Brandwave

How popular isPayPal?

In September 2026, people searched for PayPal by name about 34,700 times in New Zealand, a 17.6% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 29.4% of all New Zealand buy now pay later searches, placing PayPal second out of four brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about buy now pay later, PayPal did not appear in any of the answers.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

PayPal is the second most searched of 4 competitors and not listed in any AI answer.

  1. AfterpayShare of searches 64.2%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. PayPalShare of searches 29.4%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  3. KlarnaShare of searches 4.9%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  4. LaybuyShare of searches 1.5%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
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Top buy now pay later in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, PayPal did not appear in any of the five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Afterpay1st
  2. Klarna2nd
  3. Laybuy3rd
  4. PayPal–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Afterpay5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Klarna4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Laybuy3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • PayPal0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about buy now pay later

5 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which buy now pay later provider should I use in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Afterpay
    2. 2Klarna

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best buy now pay later providers in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Afterpay
    2. 2Klarna
    3. 3Laybuy

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best buy now pay later provider in New Zealand for a large purchase?”

    1. 1Afterpay
    2. 2Klarna
    3. 3Laybuy

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “buy now pay later nz”

    1. 1Afterpay
    2. 2Klarna

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “pay later nz”

    1. 1Afterpay
    2. 2Laybuy

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.

Which buy now pay later compete with PayPal?

PayPal against buy now pay later in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Afterpay, PayPal, Klarna. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthAfterpayPayPalKlarnaLaybuy
Oct 202564.6%29.4%4.9%1.1%
Nov 202564.7%29.4%4.9%1.1%
Dec 202560.8%33.5%4.5%1.2%
Jan 202660.5%33.7%4.6%1.2%
Feb 202656.3%38.1%4.3%1.3%
Mar 202660.8%33.2%4.6%1.4%
Apr 202656.6%37.6%4.2%1.6%
May 202656.6%37.9%4.3%1.3%
Jun 202656.4%38%4.3%1.3%
Jul 202655.6%37.5%5.3%1.6%
Aug 202663.7%29.1%5.9%1.3%
Sep 202664.2%29.4%4.9%1.5%

  1. 1.Afterpay

    64.2%

    Held 1st. 75.9K estimated branded searches, -0.38% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.

  2. 2.PayPal

    29.4%

    Held 2nd. 34.7K estimated branded searches, -0.26% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.

  3. 3.Klarna

    4.9%

    Held 3rd. 5.8K estimated branded searches, -19% vs prior month. Share -1.1 points.

  4. 4.Laybuy

    1.5%

    Held 4th. 1.8K estimated branded searches, +16.8% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

Compare popularity between PayPal and its closest rivals

Every comparison with PayPal

18 comparisons

How has branded search demand for PayPal changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for PayPal in New Zealand fell from 42.1K to 34.7K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, PayPal’s share of searches among buy now pay later in New Zealand peaked at 38.1% in February 2026 and was lowest at 29.1% in August 2026.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand buy now pay later in September 2026?

4 changes

  1. In September 2026, Afterpay gained share of searches among buy now pay later in New Zealand, from 63.7% to 64.2%.

  2. In September 2026, Klarna lost share of searches among buy now pay later in New Zealand, from 5.9% to 4.9%.

  3. Estimated monthly branded searches for Laybuy in New Zealand rose 16% over 12 measured months, from 1.6K to 1.8K in September 2026.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for PayPal in New Zealand fell 17.6% over 12 measured months, from 42.1K to 34.7K in September 2026.

How are PayPal’s branded searches counted?

15 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using PayPal’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • my paypal
  • paypal
  • paypal app
  • paypal aus
  • paypal card
  • paypal contacts
  • paypal currency exchange
  • paypal debit card
  • paypal eftpos
  • paypal founders
  • paypal gift card
  • paypal me
  • paypal me link
  • paypal payment gateway
  • paypal share

Do you work for PayPal? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does PayPal compete?

PayPal is ranked in three competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Buy now pay later2nd of 429.4%Shown above
Payment processors1st of 1561.1%Show ranking
Payment providers1st of 980.1%Show ranking
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Is PayPal your brand?

Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.

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