition, the individual lines of credit that make up this unused credit are subject to periodic review and termination based on, among other things, account usage and customer creditworthiness.

We have certain fixed contractual obligations and commitments that include future estimated payments for general operating purposes. Changes in our business needs, contractual cancellation provisions, fluctuating interest rates, and other factors may result in actual payments differing from our estimates. We cannot provide certainty regarding the timing and amounts of these payments. The following table summarizes our obligations as of December 31, 2023 that are expected to impact liquidity and cash flow in future periods. We believe we will be able to fund these obligations through our existing cash and investment portfolio and cash expected to be generated from operations.

Purchase ObligationsOperating LeasesTransition TaxLong-term DebtTotal
Payments Due During the Year Ending December 31,(In millions)
2024$936$186284$1,575$2,981
20254771533541,4982,482
20263481391,6892,176
2027118732850
202887483570
Thereafter1748,9969,170
$1,761$857$638$14,973$18,229

The significant assumptions used in our determination of amounts presented in the above table are as follows:

•Purchase obligation amounts include minimum purchase commitments for cloud computing services, capital expenditures, advertising, and other goods and services entered into in the ordinary course of business.

•Operating lease amounts include minimum rental payments under our non-cancelable operating leases (including leases not yet commenced) primarily for office and data center facilities. The amounts presented are consistent with contractual terms and are not expected to differ significantly from actual results under our existing leases, unless a substantial change in our headcount needs requires us to expand our occupied space or exit an office facility early.

•Transition tax represents the one-time mandatory tax on previously deferred foreign earnings under the Tax Act.

•Long-term debt amounts represent the future principal and interest payments (based on contractual interest rates) on our fixed-rate debt. For more information, see “Note 12—Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

As we are unable to reasonably predict the timing of settlement of liabilities related to unrecognized tax benefits, net, the table above does not include $2.4 billion recorded in other long-term liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2023.

Other considerations

Our liquidity, access to capital, and borrowing costs could be adversely impacted by declines in our credit rating, our financial performance, and global credit market conditions, as well as a broad range of other factors. In addition, our liquidity, access to capital, and borrowing costs could also be negatively impacted by the outcome of any of the legal or regulatory proceedings to which we are a party. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Note 13—Commitments and Contingencies” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for additional discussion of these and other risks that our business faces.

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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

The application of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates and assumptions about certain items and future events that directly affect our reported financial condition. We have established detailed policies and control procedures to provide reasonable assurance that the methods used to make estimates and assumptions are well controlled and are applied consistently from period to period. The accounting estimates and assumptions discussed in this section are those that we consider to be the most critical to our financial statements. An accounting estimate or assumption is considered critical if both (a) the nature of the estimate or assumption is material due to the levels of subjectivity and judgment involved, and (b) the impact within a reasonable range of outcomes of the estimate and assumption is material to our financial condition. Management has discussed the development, selection, and disclosure of these estimates with the Audit, Risk, and Compliance Committee of our Board of Directors. Our significant accounting policies, including recent accounting pronouncements, are described in “Note 1—Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10‑K.

A quantitative sensitivity analysis is provided where information is reasonably available, can be reliably estimated, and provides material information to investors. The amounts used to assess sensitivity are included to allow users of this report to understand a general directional cause and effect of changes in the estimates and do not represent management’s predictions of variability. For all of these estimates, it should be noted that future events rarely develop exactly as forecasted, and such estimates require regular review and adjustment.

ALLOWANCE FOR TRANSACTION AND CREDIT LOSSES

Transaction and credit losses include the expense associated with our customer protection programs, fraud, chargebacks, and credit losses associated with our loans receivable balances. Our transaction and credit losses fluctuate depending on many factors, including: total TPV, product mix, current and projected macroeconomic conditions, merchant insolvency events, changes to and usage of our customer protection programs, the impact of regulatory changes, and the credit quality of loans receivable arising from transactions funded with our credit products, which include revolving and installment credit products offered to consumers at checkout, as well as merchant loans and advances arising from the PayPal Working Capital and PPBL products.

We establish allowances for negative customer balances and estimated transaction losses arising from processing customer transactions, such as chargebacks for unauthorized credit card use and merchant-related chargebacks due to non-delivery or unsatisfactory delivery of purchased items, purchase protection program claims, account takeovers, and bank returns and reversals. Additions to the allowance, in the form of provisions, are reflected in transaction and credit losses on our consolidated statements of income (loss). The allowances are based on known facts and circumstances, internal factors including experience with similar cases, historical trends involving collection and write-off patterns, and the mix of transaction and loss types, as well as current and projected macroeconomic factors, as appropriate.

We also establish an allowance for loans and interest receivable, which represents our estimate of current expected credit losses inherent in our portfolio of loans and interest receivable and includes expected credit losses from modifications of receivables to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. Determining appropriate current expected credit loss allowances for loans and interest receivable is an inherently uncertain process and ultimate losses may vary from the current estimates. We regularly update our allowance estimates as new facts become known and events occur that may impact the settlement or recovery of losses. The allowances are maintained at a level we deem appropriate to adequately provide for current expected credit losses at the balance sheet date after incorporating the impact of externally sourced macroeconomic forecasts. As of December 31, 2023, we utilized externally published projections of U.S. forecasted unemployment rates, forecasted U.S. and U.K. retail e-commerce sales, and forecasted U.K. household disposable income, among others, over the reasonable and supportable forecast period. As of December 31, 2022, we utilized externally published projections of the U.S. and U.K. forecasted unemployment rates, forecasted U.S. retail e-commerce sales, and forecasted U.K. household disposable income, among others, over the reasonable and supportable forecast period. The overall principal and interest coverage ratio as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 was approximately 9% and 7%, respectively. A significant change in the forecasted macroeconomic factors could result in a material change in our allowances. Our allowance as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 took into account uncertainty with respect to macroeconomic conditions, uncertainty around the financial health of our borrowers, and effectiveness of loan modification programs made available to merchants. An increase of 1% in the principal and interest coverage ratio would increase our allowances by approximately $60 million based on the loans and interest receivable balance outstanding as of December 31, 2023.

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ACCOUNTING FOR INCOME TAXES

Our annual tax rate is based on our income, statutory tax rates, and tax planning opportunities available to us in the various jurisdictions in which we operate. Tax laws are complex and subject to different interpretations by the taxpayer and respective government taxing authorities. Significant judgment is required in determining our tax expense and in evaluating our tax positions, including evaluating uncertainties. We review our tax positions quarterly and adjust the balances as new information becomes available. Our income tax rate is significantly affected by the tax rates that apply to our foreign earnings. In addition to local country tax laws and regulations, our income tax rate depends on the extent that our foreign earnings are taxed by the U.S. through provisions such as the GILTI tax and base erosion anti-abuse tax.

Deferred tax assets represent amounts available to reduce income taxes payable on taxable income in future years. Such assets arise because of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, as well as from net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. We evaluate the recoverability of these future tax deductions and credits by assessing the adequacy of future expected taxable income from all sources, including reversal of taxable temporary differences, forecasted operating earnings, and available tax planning strategies. These sources of income rely heavily on estimates that are based on a number of factors, including our historical experience and short-range and long-range business forecasts. To the extent deferred tax assets are not expected to be realized, we record a valuation allowance.

We recognize and measure uncertain tax positions in accordance with U.S. GAAP, pursuant to which we only recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. We report a liability for unrecognized tax benefits resulting from uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. U.S. GAAP further requires that a change in judgment related to the expected ultimate resolution of uncertain tax positions be recognized in earnings in the quarter in which such change occurs. We recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense.

We file annual income tax returns in multiple taxing jurisdictions around the world. A number of years may elapse before an uncertain tax position is audited by the relevant tax authorities and finally resolved. While it is often difficult to predict the final outcome or the timing of resolution of any particular uncertain tax position, we believe that our reserves for income taxes are adequate. We adjust these reserves, as well as the related interest and penalties, where appropriate in light of changing facts and circumstances. Settlement of any particular position could require the use of cash.

Based on our results for the year ended December 31, 2023, a one-percentage point increase in our effective tax rate would have resulted in an increase in our income tax expense of approximately $54 million.

LOSS CONTINGENCIES

We are regularly involved in various claims, regulatory and legal proceedings, and investigations of potential violations by regulatory oversight authorities. On a regular basis, we review the status of each significant matter and assess our potential financial exposure. If the potential loss from any claim, legal proceeding, or potential regulatory violation is considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated, we accrue a liability for the estimated loss. Significant judgment is required in both the determination of probability and whether an exposure is reasonably estimable. Our judgments are subjective and are based on the status of the legal or regulatory proceedings, the merits of our defenses, and consultation with in-house and outside legal counsel. Because of uncertainties related to these matters, accruals are based on the best information available at the time. As additional information becomes available, we reassess the potential liability related to pending claims, litigation, or other violations and may revise our estimates. Due to the inherent uncertainties of legal and regulatory processes in the multiple jurisdictions in which we operate, our judgments may differ materially from the actual outcomes.

REVENUE RECOGNITION

Application of the accounting principles in U.S. GAAP related to the measurement and recognition of revenue requires us to make judgments and estimates. Complex arrangements with nonstandard terms and conditions may require significant contract interpretation to determine the appropriate accounting. Specifically, the determination of whether we are a principal to a transaction (gross revenue) or an agent (net revenue) can require considerable judgment. Further, we provide incentive payments to consumers and merchants. Evaluating whether these incentives are a payment to a customer, or consideration payable on behalf of a customer, requires judgment. Incentives determined to be made to a customer, or payable on behalf of a customer, are recorded as a reduction to gross revenue. Incentives that are earned by the customer based on performance targets

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are recorded when earned, based on management’s estimate of each customer’s future performance. These accruals are regularly reviewed and estimates of performance are adjusted, as appropriate, based on changes in performance expectations, actual customer performance, amendments to existing contracts, or the execution of new contracts. Changes in judgments with respect to these assumptions and estimates could impact the amount of revenue recognized.

EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS FOR IMPAIRMENT

We have strategic investments in non-marketable equity securities, which include investments that do not have a readily determinable fair value and are measured at cost minus impairment, if any, and are adjusted for changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for an identical or similar investment in the same issuer (the Measurement Alternative). We review these investments regularly to determine if impairment has occurred. We assess whether an impairment loss on these non-marketable equity securities, which are primarily investments in privately held companies, has occurred based on qualitative factors such as the companies’ financial condition and business outlook, industry performance, regulatory, economic or technological environment, and other relevant events and factors affecting the company. When indicators of impairment exist, we estimate the fair value of these non-marketable equity securities using the market approach and/or the income approach. If any impairment is identified, we write down the investment to its fair value and record the corresponding charge through other income (expense), net on our consolidated statements of income (loss). Estimating fair value requires judgment and use of estimates such as discount rates, forecasted cash flows, and market data of comparable companies, among others. For sensitivity analysis performed on our strategic investments, see “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk—Equity Investment Risk.”

FY 2022 10-K MD&A

SEC filing source: 0001633917-23-000033.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2023-02-10. Report date: 2022-12-31.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

This Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements that involve expectations, plans, or intentions (such as those relating to future business, future results of operations or financial condition, new or planned features or services, mergers or acquisitions, or management strategies). These forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “may,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend,” "continue," “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” and other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, those discussed in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Form 10-K, as well as in our consolidated financial statements, related notes, and the other information appearing in this report and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). We do not intend, and undertake no obligation except as required by law, to update any of our forward-looking statements after the date of this report to reflect actual results, new information, or future events or circumstances. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. You should read the following “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes that appear in this report. Unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, references to “we,” “our,” “us,” “the Company,” and “PayPal” refer to PayPal Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations focuses on a discussion of 2022 results as compared to 2021 results. For a discussion of 2021 results as compared to 2020 results, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” within our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on February 3, 2022.

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

THE COMPANY

We are a leading technology platform that enables digital payments and simplifies commerce experiences on behalf of merchants and consumers worldwide. PayPal is committed to democratizing financial services to help improve the financial health of individuals and to increase economic opportunity for entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes around the world. Our goal is to enable our merchants and consumers to manage and move their money anywhere in the world in the markets we serve, anytime, on any platform, and using any device when sending payments or getting paid, including person-to-person payments.

Regulatory environment

We operate globally and in a rapidly evolving regulatory environment characterized by a heightened focus by regulators globally on all aspects of the payments industry, including countering terrorist financing, anti-money laundering, privacy, cybersecurity, and consumer protection. The laws and regulations applicable to us, including those enacted prior to the advent of digital payments, continue to evolve through legislative and regulatory action and judicial interpretation. New or changing laws and regulations, including changes to their interpretation and implementation, as well as increased penalties and enforcement actions related to non-compliance, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We monitor these areas closely and are focused on designing compliant solutions for our customers.

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Information security

Information security risks for global payments and technology companies like us have increased significantly in recent years. Although we have developed systems and processes designed to protect the data we manage, prevent data loss and other security incidents, and effectively respond to known and potential risks, and expect to continue to expend significant resources to bolster these protections, we remain subject to these risks and there can be no assurance that our security measures will provide sufficient security or prevent breaches or attacks. For additional information regarding our information security risks, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Cyberattacks and security vulnerabilities could result in serious harm to our reputation, business, and financial condition.”

RUSSIA AND UKRAINE CONFLICT

With respect to the military hostilities commenced by Russia in Ukraine in February 2022, our priority is the safety and well-being of our PayPal employee community impacted by these events. We continue to take actions to comply with all applicable restrictions and sanctions that may impact our operations. In March 2022, we suspended our transactional services in Russia. We are unable to reasonably estimate the total potential financial impact that may ultimately result from this situation. In the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, our total net revenues related to Russia and Ukraine were not material.

BREXIT

The United Kingdom (“U.K.”) formally exited the European Union (“EU”) and the European Economic Area (“EEA”) on January 31, 2020 (commonly referred to as “Brexit”) with the expiration of the transition period on December 31, 2020. PayPal (Europe) S.à.r.l. et Cie, SCA (“PayPal (Europe)”) operates in the U.K. within the scope of its passport permissions (as they stood at the end of the transition period) under the Temporary Permissions Regime pending the grant of new U.K. authorizations by the U.K. financial regulators. We are currently unable to determine the longer-term impact that Brexit will have on our business, which will depend, in part, on the implications of new tariff, trade, and regulatory frameworks that now govern the provision of cross-border goods and services between the U.K. and the EEA, as well as the financial and operational consequences of the requirement for PayPal (Europe) to obtain new U.K. authorizations to operate its business longer-term within the U.K. market. For additional information on how Brexit could affect our business, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Brexit: The U.K.'s departure from the EU could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.”

Brexit may contribute to instability in financial, stock, and foreign currency exchange markets, including volatility in the value of the British Pound and Euro. We have foreign currency exchange exposure management programs designed to help reduce the impact from foreign currency exchange rate movements. The tables below provide the percentage of our total net revenues and gross loans and interest receivable from the U.K. and EU for the periods presented:

Year Ended December 31,
202220212020
Net revenues generated from the U.K.8%9%11%
Net revenues generated from the EU17%19%19%
December 31, 2022December 31, 2021
Gross loans and interest receivable due from customers in the U.K.29%40%
Gross loans and interest receivable due from customers in the EU28%21%

The change in the percentage of gross loans and interest receivable due from customers in the U.K. and EU year over year was primarily attributable to expansion of our installment credit products in the EU, particularly in Germany where we have increased our product offerings.

MACROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

The broader implications of the macroeconomic environment, including uncertainty around the duration and severity of the coronavirus pandemic (“COVID-19”), the Russia and Ukraine conflict, supply chain shortages, a recession globally or in markets in which we operate, higher inflation rates, higher interest rates, and other related global economic conditions, remain unknown. A deterioration in macroeconomic conditions could increase the risk of lower consumer spending, merchant and consumer bankruptcy, insolvency, business failure, higher credit losses, foreign currency exchange fluctuations, or other business interruption, which may adversely impact our business. If these conditions continue or worsen, they could adversely impact our future operating results.

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OVERVIEW OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following table provides a summary of our consolidated financial results for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020:

Year Ended December 31,Percent Increase/(Decrease)
20222021202020222021
(In millions, except percentages and per share amounts)
Net revenues$27,518$25,371$21,4548%18%
Operating expenses23,68121,10918,16512%16%
Operating income3,8374,2623,289(10)%30%
Operating margin14%17%15%****
Other income (expense), net(471)(163)1,776189%(109)%
Income tax expense (benefit)947(70)863**(108)%
Effective tax rate28%(2)%17%****
Net income (loss)$2,419$4,169$4,202(42)%(1)%
Net income (loss) per diluted share$2.09$3.52$3.54(41)%(1)%
Net cash provided by operating activities(1)$5,813$5,797$6,219%(7)%

All amounts in tables are rounded to the nearest million, except as otherwise noted. As a result, certain amounts may not recalculate using the rounded amounts provided.

(1) Prior period amounts have been revised to conform to the current period presentation. Refer to “Note 1—Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for additional information.

** Not meaningful.

Net revenues increased $2.1 billion, or 8%, in 2022 compared to 2021 driven primarily by growth in total payment volume (“TPV”, as defined below under “Key Metrics”) of 9%.

Total operating expenses increased $2.6 billion, or 12%, in 2022 compared to 2021 due primarily to an increase in transaction expense, and to a lesser extent, increases in transaction and credit losses, technology and development expenses, and restructuring and other charges, partially offset by a decline in sales and marketing expenses.

Operating income decreased $425 million, or 10%, in 2022 compared to 2021 due to growth in operating expenses exceeding growth in net revenues. Our operating margin was 14% and 17% in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Operating margin for 2022 was negatively impacted primarily by increases in transaction expense and transaction and credit losses.

Net income decreased by $1.8 billion, or 42%, in 2022 as compared to 2021 due to the previously discussed decrease in operating income of $425 million, higher expense of $308 million in other income (expense), net, driven primarily by losses on strategic investments, and an increase in income tax expense of $1.0 billion primarily related to lower benefits associated with stock-based compensation deductions, and higher expense related to intra-group transfers of intellectual property.

IMPACT OF FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATES

We have significant international operations that are denominated in foreign currencies, primarily the British pound, Euro, Australian dollar, and Canadian dollar, subjecting us to foreign currency exchange risk which may adversely impact our financial results. The strengthening or weakening of the United States (“U.S.”) dollar versus the British pound, Euro, Australian dollar, and Canadian dollar, as well as other currencies in which we conduct our international operations, impacts the translation of our net revenues and expenses generated in these foreign currencies into the U.S. dollar. In 2022, 2021, and 2020, we generated approximately 43%, 46%, and 49% of our net revenues from customers domiciled outside of the U.S., respectively. Because we generate substantial net revenues internationally, we are subject to the risks of doing business outside of the U.S., including those discussed under “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

We calculate the year-over-year impact of foreign currency exchange movements on our business using prior period foreign currency exchange rates applied to current period transactional currency amounts. While changes in foreign currency exchange rates affect our reported results, we have a foreign currency exchange exposure management program in which we use foreign currency exchange contracts, designated as cash flow hedges, intended to reduce the impact on earnings from foreign currency exchange rate movements. Gains and losses from these foreign currency exchange contracts are recognized as a component of transaction revenues in the same period the forecasted transactions impact earnings.

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In the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the year-over-year foreign currency exchange rate movements relative to the U.S. dollar had the following impact on our reported results:

Year Ended December 31,
20222021
(In millions)
(Unfavorable) favorable impact to net revenues (exclusive of hedging impact)$(949)$440
Hedging impact462(190)
(Unfavorable) favorable impact to net revenues(487)250
Favorable (unfavorable) impact to operating expense492(181)
Net favorable impact to operating income$5$69

While we enter into foreign currency exchange contracts to help reduce the impact on earnings from foreign currency exchange rate movements, it is impossible to predict or eliminate the total effects of this exposure.

We also use foreign currency exchange contracts, designated as net investment hedges, to reduce the foreign currency exchange risk related to our investment in certain foreign subsidiaries. Gains and losses associated with these instruments will remain in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) until the underlying foreign subsidiaries are sold or substantially liquidated.

Given that we also have foreign currency exchange risk on our assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of our subsidiaries, we have an additional foreign currency exchange exposure management program in which we use foreign currency exchange contracts to offset the impact of foreign currency exchange rate movements on our assets and liabilities. The foreign currency exchange gains and losses on our assets and liabilities are recorded in other income (expense), net, and are offset by the gains and losses on the foreign currency exchange contracts. These foreign currency exchange contracts reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the impact of foreign currency exchange rate movements on our assets and liabilities.

Additionally, in connection with transactions occurring in multiple currencies on our payments platform, we generally set our foreign currency exchange rates daily and may face financial exposure if we incorrectly set our foreign currency exchange rates or as a result of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates between the times that we set our foreign currency exchange rates and when transactions occur.

KEY METRICS AND FINANCIAL RESULTS

KEY METRICS

TPV, number of payment transactions, active accounts, and number of payment transactions per active account are key non-financial performance metrics (“key metrics”) that management uses to measure the scale of our platform and the relevance of our products and services to our customers, and are defined as follows:

•TPV is the value of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed on our payments platform or enabled by PayPal via a partner payment solution, not including gateway-exclusive transactions.

•Number of payment transactions are the total number of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed on our payments platform or enabled by PayPal via a partner payment solution, not including gateway-exclusive transactions.

•An active account is an account registered directly with PayPal or a platform access partner that has completed a transaction on our platform, not including gateway-exclusive transactions, within the past 12 months. A platform access partner is a third party whose customers are provided access to PayPal’s platform or services through such third-party’s login credentials, including individuals and entities that utilize Hyperwallet’s payout capabilities. A user may register on our platform to access different products and may register more than one account to access a product. Accordingly, a user may have more than one active account. The number of active accounts provides management with additional perspective on the overall scale of our platform, but may not have a direct relationship to our operating results.

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•Number of payment transactions per active account reflects the total number of payment transactions within the previous 12-month period, divided by active accounts at the end of the period. The number of payment transactions per active account provides management with insight into the average number of times an account engages in payments activity on our payments platform in a given period. The number of times a consumer account or a merchant account transacts on our platform may vary significantly from the average number of payment transactions per active account.

As our transaction revenue is typically correlated with TPV growth and the number of payment transactions completed on our payments platform, management uses these metrics to gain insights into the scale and strength of our payments platform, the engagement level of our customers, and underlying activity and trends which may be indicators of current and future performance. We present these key metrics to enhance investors’ evaluation of the performance of our business and operating results.

Our key metrics are calculated using internal company data based on the activity we measure on our payments platform and compiled from multiple systems, including systems that are internally developed or acquired through business combinations. While the measurement of our key metrics is based on what we believe to be reasonable methodologies and estimates, there are inherent challenges and limitations in measuring our key metrics globally at our scale. The methodologies used to calculate our key metrics require judgment.

We regularly review our processes for calculating these key metrics, and from time to time we may make adjustments to improve the accuracy or relevance of our metrics. For example, we continuously apply models, processes, and practices designed to detect and prevent fraudulent account creation on our platforms, and work to improve and enhance those capabilities. When we detect a significant volume of illegitimate activity, we generally remove the activity identified from our key metrics. Although such adjustments may impact key metrics reported in prior periods, we generally do not update previously reported key metrics to reflect these subsequent adjustments unless the retrospective impact of process improvements or enhancements is determined by management to be material.

NET REVENUES

Our revenues are classified into the following two categories:

•Transaction revenues: Net transaction fees charged to merchants and consumers on a transaction basis based on the TPV completed on our payments platform. Growth in TPV is directly impacted by the number of payment transactions that we enable on our payments platform. We earn additional fees from merchants and consumers: on transactions where we perform currency conversion, when we enable cross-border transactions (i.e., transactions where the merchant and consumer are in different countries), to facilitate the instant transfer of funds for our customers from their PayPal or Venmo account to their bank account or debit card, to facilitate the purchase and sale of cryptocurrencies, as contractual compensation from sellers that violate our contractual terms (for example, through fraud or counterfeiting), and other miscellaneous fees.

•Revenues from other value added services: Net revenues derived primarily from revenue earned through partnerships, referral fees, subscription fees, gateway fees, and other services we provide to our merchants and consumers. We also earn revenues from interest and fees earned on our portfolio of loans receivable, and interest earned on certain assets underlying customer balances.

Our revenues can be significantly impacted by a number of factors, including the following:

•The mix of merchants, products, and services;

•The mix between domestic and cross-border transactions;

•The geographic region or country in which a transaction occurs; and

•The amount of our loans receivable outstanding with merchants and consumers.

Refer to “Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K for further discussion on factors that may impact our revenue.

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Net revenue analysis

The components of our net revenues for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 were as follows (in millions):

Transaction revenues

Transaction revenues grew by $1.8 billion, or 8%, in 2022 compared to 2021 driven primarily by growth in our unbranded card processing volume, which consists primarily of our Braintree products and services, and to a lesser extent, Venmo products and services, in each case driven by growth in TPV and the number of payment transactions on our payments platform. This growth in transaction revenues was partially offset by a decline in TPV and revenue generated from our core PayPal products and services, including foreign currency exchange fees revenue, due primarily to a decrease in revenue earned on eBay’s marketplace platform. Additionally, for the year ended December 31, 2022, transaction revenues included $190 million in contractual compensation from sellers that violated our contractual terms, compared to $82 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. This contractual compensation and the year-over-year increase are predominantly attributable to activity in international markets.

The graphs below present the respective key metrics (in millions) for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020:

*Reflects active accounts at the end of the applicable period. Active accounts as of December 31, 2021 include 3.2 million active accounts contributed by Paidy, Inc. (“Paidy”) on the date of acquisition in October 2021.

The following table provides a summary of related metrics:

Year Ended December 31,Percent Increase/ (Decrease)
20222021202020222021
Number of payment transactions per active account51.445.440.913%11%
Percent of cross-border TPV13%16%17%****

** Not meaningful

We had active accounts of 435 million and 426 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, an increase of 2%. Number of payment transactions was 22.3 billion and 19.3 billion as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, an increase of 16%. TPV was $1.36 trillion and $1.25 trillion as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, an increase of 9%.

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Transaction revenues grew more slowly than TPV and the number of payment transactions in 2022 due primarily to declines in foreign currency exchange fees, TPV attributable to eBay’s marketplace (where we had historically earned higher rates), and a decline in revenues from core PayPal products and services, partially offset by a favorable impact from hedging and an increase in revenue from our Venmo products and services.

Revenues from other value added services

Revenues from other value added services increased by $343 million, or 17%, in 2022 compared to 2021 due primarily to an increase in interest earned on certain assets underlying customer account balances resulting from higher interest rates, our revenue share earned from an independent chartered financial institution (“partner institution”), and interest and fee revenue on our merchant loans receivable portfolio. Growth in revenues from other value added services in the current period was partially offset by the impact of revenue earned from the servicing of loans facilitated under the U.S. Government’s Paycheck Protection Program in 2021 of $157 million, for which revenue was de minimis in the current period.

Consumers that have outstanding loans and interest receivable due to the partner institution may experience hardships that result in losses recognized by the partner institution, which may result in a decrease in our revenue share earned in future periods. In the event the overall return on the PayPal branded credit programs funded by the partner institution does not meet a minimum rate of return (“minimum return threshold”) in a particular quarter, our revenue share for that period would be zero. Further, in the event the overall return on the PayPal branded credit programs managed by the partner institution does not meet the minimum return threshold as measured over four consecutive quarters and in the following quarter, we would be required to make a payment to the partner institution, subject to certain limitations. Through December 31, 2022, the overall return on the PayPal branded credit programs funded by the partner institution exceeded the minimum return threshold.

Seasonality

The Company does not experience meaningful seasonality with respect to net revenues. No individual quarter in 2022, 2021, or 2020 accounted for more than 30% of annual net revenue.

OPERATING EXPENSES

The following table summarizes our operating expenses and related metrics we use to assess the trends in each:

Year Ended December 31,Percent Increase/ (Decrease)
20222021202020222021
(In millions, except percentages)
Transaction expense$12,173$10,315$7,93418%30%
Transaction and credit losses1,5721,0601,74148%(39)%
Customer support and operations2,1202,0751,7782%17%
Sales and marketing2,2572,4451,861(8)%31%
Technology and development3,2533,0382,6427%15%
General and administrative2,0992,1142,070(1)%2%
Restructuring and other charges20762139234%(55)%
Total operating expenses$23,681$21,109$18,16512%16%
Transaction expense rate(1)0.90%0.83%0.85%****
Transaction and credit loss rate(2)0.12%0.09%0.19%****

(1) Transaction expense rate is calculated by dividing transaction expense by TPV.

(2) Transaction and credit loss rate is calculated by dividing transaction and credit losses by TPV.

** Not meaningful.

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Transaction expense

Transaction expense is primarily composed of the costs we incur to accept a customer’s funding source of payment. These costs include fees paid to payment processors and other financial institutions when we draw funds from a customer’s credit or debit card, bank account, or other funding source they have stored in their digital wallet. We refer to the allocation of funding sources used by our consumers as our “funding mix.” The cost of funding a transaction with a credit or debit card is generally higher than the cost of funding a transaction from a bank or through internal sources such as a PayPal or Venmo account balance or our consumer credit products. As we expand the availability and presentation of alternative funding sources to our customers, our funding mix may change, which could increase or decrease our transaction expense rate. The cost of funding a transaction is also impacted by the geographic region or country in which a transaction occurs, as we generally pay lower rates for transactions funded with credit or debit cards outside the U.S. Our transaction expense rate is impacted by changes in product mix, merchant mix, regional mix, funding mix, and fees paid to payment processors and other financial institutions. Macroeconomic environment changes may also result in behavioral shifts in consumer spending patterns affecting the type of funding source they use, which could also impact the funding mix.

Transaction expense increased by $1.9 billion, or 18%, in 2022 compared to 2021 due primarily to an increase in TPV of 9% and unfavorable changes in product mix. The increase in transaction expense rate in 2022 compared to 2021 was also attributable to unfavorable changes in product mix with a higher proportion of TPV from unbranded card processing volume, which generally has higher expense rates than other products and services. For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, approximately 35%, 39%, and 40% of TPV, respectively, was generated outside of the U.S.

Transaction and credit losses

Transaction losses include the expense associated with our customer protection programs, fraud, and chargebacks. Credit losses include the current expected credit losses associated with our merchant and consumer loans receivable portfolio. Our transaction and credit losses fluctuate depending on many factors, including TPV, product mix, current and projected macroeconomic conditions such as unemployment rates, retail e-commerce sales and household disposable income, merchant insolvency events, changes to and usage of our customer protection programs, the impact of regulatory changes, and the credit quality of loans receivable arising from transactions funded with our credit products for consumers and loans and advances to merchants. Estimating our current expected credit loss allowances for our loans receivable portfolios is an inherently uncertain process and the ultimate losses we incur may vary from the current estimates. We regularly update our allowance estimates as new facts become known and events occur that may impact the ultimate losses incurred. A deterioration in macroeconomic conditions or other factors beyond those considered in our estimates could result in credit losses that exceed our current estimated credit losses and adversely impact our future operating results.

