To generate a barcode on PayPal, open the PayPal app, go to your balance, tap "Add cash at a store," and the app will display a barcode on screen that you hand to the cashier along with your cash; PayPal creates this barcode for you, and it is valid only inside the app for that single transaction. That barcode is generated entirely by PayPal's own system, so no external barcode tool is involved in that specific flow. However, most readers searching this phrase also need to generate barcodes for the items they sell through PayPal, the products they ship, or the inventory they track — and that is where the Barcode Generator comes in. It produces print-ready 1D barcodes in Code 128, EAN-13, UPC-A and Code 39 directly inside the browser, with no upload and no account required.
Below you will find the exact PayPal in-app steps, a plain explanation of which barcode format to choose for each kind of project, a quick how-to for the Barcode Generator, and a few practical notes on printing, scanning and check digits so your codes scan cleanly the first time.
How PayPal Generates Its Add-Cash Barcode
PayPal's barcode is part of a feature called Add Cash at Stores. It lets you fund your PayPal Balance with cash at participating retailers such as Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Duane Reade, 7-Eleven, Family Dollar and Dollar General. Because the barcode encodes a one-time token tied to your account, it must be created by PayPal and displayed inside the PayPal app — there is no way to recreate it on a website or print it yourself. According to PayPal's own help page on Add Cash at Stores, you "generate a barcode in your PayPal app and provide it along with the cash you want" to load.
The flow is deliberately short so that the barcode is fresh and cannot be reused or copied. Each time you tap the option, the previous code expires and a new one is generated.
Steps Inside the PayPal App
- Install or open the official PayPal app on iOS or Android and sign in.
- Tap your PayPal Balance or the wallet icon to open your balance overview.
- Choose "Add cash at a store" or "Add cash nearby."
- Select the participating retailer where you plan to pay.
- Enter the amount of cash you want to add, then confirm.
- Hand your phone to the cashier so the in-store scanner can read the barcode on screen, or let the cashier key in the long numeric code displayed beneath it.
- Keep your phone until the cashier confirms the deposit; the funds usually appear within minutes, though PayPal notes that some retailers may take up to several hours.
Important notes for this flow: the barcode is locked to your account and to that exact amount, so do not screenshot it ahead of time, and do not use it for a different amount than the one you entered. There is a per-transaction and per-day cash load limit, and a separate monthly limit for ATM-style cash withdrawals if you use the PayPal-branded Debit Card instead of the barcode path.
Generating Barcodes for PayPal Orders, Shipping and Inventory
The barcode PayPal creates for in-store cash loading is not the same thing as the barcodes you print on shipping labels, the codes that identify retail products, or the labels you stick on warehouse bins. Those codes live entirely on your side, and the easiest way to make them is with a browser-based 1D barcode tool. The Barcode Generator on Lizely renders Code 128, EAN-13, UPC-A and Code 39 instantly in your browser and lets you download a print-ready vector SVG. Because everything runs locally, none of your product values, SKUs or tracking numbers are uploaded to a server.
Choosing the wrong format is the single most common reason a freshly printed barcode will not scan. Use the table below to pick the right one before you type anything.
| Format | Best for | Data type | Check digit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code 128 | Shipping labels, internal SKUs, any text or numbers | Full ASCII text and digits | Mod-103, added automatically |
| EAN-13 | Retail products sold internationally | 12 or 13 digits | Mod-10, added or verified automatically |
| UPC-A | Retail products sold in the United States and Canada | 11 or 12 digits | Mod-10, added or verified automatically |
| Code 39 | Inventory, automotive, defense and some healthcare labels | Uppercase letters, digits and a few symbols | Optional Mod-43 |
These four symbologies cover the great majority of everyday needs. They are also the ones most consumer scanners and retail point-of-sale systems are guaranteed to read, which is why the Barcode Generator focuses on them rather than dozens of niche formats.
How to Create a Print-Ready Barcode With the Barcode Generator
Below is the exact sequence to follow when you sit down to make a barcode. The whole process takes less than a minute once you know which format you need.
- Open the Barcode Generator in any modern desktop or mobile browser.
- Pick a format from the dropdown. Use Code 128 for shipping and any text-based label, EAN-13 or UPC-A for retail products, and Code 39 for inventory.
- Type your value into the data field. For EAN-13 enter either 12 digits and let the tool compute the 13th check digit, or paste all 13 and the tool will verify it. The same logic applies to UPC-A with 11 or 12 digits.
- Watch the preview render in real time on the right-hand side. Adjust bar height or width only if your label space is unusually tight.
- Click Download SVG to save a vector file. The SVG stays sharp at any print size, which is what you want for shipping labels, product packaging and bin stickers.
- Open the SVG in your design app, word processor or label printer software, scale it to your label size, and print at 300 DPI or higher on matte paper so the scanner does not glare off the ink.
For bulk work such as printing dozens of SKUs at once, paste a column of values from a spreadsheet into the data field one at a time, generate each SVG, and batch-export to your label designer. If you also need QR codes on the same artwork — for a product page, a Wi-Fi card or a contact card — the QR Code Generator sits next to the Barcode Generator and uses the same in-browser workflow.
Getting the Most Reliable Scans From Your Printed Codes
Even a perfectly valid barcode will misread if the surrounding label is wrong. Three rules cover most scanner failures.
First, give the barcode quiet zones — clear white space the width of at least ten bars on every side. Most do-it-yourself labels fail here because a coloured border or text creeps into that buffer and the scanner cannot find the edges.
Second, print at high contrast on a non-reflective surface. Solid black on white matte paper is the gold standard. Avoid red on yellow, low-contrast pastels, and glossy or laminated surfaces that bounce the laser.
Third, sanity-check the data. EAN-13 and UPC-A check digits are not arbitrary — per the GS1 specification, they are computed with a Mod-10 weighted sum of the other digits. If a barcode that should be EAN-13 starts with a letter or has too few digits, the Barcode Generator will flag the input rather than producing a code that silently fails at the till. If you need the official reference, the GS1 site at gs1.org documents the precise algorithm.
When to Use a QR Code Instead
A 1D barcode is the right tool when you want a scanner to read a single number or short string very fast, in any orientation, on packaging or on a printed page. A 2D QR code is the right tool when you want to send a shopper to a URL, hand over Wi-Fi credentials, drop a contact card into someone's phone, or encode more than about 20 characters of information. If your PayPal workflow revolves around a payment link, a return page or a contact card rather than a SKU, switch to the QR Code Generator. For a deeper walkthrough of QR workflows, see How to Generate a QR Code: A Complete Guide.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
If the PayPal barcode refuses to scan at the register, the most common cause is screen brightness — turn your phone's display to maximum brightness, angle it so the overhead lights do not glare, and offer the cashier the long numeric backup code shown beneath the barcode. If your printed 1D barcode refuses to scan, check the quiet zones first, then the contrast, then re-print at a higher DPI before suspecting the data itself. For more general tips on working with barcodes alongside payment links and campaign tracking, you can also skim Create Barcodes in Word Easily With a Free Online Generator.
Putting It All Together
Use PayPal's own app flow whenever the goal is to load cash at a store — there is no third-party barcode involved. Use the Barcode Generator whenever you need a 1D barcode on a PayPal shipping label, a retail product, a warehouse bin or any other business document. Pick the format by referring to the table above, type the data, and download the SVG. Pair it with the QR Code Generator when the job calls for a 2D code, and you will cover every common barcode scenario without ever uploading a value to a remote server.