ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (WHAT THE TECH?) — Some people are seeing PayPal show up as a payment option inside their Facebook account and they say they never added it themselves.

“I saw this really interesting Facebook charge for $13.95,” Jackie Marushka said, noting she spotted several small payments on her credit card before checking on her Facebook settings. “They had my PayPal, they had my debit card, and they had my credit card. All three.”

Under Facebook’s payment settings, PayPal and credit cards can appear as default payment methods.

In Jackie’s case, her PayPal account was connected to her credit card.

“It didn’t say ‘ad.’ It didn’t say ‘subscription’. There was none of that,” she said.

Others online report similar issues, including unauthorized Facebook ad charges using PayPal.

I reached out to Facebook and PayPal to find out why and how it can happen. I haven’t received a response.

But here’s what I’ve found:

The accounts can be linked if they share the same email address. Clicking “Continue with Facebook” or making a purchase on Instagram could trigger the link. Check your Facebook Payment settings and remove anything you didn’t add. Then, on PayPal, go to pre-approved payments and cancel anything tied to Meta or Facebook.

“Go through your credit card statements at least once or twice a month. Know what you’ve paid
for. You can’t be too careful,” Jackie said.

Jackie said she’s still reviewing the charges but believes she’s out about $100. She closed her PayPal account and is getting a new credit card. Check your settings and report any unrecognized charges to PayPal or your credit card company.