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The components of our transaction and credit losses for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 were as follows (in millions):

Transaction and credit losses increased by $512 million, or 48%, in 2022 compared to 2021.

Transaction losses were approximately $1.2 billion for both 2022 and 2021, reflecting an increase of $17 million, or 1%. Transaction loss rate (transaction losses divided by TPV) was 0.09%, 0.09%, and 0.12% for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively. The increase in transaction losses in 2022 was attributable to an increase in losses related to our Venmo products and services resulting from fraud schemes, an increase in goods and services transactions which are now eligible for coverage by our protection programs, and a loss related to a merchant insolvency proceeding, which was offset by recoveries attributable to enhancements in our fraud recoupment capabilities and benefits from continued risk mitigation strategies. In the second quarter of 2022, we recorded a $114 million estimated loss related to the above mentioned merchant insolvency proceeding, and in the fourth quarter of 2022, this estimated loss was reduced by approximately $75 million to account for recoveries and changes in our estimated loss reserve.

Credit losses increased by $495 million in 2022 compared to 2021. The components of credit losses for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 were as follows (in millions):

Year Ended December 31,
202220212020
Net charge-offs(1)$267$219$310
Reserve build (release)(2)135(312)296
Credit losses$402$(93)$606

(1) Net charge-offs includes principal charge-offs partially offset by recoveries for consumer and merchant receivables.

(2) Reserve build (release) represents change in allowance for principal receivables excluding foreign currency remeasurement and, for 2020, impact of adoption of the current expected credit loss accounting standard.

The provision for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily attributable to loan originations during the period and a slight deterioration in the credit quality of loans outstanding. The benefit for the year ended December 31, 2021 was attributable to a reduction of our allowance for loans and interest receivable due primarily to improvements in both current and projected macroeconomic conditions at that point in time and the credit quality of loans outstanding, partially offset by an increase in the allowance due to originations. During 2022 and 2021, allowances for our merchant and consumer portfolios included qualitative adjustments that took into account uncertainty with respect to macroeconomic conditions, and uncertainty around the financial health of our borrowers and effectiveness of loan modification programs made available to merchants.

The consumer loans and interest receivable balance as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 was $5.9 billion and $3.8 billion, respectively, net of participation interest sold, representing a year-over-year increase of 53% driven by the expansion of our installment credit products. Approximately 37% and 53% of our consumer loans receivable outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, were due from consumers in the U.K. The decline in the percentage of consumer loans receivable outstanding in the U.K. at December 31, 2022 compared to December 31, 2021 was due to overall growth in the consumer loan portfolio, particularly from installment credit products in other markets including Germany, the U.S., and Japan.

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The following table provides information regarding the credit quality of our consumer loans and interest receivable balance:

December 31,
20222021
Percent of consumer loans and interest receivable current97.1%97.0%
Percent of consumer loans and interest receivable 90 days outstanding(1)1.4%1.5%
Net charge-off rate(2)4.5%4.3%

(1) Represents percentage of balances which are 90 days past the billing date or contractual repayment date, as applicable.

(2) Net charge-off rate is the annual ratio of net credit losses, excluding fraud losses, on consumer loans as a percentage of the average daily amount of consumer loans and interest receivable balance during the period.

We offer access to merchant finance products for certain small and medium-sized businesses, which we refer to as our merchant finance offerings. Total merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable outstanding, net of participation interest sold, as of December 31, 2022 was $2.1 billion compared to $1.4 billion as of December 31, 2021, representing a year-over-year increase of 48%. The increase in merchant loans, advances and interest and fees receivable outstanding was due primarily to growth in our PayPal Business Loan products in the U.S. Approximately 86% and 5% of our merchant receivables outstanding as of December 31, 2022 were due from merchants in the U.S. and U.K., as compared to approximately 82% and 8% as of December 31, 2021, respectively.

The following table provides information regarding the credit quality of our merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable balance:

December 31,
20222021
Percent of merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable current90.7%91.8%
Percent of merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable 90 days outstanding(1)3.7%3.1%
Net charge-off rate (2)4.5%4.7%

(1) Represents percentage of balances which are 90 days past the original expected or contractual repayment period, as applicable.

(2) Net charge-off rate is the annual ratio of net credit losses, excluding fraud losses, on merchant loans and advances as a percentage of the average daily amount of merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable balance during the period.

We continue to evaluate and modify our acceptable risk parameters in response to the changing macroeconomic environment. Following a reduction in originations in merchant loans and advances in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, changes to our acceptable risk parameters in 2021 and 2022 resulted in a gradual increase in originations, and thus a higher merchant receivable balance as of December 31, 2022 as compared to December 31, 2021. Modifications to the acceptable risk parameters for our consumer credit products did not have a material impact on our consumer loans in the periods presented.

For additional information, see “Note 11—Loans and Interest Receivable” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements, and “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Our credit products expose us to additional risks” included in this Form 10-K.

Customer support and operations

Customer support and operations includes costs incurred in our global customer operations centers, including costs to provide call support to our customers, costs to support our trust and security programs protecting our merchants and consumers, and other costs incurred related to the delivery of our products, including payment devices, card production, and customer onboarding and compliance costs.

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Customer support and operations costs increased $45 million, or 2%, in 2022 compared to 2021. The increase in 2022 was primarily attributable to increases in expenses related to software that supports our consumer loan products, customer onboarding and compliance costs, other operating charges, and costs associated with the production of PayPal and Venmo branded debit and credit cards, partially offset by a decline in contractors and consulting costs.

Sales and marketing

Sales and marketing includes costs incurred for customer acquisition, business development, advertising, and marketing programs.

Sales and marketing expenses decreased $188 million, or 8%, in 2022 compared to 2021 due primarily to lower spending on marketing campaigns compared to the prior year and declines in employee-related and consulting costs, partially offset by an increase in amortization of acquired intangibles and payments made to our channel partners.

Technology and development

Technology and development includes costs incurred in connection with the development of our payments platform, new products, and the improvement of our existing products, including the amortization of software and website development costs incurred in developing our payments platform, which are capitalized. It also includes acquired developed technology and our site operations and other infrastructure costs incurred to support our payments platform.

Technology and development expenses increased $215 million, or 7%, in 2022 compared to 2021 due primarily to increases in employee-related expenses and cloud computing services utilized in delivering our products and services, partially offset by a decline in costs related to contractors and consultants.

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General and administrative

General and administrative includes costs incurred to provide support to our business, including legal, human resources, finance, risk and compliance, executive, and other support operations.

General and administrative expenses decreased $15 million, or 1%, in 2022 compared to 2021 due primarily to declines in professional services and employee-related expenses due in part to a decline in stock-based compensation expense, partially offset by an increase in costs associated with enterprise software services.

Restructuring and other charges

Restructuring and other charges primarily consist of restructuring expenses and asset impairment charges.

Restructuring and other charges increased by $145 million in 2022 compared to 2021.

During the first quarter of 2022, management initiated a strategic reduction of the existing global workforce intended to streamline and optimize our global operations to enhance operating efficiency. This effort focused on reducing redundant operations and simplifying our organizational structure. The associated restructuring charges during the year ended December 31, 2022 were $121 million. We primarily incurred employee severance and benefits costs, as well as associated consulting costs. The strategic actions associated with this plan were substantially completed by the fourth quarter of 2022. The estimated reduction in annualized employee-related costs associated with the impacted workforce was approximately $265 million, including approximately $100 million in stock-based compensation. A portion of the reduction in annual costs associated with the impacted workforce was reinvested in the business to drive additional growth.

During the first quarter of 2020, management approved a strategic reduction of the existing global workforce as part of a multiphase process to reorganize our workforce concurrently with the redesign of our operating structure, which spanned multiple quarters. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the associated restructuring charges were $27 million. We primarily incurred employee severance and benefits costs, as well as associated consulting costs under the 2020 strategic reduction, which was substantially completed in 2021.

For information on the associated restructuring liability, see “Note 17—Restructuring and Other Charges” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

Additionally, we are continuing to review our real estate and facility capacity requirements due to our new and evolving work models. We incurred asset impairment charges of $81 million and $26 million, respectively, due to exiting certain leased properties which resulted in a reduction of right-of-use lease assets and related leasehold improvements.

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Other income (expense), net

Other income (expense), net of $(471) million in 2022 increased $308 million as compared to $(163) million in 2021 due primarily to net losses and impairments on strategic investments incurred in the period compared to net gains in the prior period and, to a lesser extent, an increase in interest expense due in part to incremental expense from our May 2022 fixed rate debt, partially offset by an increase in interest income due to an increase in interest rates.

Income tax expense (benefit)

Our effective income tax rate was 28% in 2022 and (2)% in 2021. The increase in our effective income tax rate in 2022 compared to 2021 was primarily attributable to a decrease in discrete tax benefits associated with stock-based compensation deductions and an increase in tax expense related to the intra-group transfer of intellectual property. See “Note 16—Income Taxes” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for more information on our effective tax rate.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

We require liquidity and access to capital to fund our global operations, including our customer protection programs, credit products, capital expenditures, investments in our business, potential acquisitions and strategic investments, working capital, and other cash needs. We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents, and investments, cash expected to be generated from operations, and our expected access to capital markets, together with potential external funding through third party sources, will be sufficient to meet our cash requirements within the next 12 months and beyond.

SOURCES OF LIQUIDITY

Cash, cash equivalents, and investments

The following table summarizes our cash, cash equivalents, and investments as of December 31, 2022 and 2021:

Year Ended December 31,
20222021
(In millions)
Cash, cash equivalents, and investments(1)(2)$13,723$12,981

(1) Excludes assets related to funds receivable and customer accounts of $36.4 billion and $36.1 billion as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

(2) Excludes total restricted cash of $17 million and $109 million at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and strategic investments of $2.1 billion and $3.2 billion at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Cash, cash equivalents, and investments held by our foreign subsidiaries were $8.6 billion at December 31, 2022 and $7.4 billion at December 31, 2021, or 62% and 57%, of our total cash, cash equivalents, and investments as of those respective dates. At December 31, 2022, all of our cash, cash equivalents, and investments held by foreign subsidiaries were subject to U.S. taxation under Subpart F, Global Intangible Low Taxed Income (“GILTI”) or the one-time transition tax under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“Tax Act”). Subsequent repatriations to the U.S. will not be taxable from a U.S. federal tax perspective, but may be subject to state income or foreign withholding tax.

A significant aspect of our global cash management activities involves meeting our customers’ requirements to access their cash while simultaneously meeting our regulatory financial ratio commitments in various jurisdictions. Our global cash balances are required not only to provide operational liquidity to our businesses, but also to support our global regulatory requirements across our regulated subsidiaries. Accordingly, not all of our cash is available for general corporate purposes.

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Cash flows

The following table summarizes our consolidated statements of cash flows:

Year Ended December 31,
202220212020
(In millions)
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities(1)$5,813$5,797$6,219
Investing activities(1)(3,421)(5,149)(16,545)
Financing activities(1)(1,110)(557)12,454
Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash(155)(102)169
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash$1,127$(11)$2,297

(1) Prior period amounts have been revised to conform to the current period presentation. Refer to “Note 1—Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for additional information.

Operating activities

Cash flows from operating activities includes net income adjusted for certain non-cash expenses, timing differences between expenses recognized for provision for transaction and credit losses and actual cash transaction losses incurred, and changes in other assets and liabilities. Significant non-cash expenses for the period include depreciation and amortization and stock-based compensation. The cash impact from actual transaction losses incurred during a period is reflected as changes in other assets and liabilities. The expenses recognized during the period for provision for credit losses are estimates of current expected credit losses on our merchant and consumer credit products. Actual charge-offs of receivables related to our merchants and consumer credit products have no impact on cash from operating activities.

The net cash generated from operating activities of $5.8 billion in 2022 was due primarily to operating income of $3.8 billion, as well as adjustments for non-cash expenses including provision for transaction and credit losses of $1.6 billion, depreciation and amortization of $1.3 billion, and stock-based compensation of $1.3 billion. Cash flows from operating activities was also impacted by changes in income taxes payable of $373 million, net losses on our strategic investments of $304 million, and an increase in other liabilities of $483 million. These changes, which favorably impacted cash generated from operations, were partially offset by actual cash transaction losses incurred during the period of $1.2 billion and changes in deferred income taxes of $811 million.

The net cash generated from operating activities of $5.8 billion in 2021 was due primarily to operating income of $4.3 billion, as well as adjustments for non-cash expenses including stock-based compensation of $1.4 billion, depreciation and amortization of $1.3 billion, and provision for transaction and credit losses of $1.1 billion. Cash flows from operating activities was also impacted by actual cash transaction losses incurred during the period of $1.2 billion, changes in deferred income taxes of $482 million, an increase in accounts receivable of $222 million, and changes in other assets and liabilities of $287 million.

The net cash generated from operating activities of $6.2 billion in 2020 was due primarily to operating income of $3.3 billion, as well as adjustments for non-cash expenses including provision for transaction and credit losses of $1.7 billion, stock-based compensation of $1.4 billion, and depreciation and amortization of $1.2 billion. Cash flows from operating activities was also impacted by net gains on our strategic investments of $1.9 billion and actual cash transaction losses incurred during the period of $1.1 billion, partially offset by increase in other liabilities of $1.0 billion.

Cash paid for income taxes, net in 2022, 2021, and 2020 was $878 million, $474 million, and $565 million, respectively.

Investing activities

Cash flows from investing activities includes purchases, maturities and sales of investments, cash paid for acquisitions and strategic investments, purchases and sales of property and equipment, purchases, originations, and principal repayment of loans receivable, changes in funds receivable, and changes in collateral posted related to derivative instruments, net.

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The net cash used in investing activities of $3.4 billion in 2022 was due primarily to purchases and originations of loans receivable of $28.2 billion, purchases of investments of $20.2 billion, changes in funds receivable from customers of $2.8 billion, and purchases of property and equipment of $706 million. These cash outflows were partially offset by principal repayment of loans receivable of $24.9 billion and maturities and sales of investments of $23.4 billion.

The net cash used in investing activities of $5.1 billion in 2021 was due primarily to purchases of investments of $40.1 billion, purchases and originations of loans receivable of $13.4 billion, acquisitions (net of cash acquired) of $2.8 billion, and purchases of property and equipment of $908 million. These cash outflows were partially offset by maturities and sales of investments of $39.7 billion, principal repayment of loans receivable of $11.8 billion, changes in collateral posted related to derivative instruments, net of $336 million, and changes in funds receivable from customers of $193 million.

The net cash used in investing activities of $16.5 billion in 2020 was due primarily to purchases of investments of $41.5 billion, purchases and originations of loans receivable of $6.1 billion, acquisitions (net of cash acquired) of $3.6 billion, changes in funds receivable from customers of $1.6 billion, purchases of property and equipment of $866 million, and changes in collateral posted related to derivative instruments, net of $327 million. These cash outflows were partially offset by maturities and sales of investments of $30.9 billion, principal repayment of loans receivable of $6.4 billion and proceeds from the sale of property and equipment of $120 million.

Financing activities

Cash flows from financing activities includes proceeds from issuance of common stock, purchases of treasury stock, tax withholdings related to net share settlements of equity awards, borrowings and repayments under financing arrangements, changes in funds payable and amounts due to customers, and changes in collateral received related to derivative instruments, net.

