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PayPal Holdings, Inc.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 October 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 3 raised, 4 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net revenues rose 7% in the quarter: Net revenues were $8.4 billion, up 7% and up 6% currency-neutral. Transaction margin dollars rose 6% to $3.9 billion, and 7% excluding interest on customer balances to $3.6 billion. Source
  • EPS rose faster than operating income: GAAP EPS rose 32% to $1.30, including about $0.01 of positive impact from strategic investments and crypto assets. Non-GAAP EPS rose 12% to $1.34. Source
  • Payment volume rose 8%: Total payment volume was $458.1 billion, up 8% and up 7% currency-neutral. Volume growth was the main driver of transaction revenue growth in the quarter. Source
  • Transactions rose excluding PSP: Payment transactions fell 5% to 6.3 billion. Excluding PSP transactions, which the release describes as unbranded card processing, payment transactions rose 7%. Source
  • Free cash flow was $1.7 billion: Operating cash flow was $2.0 billion, up 22% from a year earlier. Free cash flow was $1.7 billion, up 19%, after $256 million of property and equipment purchases. Source
  • Quarterly dividend program started: The Board approved a quarterly cash dividend program and declared $0.14 per share, payable 10 December 2025 to holders of record at the close of business on 19 November 2025. Source
  • Full-year EPS ranges raised: Full-year GAAP EPS is $5.11 to $5.15, up from $4.90 to $5.05. Non-GAAP EPS is $5.35 to $5.39, up from $5.15 to $5.30 in the July guidance. Source

“PayPal delivered another strong quarter and we are raising guidance, with broad-based profitable growth across branded experiences, PSP, and Venmo.”

Alex Chriss, President and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
GAAP EPS SourceFY'25$5.11 - $5.15Raised from $4.90 - $5.05
Non-GAAP EPS SourceFY'25$5.35 - $5.39Raised from $5.15 - $5.30
Transaction margin dollars excluding interest on customer balances SourceFY'256% to 7% growthRaised
GAAP EPS Source4Q'25$1.23 - $1.27New
Non-GAAP EPS Source4Q'25$1.27 - $1.31New
Quarterly cash dividend SourcePayable 10 December 2025$0.14 per shareNew
Dividend payout ratio SourceOngoing10% of non-GAAP net incomeNew

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2025 transaction margin dollar and EPS guidance raised, per the release. Source
  • New guidance: Fourth-quarter 2025 GAAP EPS range added; the July release showed no fourth-quarter figure. Source
  • Guidance kept: Free cash flow guidance reaffirmed; the release gives no figure for it. Source
  • New: Board approved initiation of a quarterly cash dividend program, which the July release did not include. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net revenues rose 7% in the quarter: Net revenues were $8.4 billion, up 7% and up 6% currency-neutral. Transaction margin dollars rose 6% to $3.9 billion, and 7% excluding interest on customer balances to $3.6 billion. Source
  • Operating income grew on both bases: GAAP operating income rose 9% to $1.5 billion. Non-GAAP operating income rose 6% to $1.6 billion. GAAP operating margin was 18.1%, and non-GAAP operating margin was 18.6%. Source
  • EPS rose faster than operating income: GAAP EPS rose 32% to $1.30, including about $0.01 of positive impact from strategic investments and crypto assets. Non-GAAP EPS rose 12% to $1.34. Source

Geography and revenue mix

  • International revenue grew faster than U.S.: International net revenues rose 10% to $3.7 billion, or 7% currency-neutral, and were 44% of the total. U.S. net revenues rose 5% to $4.8 billion. Source
  • Transaction revenues rose 6%: Transaction revenues were $7.5 billion, up 6% from a year earlier and 1% from the second quarter, making up 89% of total net revenues. Source
  • Other value added services up 15%: Revenue from other value added services was $895 million, up 15% year over year. Interest on customer balances was $321 million, against $339 million a year earlier. Source

“We have returned the company to growth and are on pace for 6% to 7% transaction margin dollar growth in 2025 when excluding interest on customer balances.”

