Paypal Holdings, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Paypal 401(k) Savings Plan
San Jose, CAProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services9,786 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,001Employer $ per active participant
$12,948Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$2.2BNet plan assets, end of year
$157,875Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity40.9 / 5082th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost21.9 / 2588th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.1 / 1574th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score74 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (231 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 82th |
| Lower admin cost | 88th |
| Employee saving | 74th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 47% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $478,807 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Paypal Holdings put in about $6,001 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,951). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $58,725,285 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $126,704,039 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $15,110,993 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $741,244 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $190,960 |
| Benefits paid out | $246,394,633 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $2.0B / $2.2B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 10,525 / 9,046 |
| Participants with account balances | 14,244 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Pricewaterhousecoopers LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Schwab Retirement Plan Services,inc | $702,129 reported compensation |
| Falcon Wealth Planning Inc | $13,509 reported compensation |
| Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & | $6,475 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260529090623NAL0009502403001, received 2026-05-29, EIN 47-2989869, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.