The net cash used in financing activities of $1.1 billion in 2022 was due primarily to the repurchase of $4.2 billion of our common stock under our July 2018 stock repurchase program, repayments of borrowings under financing arrangements of $1.7 billion (including the repurchase and redemption of certain fixed rate notes and repayment of borrowings under a prior credit agreement, both described below under “Available credit and debt”), and tax withholdings of $336 million related to net share settlement of equity awards. These cash outflows were partially offset by borrowings under financing arrangements of $3.5 billion (including proceeds from the issuance of fixed rate debt in May 2022 and borrowings under our Paidy credit agreements) and changes in funds payable and amounts due to customers of $1.5 billion.

The net cash used in financing activities of $557 million in 2021 was due primarily to the repurchase of $3.4 billion of our common stock under our July 2018 stock repurchase program, tax withholdings of $1.0 billion related to net share settlement of equity awards, and repayments of borrowings under Paidy credit agreements of $361 million. The cash outflows were partially offset by changes in funds payable and amounts due to customers of $3.6 billion, cash proceeds from borrowings under our Paidy credit agreements of $272 million, and changes in collateral received related to derivative instruments, net of $207 million.

The net cash generated from financing activities of $12.5 billion in 2020 was due primarily to changes in funds payable and amounts due to customers of $10.6 billion and $7.0 billion of cash proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt in the form of fixed rate notes in May 2020 as well as proceeds from borrowings under our Credit Agreement (as defined below under “Available credit and debt”). These cash inflows were partially offset by repayment of outstanding borrowings under our Credit Agreement of $3.0 billion, the repurchase of $1.6 billion of our common stock under our stock repurchase programs, and tax withholdings related to net share settlement of equity awards of $521 million.

Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

Foreign currency exchange rates had a negative impact of $155 million, a negative impact of $102 million, and a positive impact of $169 million on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash during 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively, which resulted primarily from the impact of fluctuations in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the Australian dollar. The negative impact of foreign currency exchange on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash in 2022 was also attributable, to a lesser extent, to the fluctuations in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the Swedish krona, Japanese yen, Indian rupee, and the Euro. The negative impact of foreign currency exchange on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash in 2021 was also attributable, to a lesser extent, to the fluctuations in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the Euro and Swedish krona.

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Available credit and debt

In February 2022, we entered into a credit agreement (the “Paidy Credit Agreement”) with Paidy as co-borrower, which provides for an unsecured revolving credit facility of ¥60.0 billion. In September 2022, the Paidy Credit Agreement was modified to increase the borrowing capacity by ¥30.0 billion for a total borrowing capacity of ¥90.0 billion (approximately $686 million as of December 31, 2022). In the year ended December 31, 2022, ¥64.3 billion (approximately $491 million) was drawn down under the Paidy Credit Agreement. Accordingly, at December 31, 2022, ¥25.7 billion (approximately $195 million) of borrowing capacity was available for the purposes permitted by the Paidy Credit Agreement, subject to customary conditions to borrowing.

In October 2021, we assumed a credit agreement through our acquisition of Paidy (the “Prior Credit Agreement”). The Prior Credit Agreement provided for a secured revolving credit facility of approximately ¥22.8 billion (approximately $198 million at the time of acquisition). In the first quarter of 2022, we terminated the Prior Credit Agreement and repaid outstanding borrowings.

In September 2019, we entered into a credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) that provides for an unsecured $5.0 billion, five-year revolving credit facility that includes a $150 million letter of credit sub-facility and a $500 million swingline sub-facility, with available borrowings under the revolving credit facility reduced by the amount of any letters of credit and swingline borrowings outstanding from time to time. As of December 31, 2022, no borrowings were outstanding under the Credit Agreement and as such, $5.0 billion of borrowing capacity was available for the purposes permitted by the Credit Agreement, subject to customary conditions to borrowing.

We maintain uncommitted credit facilities in various regions throughout the world with a borrowing capacity of approximately $80 million in the aggregate, where we can withdraw and utilize the funds at our discretion for general corporate purposes. As of December 31, 2022, the majority of the borrowing capacity under these credit facilities was available, subject to customary conditions to borrowing.

In May 2022, May 2020 and September 2019, we issued fixed rate notes with varying maturity dates for an aggregate principal amount of $12.0 billion (collectively referred to as the “Notes”). Proceeds from the issuance of these Notes may be used for general corporate purposes, which may include funding the repayment or redemption of outstanding debt, share repurchases, ongoing operations, capital expenditures, and possible acquisitions of businesses, assets, or strategic investments. In May 2022, we used a portion of the proceeds from that debt issuance to repurchase and redeem $1.6 billion in notes from our prior debt issuances in September 2019 and May 2020. As of December 31, 2022, we had $10.4 billion in fixed rate debt outstanding with varying maturity dates.

For additional information, see “Note 12—Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

Depending on market conditions, we may from time to time issue debt, including in private or public offerings, to fund our operating activities, finance acquisitions, make strategic investments, repurchase shares under our stock repurchase programs, or reduce our cost of capital.

We have a cash pooling arrangement with a financial institution for cash management purposes. The arrangement allows for cash withdrawals from the financial institution based upon our aggregate operating cash balances held within the financial institution (“Aggregate Cash Deposits”). The arrangement also allows us to withdraw amounts exceeding the Aggregate Cash Deposits up to an agreed-upon limit. The net balance of the withdrawals and the Aggregate Cash Deposits are used by the financial institution as a basis for calculating our net interest expense or income under the arrangement. As of December 31, 2022, we had a total of $1.7 billion in cash withdrawals offsetting our $1.7 billion in Aggregate Cash Deposits held within the financial institution under the cash pooling arrangement.

Credit ratings

As of December 31, 2022, we continue to be rated investment grade by Standard and Poor’s Financial Services, LLC, Fitch Ratings, Inc., and Moody’s Investors Services Inc. We expect that these credit rating agencies will continue to monitor our performance, including our capital structure and results of operations. Our goal is to be rated investment grade, but as circumstances change, there are factors that could result in our credit ratings being downgraded or put on a watch list for possible downgrading. If that were to occur, it could increase our borrowing rates, including the interest rate on borrowings under our credit agreements.

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CURRENT AND FUTURE CASH REQUIREMENTS

Our material cash requirements include funds to support current and potential: operating activities, credit products, customer protection programs, stock repurchases, strategic investments, acquisitions, other commitments, and capital expenditures and other future obligations.

Credit products

Growth in our portfolio of loan receivables increases our liquidity needs, and any inability to meet those liquidity needs could adversely affect our business. We are currently evaluating partnerships and third-party sources of funding for our credit products.

In June 2018, the Luxembourg Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (the “CSSF”) agreed that PayPal’s management may designate up to 35% of European customer balances held in our Luxembourg banking subsidiary to fund European and U.S. credit activities. In August 2022, the CSSF approved PayPal’s management designating up to 50% of such balances to fund our credit activities through the end of February 2023. During 2022, an additional $1.1 billion was approved to fund our credit activities. As of December 31, 2022, the cumulative amount approved by management to be designated to fund credit activities aggregated to $3.8 billion and represented approximately 37% of European customer balances made available for our corporate use at that date, as determined by applying financial regulations maintained by the CSSF. We may periodically seek to designate additional amounts of European customer balances for our credit activities, as we deem necessary, based on utilization of the approved funds and anticipated credit funding requirements. Under certain exceptional circumstances, corporate liquidity could be called upon to meet our obligations related to our European customer balances.

While our objective is to expand the availability of our credit products with capital from external sources, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in achieving that goal.

Customer protection programs

The risk of losses from our customer protection programs are specific to individual consumers, merchants, and transactions, and may also be impacted by regional variations in, and changes or modifications to, the programs, including as a result of changes in regulatory requirements. For the periods presented in these consolidated financial statements included in this report, our transaction loss rate ranged between 0.09% and 0.12% of TPV. Historical loss rates may not be indicative of future results.

Stock repurchases

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we repurchased approximately $4.2 billion of our common stock in the open market under our stock repurchase program authorized in July 2018. In June 2022, our Board of Directors authorized an additional stock repurchase program that provides for the repurchase of up to $15.0 billion of our common stock, with no expiration from the date of authorization. As of December 31, 2022, a total of approximately $861 million and $15.0 billion remained available for future repurchases of our common stock under our July 2018 and June 2022 stock repurchase programs, respectively. For additional information, see “Note 14—Stock Repurchase Programs” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

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Future obligations

As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, approximately $4.9 billion and $4.1 billion, respectively, of unused credit was available to PayPal Credit account holders in the U.K. While this amount represents the total unused credit available, we have not experienced, and do not anticipate, that all of our PayPal Credit account holders will access their entire available credit at any given point in time. In addition, the individual lines of credit that make up this unused credit are subject to periodic review and termination based on, among other things, account usage and customer creditworthiness.

We have certain fixed contractual obligations and commitments that include future estimated payments for general operating purposes. Changes in our business needs, contractual cancellation provisions, fluctuating interest rates, and other factors may result in actual payments differing from our estimates. We cannot provide certainty regarding the timing and amounts of these payments. The following table summarizes our obligations as of December 31, 2022 that are expected to impact liquidity and cash flow in future periods. We believe we will be able to fund these obligations through our existing cash and investment portfolio and cash expected to be generated from operations.

Purchase ObligationsOperating LeasesTransition TaxLong-term DebtTotal
Payments Due During the Year Ending December 31,(In millions)
2023$900$170$212$739$2,021
20247081572841,5682,717
20253741163541,2802,124
20263291051,5221,956
20272092729841
Thereafter1509,2159,365
$2,331$790$850$15,053$19,024

The significant assumptions used in our determination of amounts presented in the above table are as follows:

•Purchase obligation amounts include minimum purchase commitments for cloud computing services, advertising, and capital expenditures, and other goods and services entered into in the ordinary course of business.

•Operating lease amounts include minimum rental payments under our non-cancelable operating leases (including leases not yet commenced) primarily for office and data center facilities. The amounts presented are consistent with contractual terms and are not expected to differ significantly from actual results under our existing leases, unless a substantial change in our headcount needs requires us to expand our occupied space or exit an office facility early.

•Transition tax represents the one-time mandatory tax on previously deferred foreign earnings under the Tax Act.

•Long-term debt amounts represent the future principal and interest payments (based on contractual interest rates) on our fixed-rate debt. For more information, see “Note 12—Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

As we are unable to reasonably predict the timing of settlement of liabilities related to unrecognized tax benefits, net, the table above does not include $1.9 billion of such non-current liabilities included in deferred and other tax liabilities recorded on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022.

Other considerations

Our liquidity, access to capital, and borrowing costs could be adversely impacted by declines in our credit rating, our financial performance, and global credit market conditions, as well as a broad range of other factors. In addition, our liquidity, access to capital, and borrowing costs could also be negatively impacted by the outcome of any of the legal or regulatory proceedings to which we are a party. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Note 13—Commitments and Contingencies” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for additional discussion of these and other risks that our business faces.

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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

The application of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates and assumptions about certain items and future events that directly affect our reported financial condition. We have established detailed policies and control procedures to provide reasonable assurance that the methods used to make estimates and assumptions are well controlled and are applied consistently from period to period. The accounting estimates and assumptions discussed in this section are those that we consider to be the most critical to our financial statements. An accounting estimate or assumption is considered critical if both (a) the nature of the estimate or assumption is material due to the levels of subjectivity and judgment involved, and (b) the impact within a reasonable range of outcomes of the estimate and assumption is material to our financial condition. Management has discussed the development, selection, and disclosure of these estimates with the Audit, Risk, and Compliance Committee of our Board of Directors. Our significant accounting policies, including recent accounting pronouncements, are described in “Note 1—Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10‑K.

A quantitative sensitivity analysis is provided where information is reasonably available, can be reliably estimated, and provides material information to investors. The amounts used to assess sensitivity are included to allow users of this report to understand a general directional cause and effect of changes in the estimates and do not represent management’s predictions of variability. For all of these estimates, it should be noted that future events rarely develop exactly as forecasted, and such estimates require regular review and adjustment.

ALLOWANCE FOR TRANSACTION AND CREDIT LOSSES

Transaction and credit losses include the expense associated with our customer protection programs, fraud, chargebacks, and credit losses associated with our loans receivable balances. Our transaction and credit losses fluctuate depending on many factors, including: total TPV, product mix, current and projected macroeconomic conditions, merchant insolvency events, changes to and usage of our customer protection programs, the impact of regulatory changes, and the credit quality of loans receivable arising from transactions funded with our credit products, which include revolving and installment credit products offered to consumers at checkout, and merchant loans and advances arising from the PayPal Working Capital and PayPal Business Loan products.

We establish allowances for negative customer balances and estimated transaction losses arising from processing customer transactions, such as chargebacks for unauthorized credit card use and merchant-related chargebacks due to non-delivery or unsatisfactory delivery of purchased items, purchase protection program claims, account takeovers, and Automated Clearing House returns. Additions to the allowance, in the form of provisions, are reflected in transaction and credit losses on our consolidated statements of income (loss). The allowances are based on known facts and circumstances, internal factors including experience with similar cases, historical trends involving collection and write-off patterns, and the mix of transaction and loss types, as well as current and projected macroeconomic factors, as appropriate.

We also establish an allowance for loans and interest receivable, which represents our estimate of current expected credit losses inherent in our portfolio of loans and interest receivable. This evaluation process is subject to numerous estimates and judgments. The allowance is primarily based on expectations of credit losses based on historical lifetime loss data as well as macroeconomic forecasts applied to the portfolio. The loss models incorporate various portfolio attributes including geographic region, first borrowing versus repeat borrowing, delinquency, loan term, internally developed risk ratings, credit rating, and vintage, which vary by portfolio. The loss models also incorporate macroeconomic factors such as forecasted trends in unemployment, retail e-commerce sales, and household disposable income (and through the second quarter of 2022, benchmark credit card charge-off rates), which are sourced externally, using a single scenario that we believe is most appropriate to the economic conditions applicable to a particular period. Projected loss rates, inclusive of historical loss data and macroeconomic factors, are applied to the principal amount of our merchant and consumer receivables. Our consumer receivables consist of revolving products, which do not have a contractual term, and installment products. The reasonable and supportable forecast period for revolving products, installment products, and merchant products that we have included in our projected loss rates for 2022, which approximates the estimated life of the loans, is approximately 2 years, approximately 7 months to 3.5 years, and approximately 2.5 to 3.5 years, respectively. In 2021, the reasonable and supportable forecast periods were consistent with 2022 except for installment products, which had an estimated life of 7 months to 2.5 years. We also include qualitative adjustments that incorporate incremental information not captured in the quantitative estimates of our current expected credit losses. The allowance for current expected credit losses on interest and fees receivable is determined primarily by applying loss curves to each portfolio by geography, delinquency, and period of origination, among other factors.

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Determining appropriate current expected credit loss allowances for loans and interest receivable is an inherently uncertain process and ultimate losses may vary from the current estimates. We regularly update our allowance estimates as new facts become known and events occur that may impact the settlement or recovery of losses. The allowances are maintained at a level we deem appropriate to adequately provide for current expected credit losses at the balance sheet date after incorporating the impact of externally sourced macroeconomic forecasts. As of December 31, 2022, we utilized externally published projections of the U.S. and U.K. forecasted unemployment rates, forecasted U.S. retail e-commerce sales, and forecasted U.K. household disposable income, among others, over the reasonable and supportable forecast period. As of December 31, 2021, we utilized externally published projections of the U.S. and U.K. forecasted unemployment rates over the reasonable and supportable forecast period. The overall principal and interest coverage ratio as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 was approximately 7% and 9%, respectively. A significant change in the forecasted macroeconomic factors could result in a material change in our allowances. Our allowance as of December 31, 2022 took into account uncertainty with respect to macroeconomic conditions, and uncertainty around the financial health of our borrowers and effectiveness of loan modification programs made available to merchants. Our allowance as of December 31, 2021 took into account continued volatility with respect to macroeconomic conditions and uncertainty around the financial health of our merchant borrowers, including uncertainty around the effectiveness of loan modification programs made available to merchants. An increase of 1% in the principal and interest coverage ratio would increase our allowances by approximately $80 million based on the loans and interest receivable balance outstanding as of December 31, 2022.