Alex Chriss, President and CEO

Volume, accounts and transactions

  • Payment volume rose 8%: Total payment volume was $458.1 billion, up 8% and up 7% currency-neutral. Volume growth was the main driver of transaction revenue growth in the quarter. Source
  • Transactions rose excluding PSP: Payment transactions fell 5% to 6.3 billion. Excluding PSP transactions, which the release describes as unbranded card processing, payment transactions rose 7%. Source
  • Active accounts up 0.3 million sequentially: Active accounts reached 438 million, up 1% year over year and up 0.3 million from the second quarter. Transactions per active account on a trailing 12-month basis were 57.6. Source

Costs, credit losses and margins

  • Transaction expense rate held steady: Transaction expense rate was 0.89% of TPV, unchanged from the first two quarters of 2025 and down from 0.91% a year earlier. Source
  • Credit losses rose to $483 million: Transaction and credit losses were $483 million, against $352 million a year earlier, and the loss rate was 0.11% of TPV against 0.08%. Source
  • Transaction margin eased to 46.0%: Transaction margin was 46.0%, against 46.6% a year earlier and 46.4% in the second quarter. Non-GAAP operating margin was 18.6%, against 18.8% a year earlier. Source

“This is a stronger company today than we were two years ago.”

Alex Chriss, President and CEO

Cash flow and balance sheet

  • Free cash flow was $1.7 billion: Operating cash flow was $2.0 billion, up 22% from a year earlier. Free cash flow was $1.7 billion, up 19%, after $256 million of property and equipment purchases. Source
  • Cash and investments above debt: Cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled $14.4 billion at September 30, 2025, against debt of $11.4 billion. Both figures were $13.7 billion and $11.5 billion at June 30, 2025. Source

Capital returns and dividend

  • Share repurchases of $1.5 billion: The company repurchased about 21 million shares for $1.5 billion in the quarter. Over the trailing 12 months it repurchased about 78 million shares for $5.7 billion. Source
  • Quarterly dividend program started: The Board approved a quarterly cash dividend program and declared $0.14 per share, payable 10 December 2025 to holders of record at the close of business on 19 November 2025. Source
  • Dividend tied to non-GAAP net income: The release describes the dividend as a targeted payout of 10% of non-GAAP net income. Future dividends are subject to market conditions and Board approval in its sole discretion. Source

Strategy and agentic commerce

  • Partnerships for an agentic future: Management said PayPal is building for an agentic future and partnering with Google, OpenAI and Perplexity. The release gives no further terms or dates for these partnerships. Source
  • Competitive position described by management: Management cited differentiated competitive advantages, clear strategic direction and building execution momentum as the basis for its view of the company's position. Source
  • Prior release named product initiatives: The second-quarter release named agentic commerce, ads, stablecoins and PayPal World as innovations expected to broaden the reach of branded experiences globally.

Guidance for 2025 and fourth quarter

  • Full-year EPS ranges raised: Full-year GAAP EPS is $5.11 to $5.15, up from $4.90 to $5.05. Non-GAAP EPS is $5.35 to $5.39, up from $5.15 to $5.30 in the July guidance. Source
  • Fourth-quarter EPS ranges given: Fourth-quarter 2025 GAAP EPS is $1.23 to $1.27 and non-GAAP EPS is $1.27 to $1.31. Estimated non-GAAP adjustments for the quarter are about $40 million. Source
  • Full-year adjustments estimated lower: Estimated non-GAAP adjustments for the full year are about $255 million, against about $270 million in the July guidance. Source

Coming up, as management said on 28 October 2025

  • Quarterly dividend to continue: The company intends to pay a quarterly cash dividend going forward, with the first payment on 10 December 2025 to holders of record on 19 November 2025. Source
  • Fourth-quarter 2025 results to follow: Fourth-quarter 2025 EPS ranges are given as the guidance for the period still ahead; the release names no date for the next results update. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total payment volume Source$458.1 billion, up 8% (7% FXN)
Payment transactions Source6.3 billion, down 5%; up 7% excluding PSP
Active accounts Source438 million, up 1%
Payment transactions per active account (trailing 12 months) Source57.6, down 6%; up 5% excluding PSP

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Management said the company is on pace for the stated 2025 transaction margin dollar growth. Source
  • Not stated: The release reaffirms the free cash flow guidance for 2025 and gives no figure or progress status for it. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.