ACCOUNTING FOR INCOME TAXES

Our annual tax rate is based on our income, statutory tax rates, and tax planning opportunities available to us in the various jurisdictions in which we operate. Tax laws are complex and subject to different interpretations by the taxpayer and respective government taxing authorities. Significant judgment is required in determining our tax expense and in evaluating our tax positions, including evaluating uncertainties. We review our tax positions quarterly and adjust the balances as new information becomes available. Our income tax rate is significantly affected by the tax rates that apply to our foreign earnings. In addition to local country tax laws and regulations, our income tax rate depends on the extent that our foreign earnings are taxed by the U.S. through provisions such as the GILTI tax and base erosion anti-abuse tax or as a result of our indefinite reinvestment assertion. Indefinite reinvestment is determined by management’s judgment about, and intentions concerning, our future operations.

Deferred tax assets represent amounts available to reduce income taxes payable on taxable income in future years. Such assets arise because of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, as well as from net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. We evaluate the recoverability of these future tax deductions and credits by assessing the adequacy of future expected taxable income from all sources, including reversal of taxable temporary differences, forecasted operating earnings, and available tax planning strategies. These sources of income rely heavily on estimates that are based on a number of factors, including our historical experience and short-range and long-range business forecasts. To the extent deferred tax assets are not expected to be realized, we record a valuation allowance.

We recognize and measure uncertain tax positions in accordance with U.S. GAAP, pursuant to which we only recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. We report a liability for unrecognized tax benefits resulting from uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. U.S. GAAP further requires that a change in judgment related to the expected ultimate resolution of uncertain tax positions be recognized in earnings in the quarter in which such change occurs. We recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense.

We file annual income tax returns in multiple taxing jurisdictions around the world. A number of years may elapse before an uncertain tax position is audited by the relevant tax authorities and finally resolved. While it is often difficult to predict the final outcome or the timing of resolution of any particular uncertain tax position, we believe that our reserves for income taxes are adequate. We adjust these reserves, as well as the related interest and penalties, where appropriate in light of changing facts and circumstances. Settlement of any particular position could require the use of cash.

Based on our results for the year ended December 31, 2022, a one-percentage point increase in our effective tax rate would have resulted in an increase in our income tax expense of approximately $34 million.

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LOSS CONTINGENCIES

We are currently involved in various claims, regulatory and legal proceedings, and investigations of potential operating violations by regulatory oversight authorities. We regularly review the status of each significant matter and assess our potential financial exposure. If the potential loss from any claim, legal proceeding, or potential regulatory violation is considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated, we accrue a liability for the estimated loss. Significant judgment is required in both the determination of probability and whether an exposure is reasonably estimable. Our judgments are subjective and are based on the status of the legal or regulatory proceedings, the merits of our defenses, and consultation with in-house and outside legal counsel. Because of uncertainties related to these matters, accruals are based on the best information available at the time. As additional information becomes available, we reassess the potential liability related to pending claims, litigation, or other violations and may revise our estimates. Due to the inherent uncertainties of legal and regulatory processes in the multiple jurisdictions in which we operate, our judgments may differ materially from the actual outcomes.

REVENUE RECOGNITION

Application of the accounting principles in U.S. GAAP related to the measurement and recognition of revenue requires us to make judgments and estimates. Complex arrangements with nonstandard terms and conditions may require significant contract interpretation to determine the appropriate accounting. Specifically, the determination of whether we are a principal to a transaction (gross revenue) or an agent (net revenue) can require considerable judgment. Further, we provide incentive payments to consumers and merchants. Evaluating whether these incentives are a payment to a customer, or consideration payable on behalf of a customer, requires judgment. Incentives determined to be made to a customer, or payable on behalf of a customer, are recorded as a reduction to gross revenue. Changes in judgments with respect to these assumptions and estimates could impact the amount of revenue recognized.

VALUATION OF GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLES

The valuation of assets acquired in a business combination requires the use of significant estimates and assumptions. The acquisition method of accounting for business combinations requires us to estimate the fair value of assets acquired, liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest in an acquired business to properly allocate purchase price consideration between assets that are depreciated or amortized and goodwill. Our estimates are based upon assumptions that we believe to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable. These valuations require the use of management’s assumptions, which do not reflect unanticipated events and circumstances that may occur.

EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS FOR IMPAIRMENT

We have strategic investments in non-marketable equity securities, which include investments that do not have a readily determinable fair value and are measured at cost minus impairment, if any, and are adjusted for changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for an identical or similar investment in the same issuer (the Measurement Alternative). We review these investments regularly to determine if impairment has occurred. We assess whether an impairment loss on these non-marketable equity securities, which are primarily investments in privately held companies, has occurred based on qualitative factors such as the companies’ financial condition and business outlook, industry performance, regulatory, economic or technological environment, and other relevant events and factors affecting the company. When indicators of impairment exist, we estimate the fair value of these non-marketable equity securities using the market approach and/or the income approach. If any impairment is identified, we write down the investment to its fair value and record the corresponding charge through other income (expense), net in our consolidated statements of income (loss). Estimating fair value requires judgment and use of estimates such as discount rates, forecasted cash flows, and market data of comparable companies, among others.

FY 2021 10-K MD&A

SEC filing source: 0001633917-22-000027.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2022-02-03. Report date: 2021-12-31.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

This Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements that involve expectations, plans, or intentions (such as those relating to future business, future results of operations or financial condition, new or planned features or services, mergers or acquisitions, or management strategies). Additionally, our forward-looking statements include expectations related to anticipated impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. These forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “may,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” and other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, those discussed in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Form 10-K, as well as in our consolidated financial statements, related notes, and the other information appearing in this report and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). We do not intend, and undertake no obligation except as required by law, to update any of our forward-looking statements after the date of this report to reflect actual results or future events or circumstances. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. You should read the following “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes that appear in this report. Unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, references to “we,” “our,” “us,” “the Company,” and “PayPal” refer to PayPal Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations focuses on discussion of 2021 results as compared to 2020 results. For discussion of 2020 results as compared to 2019 results, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” within our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on February 5, 2021.

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

THE COMPANY

We are a leading technology platform that enables digital payments and simplifies commerce experiences on behalf of merchants and consumers worldwide. PayPal is committed to democratizing financial services to help improve the financial health of individuals and to increase economic opportunity for entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes around the world. Our goal is to enable our merchants and consumers to manage and move their money anywhere in the world in the markets we serve, anytime, on any platform, and using any device when sending payments or getting paid, including person-to-person payments.

Regulatory environment

We operate globally and in a rapidly evolving regulatory environment characterized by a heightened focus by regulators globally on all aspects of the payments industry, including countering terrorist financing, anti-money laundering, privacy, cybersecurity, and consumer protection. The laws and regulations applicable to us, including those enacted prior to the advent of digital payments, are continuing to evolve through legislative and regulatory action and judicial interpretation. New or changing laws and regulations, including changes to their interpretation and implementation, as well as increased penalties and enforcement actions related to non-compliance, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We monitor these areas closely and are focused on designing compliant solutions for our customers.

Information security

Information security risks for global payments and technology companies like us have increased significantly in recent years. Although we have developed systems and processes designed to protect the data we manage, prevent data loss and other security incidents and effectively respond to known and potential risks, and expect to continue to expend significant resources to bolster these protections, we remain subject to these risks and there can be no assurance that our security measures will provide sufficient security or prevent breaches or attacks. For additional information regarding our information security risks, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Cyberattacks and security vulnerabilities could result in serious harm to our reputation, business, and financial condition.”

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COVID-19

The coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic has resulted in government authorities and businesses throughout the world implementing numerous measures intended to contain and limit the spread of COVID-19, including travel restrictions, border closures, quarantines, shelter-in-place and lock-down orders, mask and social distancing requirements, and business limitations and shutdowns. The spread of COVID-19 and increased variants has caused, and may continue to cause us to make significant modifications to our business practices, including enabling most of our workforce to work from home, establishing strict health and safety protocols for our offices, restricting physical participation in meetings, events, and conferences, and imposing restrictions on employee travel. We will continue to actively monitor the situation and may take further actions that alter our business practices as may be required by federal, state, or local authorities or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, customers, or business partners.

The spread of COVID-19 has also accelerated the shift from in-store shopping and traditional in-store payment methods (e.g., cash) towards e-commerce and digital payments and resulted in increased customer demand for safer payment and delivery solutions (e.g., contactless payment methods, buy online and pick up in store) and significant increases in online spending in certain verticals that have historically had a strong in-store presence. On balance, our business has benefited from these behavioral shifts. To the extent that consumers revert to pre-COVID-19 behaviors as the pandemic-related restrictions lessen, our business, financial condition, and results of operations would be adversely impacted.

The rapidly changing global market and economic conditions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted, and are expected to continue to impact, our operations and business. The broader implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and related global economic unpredictability on our business, financial condition, and results of operations remain uncertain. For additional information on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted and could continue to negatively impact our business, see below for specific discussion in the respective areas, and also refer to “Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K.

BREXIT

The United Kingdom (“U.K.”) formally exited the European Union (“EU”) and the European Economic Area (“EEA”) on January 31, 2020 (commonly referred to as “Brexit”) with the expiration of the transition period on December 31, 2020. PayPal (Europe) S.à.r.l. et Cie, SCA (“PayPal (Europe)”) operates in the U.K. within the scope of its passport permissions (as they stood at the end of the transition period) under the Temporary Permissions Regime pending the grant of new U.K. authorizations by the U.K. financial regulators. We are currently unable to determine the longer-term impact that Brexit will have on our business, which will depend, in part, on the implications of new tariff, trade, and regulatory frameworks that now govern the provision of cross-border goods and services between the U.K. and the EEA, as well as the financial and operational consequences of the requirement for PayPal (Europe) to obtain new U.K. authorizations to operate its business longer-term within the U.K. market. For additional information on how Brexit could affect our business, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Brexit: The U.K.'s departure from the EU could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.”

Brexit may contribute to instability in financial, stock, and foreign currency exchange markets, including volatility in the value of the British Pound and Euro. We have foreign currency exchange exposure management programs designed to help reduce the impact from foreign currency exchange rate movements. The tables below provide the percentage of our total net revenues and gross loans and interest receivable from the U.K. and EU (excluding the U.K.) for the periods presented:

202120202019
Net revenues generated from the U.K.9%11%11%
Net revenues generated from the EU (excluding the U.K.)19%19%17%
December 31, 2021December 31, 2020
Gross loans and interest receivable due from customers in the U.K.40%50%
Gross loans and interest receivable due from customers in the EU (excluding the U.K.)21%14%

The change in the percentage of gross loans and interest receivable due from customers in the U.K. and EU year-over-year was primarily attributable to expansion of our installment credit products in the EU.

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OVERVIEW OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following table provides a summary of our consolidated financial results for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019:

Year Ended December 31,Percent Increase/(Decrease)
20212020201920212020
(In millions, except percentages and per share amounts)
Net revenues$25,371$21,454$17,77218%21%
Operating expenses21,10918,16515,05316%21%
Operating income4,2623,2892,71930%21%
Operating margin17%15%15%****
Other income (expense), net(163)1,776279(109)%537%
Income tax (benefit) expense(70)863539(108)%60%
Effective tax rate(2)%17%18%****
Net income$4,169$4,202$2,459(1)%71%
Net income per diluted share$3.52$3.54$2.07(1)%71%
Net cash provided by operating activities$6,340$5,854$4,0718%44%

All amounts in tables are rounded to the nearest million, except as otherwise noted. As a result, certain amounts may not recalculate using the rounded amounts provided.

** Not Meaningful

Net revenues increased $3.9 billion, or 18%, in 2021 compared to 2020 driven primarily by growth in total payment volume (“TPV”, as defined below under “Key Metrics”) of 33%.

Total operating expenses increased $2.9 billion, or 16%, in 2021 compared to 2020 due primarily to an increase in transaction expense, and to a lesser extent, increases in sales and marketing expenses, technology and development expenses, and customer support and operations expenses, partially offset by a decline in transaction and credit losses.

Operating income increased $973 million, or 30%, in 2021 compared to 2020 due to growth in net revenues, partially offset by an increase in operating expenses. Our operating margin was 17% and 15% in 2021 and 2020, respectively. Operating margin for 2021 was positively impacted primarily by the decrease in transaction and credit losses.

Net income decreased by $33 million, or 1%, in 2021 as compared to 2020 due to a decrease in other income (expense), net of $1.9 billion, driven primarily by lower net gains on strategic investments in 2021 compared to the prior year, partially offset by the previously discussed increase in operating income of $973 million and a decrease in income tax expense of $933 million associated with lower net gains on strategic investments, higher benefits associated with stock-based compensation deductions, and lower expense related to intra-group transfers of intellectual property.

IMPACT OF FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATES

We have significant international operations that are denominated in foreign currencies, primarily the British Pound, Euro, Australian dollar, and Canadian dollar, subjecting us to foreign currency exchange risk which may adversely impact our financial results. The strengthening or weakening of the United States (“U.S.”) dollar versus the British Pound, Euro, Australian dollar, and Canadian dollar, as well as other currencies in which we conduct our international operations, impacts the translation of our net revenues and expenses generated in these foreign currencies into the U.S. dollar. In 2021, 2020, and 2019, we generated approximately 46%, 49%, and 47% of our net revenues from customers domiciled outside of the United States, respectively. Because we generate substantial net revenues internationally, we are subject to the risks of doing business outside of the U.S., including those discussed under “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

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We calculate the year-over-year impact of foreign currency exchange movements on our business using prior period foreign currency exchange rates applied to current period transactional currency amounts. While changes in foreign currency exchange rates affect our reported results, we have a foreign currency exchange exposure management program in which we designate certain foreign currency exchange contracts as cash flow hedges intended to reduce the impact on earnings from foreign currency exchange rate movements. Gains and losses from these foreign currency exchange contracts are recognized as a component of transaction revenues in the same period the forecasted transactions impact earnings.

In the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the year-over-year foreign currency movements relative to the U.S. dollar had the following impact on our reported results:

Year Ended December 31,
20212020
(In millions)
Favorable impact to net revenues (exclusive of hedging impact)$440$66
Hedging impact(190)20
Favorable impact to net revenues25086
(Unfavorable) favorable impact to operating expense(181)4
Net favorable impact to operating income$69$90

While we enter into foreign currency exchange contracts to help reduce the impact on earnings from foreign currency exchange rate movements, it is impossible to predict or eliminate the total effects of this exposure.

We also used a foreign currency exchange contract, designated as a net investment hedge, to reduce the foreign currency exchange risk related to our investment in a foreign subsidiary. This contract matured in 2020. Gains and losses associated with this instrument will remain in accumulated other comprehensive income until the foreign subsidiary is sold or substantially liquidated.

Additionally, in connection with transactions occurring in multiple currencies on our payments platform, we generally set our foreign currency exchange rates daily and may face financial exposure if we incorrectly set our foreign currency exchange rates or as a result of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates between the times that we set our foreign currency exchange rates and when transactions occur. Given that we also have foreign currency exchange risk on our assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of our subsidiaries, we have an additional foreign currency exchange exposure management program in which we use foreign currency exchange contracts to offset the impact of foreign currency exchange rate movements on our assets and liabilities. The foreign currency exchange gains and losses on our assets and liabilities are recorded in other income (expense), net, and are offset by the gains and losses on the foreign currency exchange contracts. These foreign currency exchange contracts reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the impact of foreign currency exchange rate movements on our assets and liabilities.

KEY METRICS AND FINANCIAL RESULTS

KEY METRICS

Active accounts, number of payment transactions, number of payment transactions per active account, and TPV are key non-financial performance metrics (“key metrics”) that management uses to measure the performance of our business, and are defined as follows:

•An active account is an account registered directly with PayPal or a platform access partner that has completed a transaction on our platform, not including gateway-exclusive transactions, within the past 12 months. A platform access partner is a third party whose customers are provided access to PayPal’s platform or services through such third party’s login credentials, including entities that utilize Hyperwallet’s payout capabilities. A user may register on our platform to access different products and may register more than one account to access a product. Accordingly, a user may have more than one active account. The number of active accounts provides management with additional perspective on the growth and overall scale of our platform.

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•Number of payment transactions are the total number of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed on our payments platform or enabled by PayPal via a partner payment solution, not including gateway-exclusive transactions.

•Number of payment transactions per active account reflects the total number of payment transactions within the previous 12-month period, divided by active accounts at the end of the period. The number of payment transactions per active account provides management with insight into the average number of times a customer account engages in payments activity on our payments platform in a given period.

•TPV is the value of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed on our payments platform or enabled by PayPal via a partner payment solution, not including gateway-exclusive transactions.

As our transaction revenue is typically correlated with TPV growth and the number of payment transactions completed on our payments platform, management uses these metrics to gain insights into the scale and strength of our payments platform, the engagement level of our customers, and underlying activity and trends which are indicators of current and future performance. We present these key metrics to enhance investors’ evaluation of the performance of our business and operating results.

Our key metrics are calculated using internal company data based on the activity we measure on our platform and may be compiled from multiple systems, including systems that are organically developed or acquired through business combinations. While the measurement of our key metrics is based on what we believe to be reasonable methodologies and estimates, there are inherent challenges and limitations in measuring our key metrics globally at our scale. The methodologies used to calculate our key metrics require judgment.

We regularly review our processes for calculating these key metrics, and from time to time we may make adjustments to improve their accuracy or relevance. For example, we continuously apply models, processes and practices designed to detect and prevent fraudulent account creation on our platforms, and work to improve and enhance those capabilities. When we detect a significant volume of illegitimate activity, we generally remove the activity identified from our key metrics. Although such adjustments may impact key metrics reported in prior periods, we generally do not update previously reported key metrics to reflect these subsequent adjustments unless the retrospective impact of process improvements or enhancements is determined by management to be material.

NET REVENUES

Our revenues are classified into the following two categories:

•Transaction revenues: Net transaction fees primarily charged to merchants on a transaction basis based on the TPV completed on our payments platform. Growth in TPV is directly impacted by the number of payment transactions that we enable on our payments platform. We earn additional fees from merchants and consumers on transactions where we perform currency conversion, where we enable cross-border transactions (i.e., transactions where the merchant and consumer are in different countries), to facilitate the instant transfer of funds for our customers from their PayPal or Venmo account to their debit card or bank account, to facilitate the purchase and sale of cryptocurrencies, and other miscellaneous fees.

•Revenues from other value added services: Net revenues derived primarily from revenue earned through partnerships, referral fees, subscription fees, gateway fees, and other services we provide to our merchants and consumers. We also earn revenues from interest and fees earned on our portfolio of loans receivable, and interest earned on certain assets underlying customer balances.

Our revenues can be significantly impacted by, but not limited to, the following:

•The mix of merchants, products, and services;

•The mix between domestic and cross-border transactions;

•The geographic region or country in which a transaction occurs; and

•The amount of our loans receivable outstanding with merchants and consumers.

Refer to “Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K for further discussion on factors that impact our revenue.

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Net revenues analysis

The components of our net revenues for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019 were as follows (in millions):

Transaction revenues

Transaction revenues grew by $3.5 billion, or 17%, in 2021 compared to 2020 mainly attributable to our Braintree and core PayPal products and services, and to a lesser extent, Venmo products and services driven by strong growth in TPV and the number of payment transactions on our payments platform. In the year ended December 31, 2021, we benefited from the recovery of travel and events verticals, which were adversely impacted in the prior year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These factors favorably impacting growth in transaction revenues in 2021 were partially offset by a decline in TPV and revenue we generate from eBay’s marketplace platform, which we expect to continue, to a lesser extent, to negatively impact revenue growth trends in the first half of 2022.

In the first quarter of 2020, we experienced an adverse impact on our TPV and transaction revenues due to the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the second quarter of 2020, we benefited from a shift from in-store payment methods to digital payments (as described above) which was sustained throughout the remainder of 2020 and in 2021.

The graphs below present the respective key metrics (in millions) for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019:

*Reflects active accounts at the end of the applicable period. Active accounts as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 include 3.2 million active accounts contributed by Paidy, Inc. (“Paidy”) on the date of acquisition in October 2021 and 10.2 million active accounts contributed by Honey on the date of acquisition in January 2020, respectively.

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The following table provides a summary of related metrics:

Year Ended December 31,Percent Increase/ (Decrease)
20212020201920212020
Number of payment transactions per active account45.440.940.611%1%
Percent of cross-border TPV16%17%18%****

** Not meaningful

We had active accounts of 426 million and 377 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, an increase of 13%. Number of payment transactions were 19.3 billion and 15.4 billion as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, an increase of 25%. TPV was $1.25 trillion and $936 billion as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, an increase of 33%.

Transaction revenues grew more slowly than TPV and the number of payment transactions in 2021 due primarily to a decline in eBay’s marketplace platform TPV where we had historically earned higher rates, lower growth in foreign exchange fees, a higher portion of TPV generated through Braintree by bill pay partners, large merchants, and other marketplaces which generally pay lower rates with higher transaction volumes, and an unfavorable impact from hedging. Changes in prices charged to our customers did not significantly impact transaction revenue growth in 2021.

Revenues from other value added services

Revenues from other value added services increased by $433 million, or 28%, in 2021 compared to 2020 due primarily to increases in our revenue share with Synchrony Bank (“Synchrony”) and fee revenue from the servicing of loans under the U.S government’s Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) and enacted in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We do not own the receivables associated with loans originated through the PPP. The fee revenue associated with the PPP loans in the year ended December 31, 2021 was $157 million, which included revenue recognized upon loan forgiveness and the extinguishment of our servicing obligations for a portion of the outstanding loans. At December 31, 2021, the remaining unearned fee revenue associated with the PPP loans was not material. The growth in revenue from other value added services in the year ended December 31, 2021 was also attributable to an increase in interest and fee revenue on our consumer loans receivable portfolio driven primarily by growth in international markets, partially offset by a decline in interest and fee revenue on our merchant loans receivable portfolio due to a decrease in average outstanding loans year-over-year and a decline in interest earned on certain assets underlying customer account balances resulting from lower interest rates.

The total gross consumer and merchant loans receivable balance as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $5.3 billion and $3.6 billion, respectively, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 48% driven primarily by growth in our consumer receivable portfolio due to the expansion of our installment credit products, including the entry into new markets.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we took both proactive and reactive measures during 2020 to support our merchants and consumers that had loans and interest receivables due to us under our credit product offerings. These measures were intended to help reduce financial difficulties experienced by our customers and included providing payment holidays to grant payment deferrals to certain borrowers for varying periods of time, and amended payment terms through loan modifications in certain cases. Given the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, including its duration and severity, related global economic conditions and the ultimate impact it may have on the financial condition of our merchants and consumers, the extent of these types of actions and their prospective impact on our interest and fee income is not determinable. In addition, consumers that have outstanding loans and interest receivable due to Synchrony may experience similar hardships that result in increased losses recognized by Synchrony, which may result in a decrease in our revenue share earned from Synchrony in future periods. In the event the overall return on the PayPal branded credit programs funded by Synchrony does not meet a minimum rate of return (“minimum return threshold”) in a particular quarter, our revenue share for that period would be zero. Further, in the event the overall return on the PayPal branded credit programs managed by Synchrony does not meet the minimum return threshold as measured over four consecutive quarters and in the following quarter, we would be required to make a payment to Synchrony, subject to certain limitations. Through December 31, 2021, the overall return on the PayPal branded credit programs funded by Synchrony exceeded the minimum return threshold.

Seasonality

The Company does not experience meaningful seasonality with respect to net revenues. No individual quarter in 2021, 2020, or 2019 accounted for more than 30% of annual net revenue.

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OPERATING EXPENSES

The following table summarizes our operating expenses and related metrics we use to assess the trends in each:

Year Ended December 31,Percent Increase/ (Decrease)
20212020201920212020
(In millions, except percentages)
Transaction expense$10,315$7,934$6,79030%17%
Transaction and credit losses1,0601,7411,380(39)%26%
Customer support and operations2,0751,7781,61517%10%
Sales and marketing2,4451,8611,40131%33%
Technology and development3,0382,6422,08515%27%
General and administrative2,1142,0701,7112%21%
Restructuring and other charges6213971(55)%96%
Total operating expenses$21,109$18,165$15,05316%21%
Transaction expense rate(1)0.83%0.85%0.95%****
Transaction and credit loss rate(2)0.09%0.19%0.19%****

(1) Transaction expense rate is calculated by dividing transaction expense by TPV.

(2) Transaction and credit loss rate is calculated by dividing transaction and credit losses by TPV.

** Not meaningful.

Transaction expense

Transaction expense is primarily composed of the costs we incur to accept a customer’s funding source of payment. These costs include fees paid to payment processors and other financial institutions when we draw funds from a customer’s credit or debit card, bank account, or other funding source they have stored in their digital wallet. We refer to the allocation of funding sources used by our consumers as our “funding mix.” The cost of funding a transaction with a credit or debit card is generally higher than the cost of funding a transaction from a bank or through internal sources such as a PayPal or Venmo account balance or our consumer credit products. As we expand the availability and presentation of alternative funding sources to our customers, our funding mix may change, which could increase or decrease our transaction expense rate. The cost of funding a transaction is also impacted by the geographic region or country in which a transaction occurs, as we generally pay lower rates for transactions funded with credit or debit cards outside the U.S. Our transaction expense rate is impacted by changes in product mix, merchant mix, regional mix, funding mix, and fees paid to payment processors and other financial institutions. Macroeconomic environment changes may also result in behavioral shifts in consumer spending patterns affecting the type of funding source they use, which also impacts the funding mix.

Transaction expense increased by $2.4 billion, or 30%, in 2021 compared to 2020 due primarily to an increase in TPV of 33%. The decrease in transaction expense rate in 2021 compared to 2020 was due primarily to a decline in transaction expense rates associated with both our core PayPal and Braintree products, offset by an increase in the share of volume associated with our Braintree products. For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, approximately 39%, 40%, and 41% of TPV, respectively, was generated outside of the U.S.

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Transaction and credit losses

Transaction losses include the expense associated with our buyer and seller protection programs, fraud, and chargebacks. Credit losses include the losses associated with our merchant and consumer loans receivable portfolio. Beginning in 2020, these losses are based on current expected credit losses. Our transaction and credit losses fluctuate depending on many factors, including TPV, product mix, current and projected macroeconomic conditions including unemployment rates, merchant insolvency events, changes to and usage of our customer protection programs, the impact of regulatory changes, and the credit quality of loans receivable arising from transactions funded with our credit products for consumers and loans and advances to merchants.

The components of our transaction and credit losses (in millions) for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019 were as follows:

Transaction and credit losses decreased by $681 million, or 39%, in 2021 compared to 2020.

Transaction losses were $1.2 billion and $1.1 billion for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, reflecting an increase of $18 million, or 2%, year-over-year. Transaction loss rate (transaction losses divided by TPV) was 0.09%, 0.12%, and 0.15% for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively. The increase in transaction losses was due primarily to growth in TPV, partially offset by benefits realized from continued risk mitigation strategies, which also contributed to a decrease in our transaction loss rate over the same period. The duration and severity of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and related global economic conditions remain unknown. Any negative impacts on macroeconomic conditions could increase the risk of merchant bankruptcy, insolvency, business failure, or other business interruption, which may adversely impact our transaction losses, particularly for merchants that sell goods or services in advance of the date of their delivery or use.

Credit losses decreased by $699 million, or 115%, in 2021 compared to 2020. The components of credit losses for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019 were as follows (in millions):

Year Ended December 31,
202120202019(1)
Net charge-offs(2)$219$310$208
Reserve build (release)(3)(312)29680
Credit losses$(93)$606$288

(1) Credit losses for the year end December 31, 2019 were based on accounting guidance which was superseded by the adoption of Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“CECL”), effective January 1, 2020.

(2) Net charge-offs includes the principal charge-offs partially offset by recoveries for consumer and merchant receivables.

(3) Reserve build (release) represents change in allowance for principal receivables excluding foreign currency remeasurement and, for 2020, impact of adoption of CECL.

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The benefit in the year ended December 31, 2021 was attributable to the net release of reserves for loans receivable due to improvements in both current and projected macroeconomic conditions, including lower projected unemployment rates, as well as improvements in the credit quality of loans outstanding, partially offset by provisions for originations during the period. Allowances for our merchant and consumer portfolios included qualitative adjustments which took into account continued volatility with respect to macroeconomic conditions, as well as uncertainty around the financial health of our merchant borrowers, including uncertainty around the effectiveness of loan modification programs made available to merchants. The credit losses in the year ended December 31, 2020 were primarily associated with an increase in provisions for our loans receivable portfolio resulting from a reserve build driven by a sharp deterioration in macroeconomic projections reflecting the anticipated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and provisions associated with originations, both of which significantly increased our then current expected credit losses, and to a lesser extent, changes in credit quality during the period. The increase in provisions associated with macroeconomic projections in the year ended December 31, 2020 included qualitative adjustments to account for the impact of limitations in our expected credit loss models resulting from the extreme fluctuations in both the actual and projected macroeconomic conditions during the period as well as to incorporate varying degrees of merchant performance in the current environment and expected performance in future periods.

The consumer loans and interest receivable balance as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $3.8 billion and $2.2 billion, respectively, representing a year-over-year increase of 77% driven by growth of our installment credit products in international markets and the U.S. and, to a lesser extent, growth of PayPal Credit in international markets. Approximately 53% and 77% of our consumer loans receivable outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, were due from consumers in the U.K. The decline in the percentage of consumer loans receivable outstanding in the U.K. at December 31, 2021 compared to December 31, 2020 was due to overall growth in the consumer loan portfolio, particularly from installment credit products in other markets.

The following table provides information regarding the credit quality of our consumer loans and interest receivable balance:

December 31,
20212020
Percent of consumer loans and interest receivable current97.0%97.9%
Percent of consumer loans and interest receivable 90 days outstanding (1)1.5%0.9%
Net charge-off rate(2)4.3%2.4%

(1) Represents percentage of balances which are 90 days past the billing date or contractual repayment date, as applicable.

(2) Net charge-off rate is the annual ratio of net credit losses, excluding fraud losses, on consumer loans receivable as a percentage of the average daily amount of consumer loans and interest receivable balance during the period.

The net charge-off rate at December 31, 2020 benefited from payment holidays provided by the Company as a part of our COVID-19 payment relief initiatives.

We offer access to merchant finance products for certain small and medium-sized businesses, which we refer to as our merchant finance offerings. Total merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable outstanding, net of participation interest sold, as of both December 31, 2021 and 2020 were approximately $1.4 billion. Approximately 82% and 8% of our merchant receivables outstanding as of December 31, 2021 were due from merchants in the U.S. and U.K., as compared to approximately 81% and 10% as of December 31, 2020, respectively.

The following table provides information regarding the credit quality of our merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable balance:

December 31,
20212020
Percent of merchant receivables within original expected or contractual repayment period91.8%75.4%
Percent of merchant receivables 90 days outstanding after the end of original expected or contractual repayment period3.1%12.5%
Net charge-off rate (1)4.7%18.9%

(1) Net charge-off rate is the annual ratio of net credit losses, excluding fraud losses, on merchant loans and advances as a percentage of the average daily amount of merchant loans, advances, and interest and fees receivable balance during the period.

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The increase in the percent of current merchant receivables, decrease in percent of merchant receivables greater than 90 days outstanding, and decrease in the net charge-off rate for merchant receivables at December 31, 2021 as compared to December 31, 2020 were primarily due to the charge-off of accounts that experienced financial difficulties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the prior year as well as improved performance in the current year partially attributable to the below mentioned modifications to the acceptable risk parameters including tightening of eligibility terms.

Beginning in the third quarter of 2020, we granted certain merchants loan modifications intended to provide them with financial relief and help enable us to mitigate losses. The associated loans and interest receivable have been treated as troubled debt restructurings due to the borrowers experiencing financial difficulty and significant changes in their loan structure, including repayment terms and/or fee and rate structure.

Modifications to the acceptable risk parameters of our credit products in 2020 in response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the implementation of a number of risk mitigation strategies, including reduction of maximum loan size, tightening eligibility terms, and a shift from automated to manual underwriting of loans and advances. These changes in acceptable risk parameters resulted in a decrease in originations in 2020 as compared to pre-pandemic levels. We continue to evaluate and modify our acceptable risk parameters in response to the changing macroeconomic environment and such changes in 2021 have resulted in a gradual increase in originations over the past nine months. While the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economic environment remains uncertain, the longer and more severe the pandemic, the more likely it may have a material adverse impact on our borrowing base, which is primarily comprised of small and medium-sized merchants.

For additional information, see “Note 11—Loans and Interest Receivable” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements, and “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Our credit products expose us to additional risks” included in this Form 10-K.

Customer support and operations

Customer support and operations includes costs incurred in our global customer operations centers, including costs to provide call support to our customers, costs to support our trust and security programs protecting our merchants and consumers, and other costs incurred related to the delivery of our products, including payment devices, card production, and customer onboarding and compliance costs.

Customer support and operations costs increased $297 million, or 17%, in 2021 compared to 2020. The increase in 2021 was primarily attributable to increases in employee-related expenses, customer onboarding and compliance costs, and contractors and consulting costs that support the growth of our active accounts and payment transactions.

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Sales and marketing

Sales and marketing includes costs incurred for customer acquisition, business development, advertising, and marketing programs.

Sales and marketing expenses increased $584 million, or 31%, in 2021 compared to 2020 due primarily to higher spending on marketing programs, including targeted user incentives to promote increased user engagement and new user acquisition, and, to a lesser extent, an increase in employee-related expenses.

Technology and development

Technology and development includes costs incurred in connection with the development of our payments platform, new products, and the improvement of our existing products, including the amortization of software and website development costs incurred in developing our payments platform, which are capitalized. It also includes acquired developed technology and our site operations and other infrastructure costs incurred to support our payments platform.

Technology and development expenses increased $396 million, or 15%, in 2021 compared to 2020 due primarily to increases in cloud computing services utilized in delivering our products, costs related to contractors and consultants, and, to a lesser extent, amortization expense associated with internally developed software.

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General and administrative

General and administrative includes costs incurred to provide support to our business, including legal, human resources, finance, risk and compliance, executive, and other support operations.

General and administrative expenses increased $44 million, or 2%, in 2021 compared to 2020 due primarily to increases in employee-related expenses and costs associated with enterprise software services, partially offset by a decline in professional services expenses.

Restructuring and other charges

Restructuring and other charges primarily consist of restructuring expenses.

Restructuring and other charges decreased by $77 million in 2021 compared to 2020.

During the first quarter of 2020, management approved a strategic reduction of the existing global workforce as part of a multiphase process to reorganize our workforce concurrently with the redesign of our operating structure, which spanned multiple quarters. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the associated restructuring changes were $27 million and $109 million, respectively. We primarily incurred employee severance and benefits costs, as well as other associated consulting costs under the 2020 strategic reduction, substantially all of which have been accrued as of the second quarter of 2021.

For information on the associated restructuring liability, see “Note 17—Restructuring and Other Charges” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

Additionally, in 2021 and 2020, we incurred asset impairment charges of $26 million and $30 million, respectively, due to exiting certain leased properties which resulted in a reduction of certain right-of-use lease assets and related leasehold improvements.

Other income (expense), net

Other income (expense), net decreased $1.9 billion, or 109%, in 2021 compared to 2020 due primarily to lower net gains on strategic investments of $46 million in 2021 compared to $1.9 billion in 2020.

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Income tax (benefit) expense

Our effective tax rate was (2)% in 2021 and 17% in 2020. The decrease in our effective tax rate in 2021 was primarily the result of a decrease in tax expense related to the intra-group transfers of intellectual property, an increase in tax benefits associated with stock-based compensation deductions, and a decrease in tax expense associated with lower net gains on strategic investments. See “Note 16—Income Taxes” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for more information on our effective tax rate.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

We require liquidity and access to capital to fund our global operations, including customer protection programs, our credit products, capital expenditures, investments in our business, potential acquisitions and strategic investments, working capital, and other cash needs. We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents, and investments, cash expected to be generated from operations, and our expected access to capital markets, together with potential external funding through third party sources, will be sufficient to meet our cash requirements within the next twelve months and beyond.

SOURCES OF LIQUIDITY

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

The following table summarizes our cash, cash equivalents, and investments as of December 31, 2021 and 2020:

Year Ended December 31,
20212020
(In millions)
Cash, cash equivalents, and investments(1)(2)$12,981$15,852

(1) Excludes assets related to funds receivable and customer accounts of $36.1 billion and $33.4 billion as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

(2) Excludes total restricted cash of $109 million and $88 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and strategic investments of $3.2 billion as of both December 31, 2021 and 2020.

Cash, cash equivalents, and investments held by our foreign subsidiaries were $7.4 billion at December 31, 2021 and $7.0 billion at December 31, 2020, or 57% and 44%, of our total cash, cash equivalents, and investments as of those respective dates. At December 31, 2021, all of our cash, cash equivalents, and investments held by foreign subsidiaries were subject to U.S. taxation under Subpart F, Global Intangible Low Taxed Income (“GILTI”), or the one-time transition tax under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“Tax Act”). Subsequent repatriations to the U.S. will not be taxable from a U.S. federal tax perspective, but may be subject to state income or foreign withholding tax.

A significant aspect of our global cash management activities involves meeting our customers’ requirements to access their cash while simultaneously meeting our regulatory financial ratio commitments in various jurisdictions. Our global cash balances are required not only to provide operational liquidity to our businesses, but also to support our global regulatory requirements across our regulated subsidiaries. Accordingly, not all of our cash is available for general corporate purposes.

Cash flows

The following table summarizes our consolidated statements of cash flows:

Year Ended December 31,
202120202019
(In millions)
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities$6,340$5,854$4,071
Investing activities(5,485)(16,218)(5,742)
Financing activities(764)12,4924,187
Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash(102)169(6)
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash$(11)$2,297$2,510
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Operating activities

Cash flows from operating activities includes net income adjusted for certain non-cash expenses, timing differences between expenses recognized for provision for transaction and credit losses and actual cash transaction losses incurred, and changes in other assets and liabilities. Significant non-cash expenses for the period include depreciation and amortization and stock-based compensation. The cash impact from actual transaction losses incurred during a period is reflected as changes in other assets and liabilities. The expenses recognized during the period for provision for credit losses are estimates of current expected credit losses on our merchant and consumer credit products. Actual charge-offs of receivables related to our merchants and consumer credit products have no impact on cash from operating activities.

We generated cash from operating activities of $6.3 billion in 2021 due primarily to operating income of $4.3 billion, as well as adjustments for non-cash expenses including stock-based compensation of $1.4 billion, depreciation and amortization of $1.3 billion, and provision for transaction and credit losses of $1.1 billion. Net income was also adjusted for deferred income taxes of $482 million, an increase in accounts receivable of $222 million, and changes in other assets and liabilities primarily related to actual cash transaction losses incurred during the period of $1.2 billion, partially offset by an increase in other liabilities of $406 million.

We generated cash from operating activities of $5.9 billion in 2020 due primarily to operating income of $3.3 billion, as well as adjustments for non-cash expenses including provision for transaction and credit losses of $1.7 billion, stock-based compensation of $1.4 billion, and depreciation and amortization of $1.2 billion. Net income was also adjusted for net gains on our strategic investments of $1.9 billion, changes in other assets and liabilities primarily related to actual cash transaction losses incurred during the period of $1.1 billion, and an increase in other assets of $498 million, partially offset by an increase in other liabilities of $1.0 billion.

Cash paid for income taxes, net in 2021, 2020, and 2019 was $474 million, $565 million, and $665 million, respectively.

Investing activities

Cash flows from investing activities includes purchases, maturities and sales of investments, cash paid for acquisitions and strategic investments, purchases and sales of property and equipment, changes in principal loans receivable, and funds receivable.

The net cash used in investing activities of $5.5 billion in 2021 was due primarily to purchases of investments of $40.1 billion, acquisitions (net of cash acquired) of $2.8 billion, changes in principal loans receivable, net of $1.6 billion, and purchases of property and equipment of $908 million. These cash outflows were partially offset by maturities and sales of investments of $39.7 billion and changes in funds receivable from customers of $193 million.

The net cash used in investing activities of $16.2 billion in 2020 was due primarily to purchases of investments of $41.5 billion, acquisitions (net of cash acquired) of $3.6 billion, changes in funds receivable from customers of $1.6 billion, and purchases of property and equipment of $866 million. These cash outflows were partially offset by maturities and sales of investments of $30.9 billion, changes in principal loans receivable, net of $294 million, and proceeds from the sale of property and equipment of $120 million.

Financing activities

Cash flows from financing activities includes proceeds from issuance of common stock, purchases of treasury stock, tax withholdings related to net share settlements of equity awards, borrowings and repayments under financing arrangements, and funds payable and amounts due to customers.

The net cash used in financing activities of $764 million in 2021 was due primarily to the repurchase of $3.4 billion of our common stock under our stock repurchase program, tax withholdings of $1.0 billion related to net share settlement of equity awards, and repayments of borrowings under Paidy credit agreements of $361 million. These cash outflows were partially offset by changes in funds payable and amounts due to customers of $3.6 billion and cash proceeds from borrowings under Paidy credit agreements of $272 million.

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We generated cash from financing activities of $12.5 billion in 2020 due primarily to changes in funds payable and amounts due to customers of $10.6 billion and $7.0 billion of cash proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt in the form of fixed rate notes as well as proceeds from borrowings under our Credit Agreement (as defined below under “Available credit and debt”). These cash inflows were partially offset by repayment of outstanding borrowings under our Credit Agreement of $3.0 billion, the repurchase of $1.6 billion of our common stock under our stock repurchase programs, and tax withholdings related to net share settlement of equity awards of $521 million.

Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

Foreign currency exchange rates had a negative impact of $102 million and a positive impact of $169 million on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash during 2021 and 2020, respectively. The negative and positive impacts in 2021 and 2020, respectively, resulted primarily from fluctuations in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the Australian dollar. The negative impact in 2021 included, to a lesser extent, the unfavorable impact of fluctuations in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the Euro and Swedish krona.

Available credit and debt

In September 2019, we entered into a credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) that provides for an unsecured $5.0 billion, five-year revolving credit facility that includes a $150 million letter of credit sub-facility and a $500 million swingline sub-facility, with available borrowings under the revolving credit facility reduced by the amount of any letters of credit and swingline borrowings outstanding from time to time. As of December 31, 2021, no borrowings were outstanding under the Credit Agreement and as such, $5.0 billion of borrowing capacity was available for the purposes permitted by the Credit Agreement, subject to customary conditions to borrowing.

In October 2021, we assumed a credit agreement through our acquisition of Paidy (the “Paidy Credit Agreement”). The Paidy Credit Agreement provides for a secured revolving credit facility of approximately $198 million. Borrowings under the Paidy Credit Agreement must be used to fund the origination of loan receivables. As of December 31, 2021, approximately $98 million was outstanding under the Paidy Credit Agreement. Accordingly, at December 31, 2021, approximately $100 million of borrowing capacity was available for the purposes permitted by the Paidy Credit Agreement, subject to customary conditions to borrowing.

We maintain uncommitted credit facilities in various regions throughout the world with a borrowing capacity of approximately $90 million in the aggregate, where we can withdraw and utilize the funds at our discretion for general corporate purposes. As of December 31, 2021, the majority of the borrowing capacity under these credit facilities was available, subject to customary conditions to borrowing.

In May 2020 and September 2019, we issued fixed rate notes with varying maturity dates for an aggregate principal amount of $9.0 billion (collectively referred to as the “Notes”). Proceeds from the issuance of these Notes may be used for general corporate purposes, which may include funding the repayment or redemption of outstanding debt, share repurchases, ongoing operations, capital expenditures, and possible acquisitions of businesses, assets, or strategic investments. As of December 31, 2021, we had $9.0 billion in fixed rate debt outstanding with varying maturity dates.

For additional information, see “Note 12—Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

Depending on market conditions, we may from time to time issue debt, including in private or public offerings, to fund our operating activities, finance acquisitions, make strategic investments, repurchase shares under our stock repurchase program, or reduce our cost of capital.

We have a cash pooling arrangement with a financial institution for cash management purposes. The arrangement allows for cash withdrawals from the financial institution based upon our aggregate operating cash balances held within the financial institution (“Aggregate Cash Deposits”). The arrangement also allows us to withdraw amounts exceeding the Aggregate Cash Deposits up to an agreed-upon limit. The net balance of the withdrawals and the Aggregate Cash Deposits are used by the financial institution as a basis for calculating our net interest expense or income under the arrangement. As of December 31, 2021, we had a total of $3.5 billion in cash withdrawals offsetting our $3.5 billion in Aggregate Cash Deposits held within the financial institution under the cash pooling arrangement.

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Credit ratings

As of December 31, 2021, we continue to be rated investment grade by Standard and Poor’s Financial Services, LLC, Fitch Ratings, Inc., and Moody’s Investors Services Inc. We expect that these credit rating agencies will continue to monitor our performance, including our capital structure and results of operations. Our goal is to be rated investment grade, but as circumstances change, there are factors that could result in our credit ratings being downgraded or put on a watch list for possible downgrading. If that were to occur, it could increase our borrowing rates, including the interest rate on borrowings under our Credit Agreement.

CURRENT AND FUTURE CASH REQUIREMENTS

Our material cash requirements include funds to support current and potential: operating activities, credit products, customer protection programs, stock repurchases, strategic investments, acquisitions, other commitments, and capital expenditures and other future obligations.

Credit products

Growth in our portfolio of loan receivables increases our liquidity needs, and any inability to meet those liquidity needs could adversely affect our business. We continue to evaluate partnerships and third party sources of funding for our loans receivable portfolio.

In June 2018, the Luxembourg Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (the “CSSF”) agreed that PayPal’s management may designate up to 35% of European customer balances held in our Luxembourg banking subsidiary to be used for European and U.S. credit activities. During the first quarter of 2021, an additional $700 million was approved to fund such credit activities. As of December 31, 2021, the cumulative amount approved by management to be designated for credit activities aggregated to $2.7 billion and represented approximately 27% of European customer balances that have been made available for our corporate use at that date as determined by applying financial regulations maintained by the CSSF. We may periodically seek to designate additional amounts of customer balances, if necessary, based on utilization of the approved funds and anticipated credit funding requirements. While our objective is to expand the availability of our credit products with capital from external sources, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in achieving that goal. Under certain exceptional circumstances, corporate liquidity could be called upon to meet our obligations related to our European customer balances.

In April 2020, PayPal was approved to participate in the PPP administered by the SBA. The program was designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic and includes initial loan repayment deferrals and debt forgiveness provisions for eligible borrowers. Loans made under this program are funded by an independent chartered financial institution that we partner with, and the related receivables are not purchased by PayPal. We receive a fee for providing origination services and loan servicing for the loans and retain operational risk related to those activities.

Customer protection programs

The risk of losses from our buyer and seller protection programs are specific to individual customers, merchants, and transactions, and may also be impacted by regional variations in, and changes or modifications to, the programs, including as a result of changes in regulatory requirements. For the periods presented in these consolidated financial statements included in this report, our transaction loss rates have ranged between 0.09% and 0.15% of TPV. Historical loss rates may not be indicative of future results. The duration and severity of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and related global economic conditions remain unknown. The negative impacts on macroeconomic conditions could increase the risk of merchant bankruptcy, insolvency, business failure, or other business interruption, which may result in an adverse impact on our transaction losses, particularly for merchants that sell goods or services in advance of the date of their delivery or use.

Stock repurchases

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we repurchased approximately $3.4 billion of our common stock in the open market under our stock repurchase program authorized in July 2018. As of December 31, 2021, a total of approximately $5.1 billion remained available for future repurchases of our common stock under our July 2018 stock repurchase program. For additional information, see “Note 14—Stock Repurchase Programs” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

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Acquisitions

In October 2021, we completed the acquisition of Paidy, Inc. (“Paidy”) for approximately $2.7 billion, consisting of approximately $2.6 billion in cash, and approximately $161 million in assumed restricted stock and restricted stock units, subject to vesting conditions. Paidy is a two-sided payments platform that primarily provides buy now, pay later solutions (installment credit offerings) in Japan. With the acquisition of Paidy, we intend to expand our capabilities and relevance in Japan. In 2021, we completed four other acquisitions for an aggregate purchase price of $542 million, consisting primarily of cash consideration. For additional information, see “Note 4—Business Combinations” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

Other commitments

In 2020, we announced our commitment to invest $535 million to support racial equality. As of December 31, 2021, we have deployed substantially all the commitment through charitable contributions, grants to small businesses, internal investments to support and strengthen diversity and inclusion initiatives, and an economic opportunity fund focused on bolstering our relationships with community banks and credit unions serving underrepresented minority communities, as well as investing directly into black- and minority-led startups and minority-focused investment funds, among other initiatives.

Future obligations

As of December 31, 2021, approximately $4.1 billion of unused credit was available to PayPal Credit account holders compared to $3.0 billion of unused credit as of December 31, 2020. Substantially all of the PayPal Credit account holders with unused credit are in the U.K. While this amount represents the total unused credit available, we have not experienced, and do not anticipate, that all of our PayPal Credit account holders will access their entire available credit at any given point in time. In addition, the individual lines of credit that make up this unused credit are subject to periodic review and termination based on, among other things, account usage and customer creditworthiness.

We have certain fixed contractual obligations and commitments that include future estimated payments for general operating purposes. Changes in our business needs, contractual cancellation provisions, fluctuating interest rates, and other factors may result in actual payments differing from our estimates. We cannot provide certainty regarding the timing and amounts of these payments. The following table summarizes our obligations as of December 31, 2021 that are expected to impact liquidity and cash flow in future periods. We believe we will be able to fund these obligations through our existing cash and investment portfolio and cash expected to be generated from operations.

Purchase ObligationsOperating LeasesTransition TaxLong-term DebtTotal
Payments Due During the Year Ending December 31,(In millions)
2022$562$162$114$1,213$2,051
20232691572121,1851,823
20243271392841,4282,178
2025641083541,1401,666
202652911,3811,524
Thereafter1924,4734,665
$1,274$849$964$10,820$13,907

The significant assumptions used in our determination of amounts presented in the above table are as follows:

•Purchase obligation amounts include minimum purchase commitments for advertising, capital expenditures (computer equipment, software applications, engineering development services, and construction contracts), data center and cloud computing services, and other goods and services entered into in the ordinary course of business.

•Operating lease amounts include minimum rental payments under our non-cancelable operating leases (including leases not yet commenced) primarily for office and data center facilities. The amounts presented are consistent with contractual terms and are not expected to differ significantly from actual results under our existing leases, unless a substantial change in our headcount needs requires us to expand our occupied space or exit an office facility early.

•Transition tax represents the one-time mandatory tax on previously deferred foreign earnings under the Tax Act.

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•Long-term debt amounts represent the future principal and interest payments (based on contractual interest rates) on our fixed-rate debt. For more information, see “Note 12—Debt” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K.

As we are unable to reasonably predict the timing of settlement of liabilities related to unrecognized tax benefits, net, the table above does not include $1.6 billion of such non-current liabilities included in deferred and other tax liabilities recorded on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2021.

Other considerations

Our liquidity, access to capital, and borrowing costs could be adversely impacted by declines in our credit rating, our financial performance, and global credit market conditions, as well as a broad range of other factors, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic discussed in this Form 10-K. In addition, our liquidity, access to capital, and borrowing costs could also be negatively impacted by the outcome of any of the legal or regulatory proceedings to which we are a party. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Note 13—Commitments and Contingencies” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for additional discussion of these and other risks that our business faces.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICES AND ESTIMATES

The application of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates and assumptions about certain items and future events that directly affect our reported financial condition. We have established detailed policies and control procedures to provide reasonable assurance that the methods used to make estimates and assumptions are well controlled and are applied consistently from period to period. The accounting estimates and assumptions discussed in this section are those that we consider to be the most critical to our financial statements. An accounting estimate or assumption is considered critical if both (a) the nature of the estimate or assumption is material due to the levels of subjectivity and judgment involved, and (b) the impact within a reasonable range of outcomes of the estimate and assumption is material to our financial condition. Management has discussed the development, selection, and disclosure of these estimates with the Audit, Risk, and Compliance Committee of our Board of Directors. Our significant accounting policies, including recent accounting pronouncements, are described in “Note 1—Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10‑K.

A quantitative sensitivity analysis is provided where information is available to reasonably estimate the impact, and provides material information to investors. The amounts used to assess sensitivity are included to allow users of this report to understand a general directional cause and effect of changes in the estimates and do not represent management’s predictions of variability. For all these estimates, it should be noted that future events rarely develop exactly as forecasted, and such estimates require regular review and adjustment.

ALLOWANCE FOR TRANSACTION AND CREDIT LOSSES

Transaction and credit losses include the expense associated with our customer protection programs, fraud, chargebacks, and credit losses associated with our loans receivable balances. Our transaction and credit losses fluctuate depending on many factors, including: total TPV, product mix, current and projected macroeconomic conditions including unemployment rates, merchant insolvency events, changes to and usage of our customer protection programs, the impact of regulatory changes, and the credit quality of loans receivable arising from transactions funded with our credit products, which include revolving and installment credit products offered to consumers at checkout and merchant loans and advances arising from the PayPal Working Capital (“PPWC”) and PayPal Business Loan (“PPBL”) products.

We establish allowances for negative customer balances and estimated transaction losses arising from processing customer transactions, such as chargebacks for unauthorized credit card use and merchant-related chargebacks due to non-delivery or unsatisfactory delivery of purchased items, buyer protection program claims, account takeovers, and Automated Clearing House returns. Additions to the allowance, in the form of provisions, are reflected in transaction and credit losses on our consolidated statements of income. The allowances are based on known facts and circumstances, internal factors including experience with similar cases, historical trends involving collection and write-off patterns, and the mix of transaction and loss types, as well as current and projected macroeconomic factors, as appropriate.

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We also establish an allowance for loans and interest receivable, which represents our estimate of current expected credit losses inherent in our portfolio of loans and interest receivable. This evaluation process is subject to numerous estimates and judgments. The allowance is primarily based on expectations of credit losses based on historical lifetime loss data as well as macroeconomic forecasts applied to the portfolio, which is segmented by factors such as geographic region, delinquency, and vintage. Loss curves are generated using historical loss data for each loan portfolio and are applied to segments of each portfolio, categorized by factors such as geographic region, first borrowing versus repeat borrowing, delinquency, credit rating and vintage, which vary by portfolio. We then apply macroeconomic factors such as forecasted trends in unemployment and benchmark credit card charge-off rates, which are sourced externally, using a single scenario that we believe is most appropriate to the economic conditions applicable to a particular period. We utilize externally sourced macroeconomic scenario data to supplement our historical information due to the limited period in which our credit product offerings have been in existence. Projected loss rates, inclusive of historical loss data and macroeconomic factors, are applied to the principal amount of our consumer and merchant receivables. We also include qualitative adjustments that incorporate incremental information not captured in the quantitative estimates of our current expected credit losses. Our consumer receivables consist of revolving products, which do not have a contractual term, and installment products. The reasonable and supportable forecast period for revolving products, installment products, and merchant products that we have included in our projected loss rates, which approximates the estimated life of the loans, is approximately 2 years, approximately 7 months to 2.5 years, and approximately 2.5 to 3.5 years, respectively. In 2020, the reasonable and supportable forecast period for revolving consumer products was based only on externally sourced data due to the lack of availability of historical data, and in 2021, it was updated to reflect historical loss experience with the portfolio. The allowance for current expected credit losses on interest and fees receivable is determined primarily by applying loss curves to each portfolio by geography, delinquency, and period of origination, among other factors.

Determining appropriate current expected credit loss allowances for loans and interest receivable is an inherently uncertain process and ultimate losses may vary from the current estimates. We regularly update our allowance estimates as new facts become known and events occur that may impact the settlement or recovery of losses. The allowances are maintained at a level we deem appropriate to adequately provide for current expected credit losses at the balance sheet date after incorporating the impact of externally sourced macroeconomic forecasts. These forecasts project scenarios such as future unemployment and benchmark credit card charge-off rates. As of December 31, 2021, we utilized externally published projections of the U.S. and U.K. forecasted unemployment rates over the reasonable and supportable forecast period. As of December 31, 2020, we utilized externally published projections of the U.S. forecasted credit card charge-off rates and U.K forecasted unemployment rates over the reasonable and supportable forecast period. The overall principal and interest coverage ratio as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 was approximately 9% and 23%, respectively. A significant change in the forecasted macroeconomic factors could result in a material change in our allowances. Our allowance as of December 31, 2021 took into account continued volatility with respect to macroeconomic conditions and uncertainty around the financial health of our merchant borrowers, including uncertainty around the effectiveness of loan modification programs made available to merchants. Our allowance as of December 31, 2020 took into account for the proactive and reactive measures that we took to help reduce financial difficulties experienced by our customers, limitations in our expected credit loss models that arose due to the extreme fluctuations in both the actual and forecasted macroeconomic conditions in the period, varying degrees of merchant performance in the current environment as well as expected future performance, and to account for payment holidays granted. We are unable to predict the ultimate impact of these actions which may result in adjustments to our allowance for loans and interest receivable in future periods. An increase of 1% in the principal and interest coverage ratio would increase our allowances by approximately $53 million based on the loans and interest receivable balance outstanding as of December 31, 2021.

ACCOUNTING FOR INCOME TAXES

Our annual tax rate is based on our income, statutory tax rates, and tax planning opportunities available to us in the various jurisdictions in which we operate. Tax laws are complex and subject to different interpretations by the taxpayer and respective government taxing authorities. Significant judgment is required in determining our tax expense and in evaluating our tax positions, including evaluating uncertainties. We review our tax positions quarterly and adjust the balances as new information becomes available. Our income tax rate is significantly affected by the tax rates that apply to our foreign earnings. In addition to local country tax laws and regulations, our income tax rate depends on the extent that our foreign earnings are taxed by the U.S. through provisions such as the GILTI tax and base erosion anti-abuse tax or as a result of our indefinite reinvestment assertion. Indefinite reinvestment is determined by management’s judgment about, and intentions concerning, our future operations.

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Deferred tax assets represent amounts available to reduce income taxes payable on taxable income in future years. Such assets arise because of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, as well as from net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. We evaluate the recoverability of these future tax deductions and credits by assessing the adequacy of future expected taxable income from all sources, including reversal of taxable temporary differences, forecasted operating earnings, and available tax planning strategies. These sources of income rely heavily on estimates that are based on a number of factors, including our historical experience and short-range and long-range business forecasts. To the extent deferred tax assets are not expected to be realized, we record a valuation allowance.

We recognize and measure uncertain tax positions in accordance with U.S. GAAP, pursuant to which we only recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. We report a liability for unrecognized tax benefits resulting from uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. U.S. GAAP further requires that a change in judgment related to the expected ultimate resolution of uncertain tax positions be recognized in earnings in the quarter in which such change occurs. We recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense.

We file annual income tax returns in multiple taxing jurisdictions around the world. A number of years may elapse before an uncertain tax position is audited by the relevant tax authorities and finally resolved. While it is often difficult to predict the final outcome or the timing of resolution of any particular uncertain tax position, we believe that our reserves for income taxes are adequate such that we reflect the benefits more likely than not to be sustained in an examination. We adjust these reserves, as well as the related interest and penalties, where appropriate in light of changing facts and circumstances. Settlement of any particular position could require the use of cash.

Based on our results for the year ended December 31, 2021, a one-percentage point increase in our effective tax rate would have resulted in an increase in our income tax expense of approximately $41 million.

LOSS CONTINGENCIES

We are currently involved in various claims, regulatory and legal proceedings, and investigations of potential operating violations by regulatory oversight authorities. We regularly review the status of each significant matter and assess our potential financial exposure. If the potential loss from any claim, legal proceeding, or potential regulatory violation is considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated, we accrue a liability for the estimated loss. Significant judgment is required in both the determination of probability and whether an exposure is reasonably estimable. Our judgments are subjective and are based on the status of the legal or regulatory proceedings, the merits of our defenses, and consultation with in-house and outside legal counsel. Because of uncertainties related to these matters, accruals are based on the best information available at the time. As additional information becomes available, we reassess the potential liability related to pending claims, litigation, or other violations and may revise our estimates. Due to the inherent uncertainties of the legal and regulatory process in the multiple jurisdictions in which we operate, our judgments may differ materially from the actual outcomes.

REVENUE RECOGNITION

Application of the accounting principles in U.S. GAAP related to the measurement and recognition of revenue requires us to make judgments and estimates. Complex arrangements with nonstandard terms and conditions may require significant contract interpretation to determine the appropriate accounting. Specifically, the determination of whether we are a principal to a transaction (gross revenue) or an agent (net revenue) can require considerable judgment. Further, we provide incentive payments to consumers and merchants. Evaluating whether these incentives are a payment to a customer, or consideration payable on behalf of a customer, requires judgment. Incentives determined to be made to a customer, or payable on behalf of a customer, are recorded as a reduction to gross revenue. Changes in judgments with respect to these assumptions and estimates could impact the amount of revenue recognized.

VALUATION OF GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLES

The valuation of assets acquired in a business combination require the use of significant estimates and assumptions. The acquisition method of accounting for business combinations requires us to estimate the fair value of assets acquired, liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest in an acquired business to properly allocate purchase price consideration between assets that are depreciated or amortized and goodwill. Our estimates are based upon assumptions that we believe to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable. These valuations require the use of management’s assumptions, which do not reflect unanticipated events and circumstances that may occur.

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