PayPal Color Psychology & Meaning
PayPal's two blues signal financial trustworthiness and digital modernity. The darker navy is stability; the lighter blue is speed and accessibility.
#FFFFFF
#003087
#009CDE
#1A1A1A
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text
PayPal Color Palette
#FFFFFF · #003087 · #009CDE · #1A1A1A
AAA
WCAG Grade
17.4:1
Contrast Ratio
2,900
Saves
7,100
AI Copies
Use #FFFFFF as the background. Use #003087 as the primary accent. Use #009CDE as secondary. Use #1A1A1A as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: PayPal — cool, minimal, calm.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the PayPal color scheme. Use these values for web design (HEX/RGB), print projects (CMYK), or specialized design software (HSL).
| Swatch | Design Role | HEX | RGB | CMYK | HSL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background Luminance: 100.0% | 255, 255, 255 | 0%, 0%, 0%, 0% | 0°, 0%, 100% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 3.9% | 0, 48, 135 | 100%, 64%, 0%, 47% | 219°, 100%, 26% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 29.1% | 0, 156, 222 | 100%, 30%, 0%, 13% | 198°, 100%, 44% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 1.0% | 26, 26, 26 | 0%, 0%, 0%, 90% | 0°, 0%, 10% |
PayPal Tints & Shades
Hover states, borders and elevation need lighter and darker steps of your base colors. Here are computed tints and shades for every color in the PayPal palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
#FFFFFF neutral gray
#003087 saturated blue
#009CDE saturated cyan-blue
#1A1A1A neutral gray
PayPal Palette Contrast Matrix (WCAG 2.1)
Every color tested as text on every other color as background. Body copy needs 4.5:1 (AA), large text and UI components 3:1. AAA requires 7:1.
| Text on Background | Preview | Ratio | Grade | Safe For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1A1A1A on #FFFFFF |
Aa Sample Text
| 17.40:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #FFFFFF on #1A1A1A |
Aa Sample Text
| 17.40:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #003087 on #FFFFFF |
Aa Sample Text
| 11.85:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #FFFFFF on #003087 |
Aa Sample Text
| 11.85:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #1A1A1A on #009CDE |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.64:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #009CDE on #1A1A1A |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.64:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #009CDE on #003087 |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.84:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #003087 on #009CDE |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.84:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #009CDE on #FFFFFF |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.08:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #FFFFFF on #009CDE |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.08:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #1A1A1A on #003087 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.47:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #003087 on #1A1A1A |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.47:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Split-Complementary Scheme
The PayPal palette is built using a split-complementary relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.
Hue Wheel
A split-complementary palette is often preferred by professional designers because it balances visual interest with cohesion.
History & Design Context
PayPal launched 1998 as Confinity. The blue palette was chosen specifically to evoke bank-level trust in the novel context of internet payments.
Best Design Use Cases
Dark navy for structural trust elements. Mid-blue for interactive and action states. Always high contrast — financial interfaces demand readability.
Industries This Palette Suits
Fintech, payments, banking, e-commerce.
Colors That Pair Well With PayPal
Need a fifth color? These three companions are computed from the palette's own hue positions on the color wheel, so they extend the scheme without breaking its harmony.
orange
directly opposite #003087 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
blue
30° beside #003087 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
tinted neutral
a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
Using PayPal Without Breaking Accessibility
- Use #003087 for buttons and links — it scores 11.8:1 against the #FFFFFF background (above the 3:1 UI-components threshold).
- Set body text in #1A1A1A — 17.4:1 against #FFFFFF passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
- Let #009CDE carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #003087.
How to Implement the PayPal Color Scheme
To use this PayPal color palette in your web project, you can copy the following CSS variables or Tailwind CSS configuration. These roles ensure your UI maintains accessibility and visual hierarchy.
Option 1: CSS Variables
:root {
/* {name} Palette - ihatecolors.com */{'
'} --color-bg: {colors[0]};{'
'} --color-primary: {colors[1]};{'
'} --color-secondary: {colors[2]};{'
'} --color-text: {colors[3]};{'
'} {'}'}Web Design Tip
Use #FFFFFF for the main background and #003087 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #1A1A1A and #FFFFFF is 17.40:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
PayPal Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the PayPal color palette?
The PayPal palette contains #FFFFFF, #003087, #009CDE, #1A1A1A. Click any swatch on this page to copy its value, or export all four at once as CSS variables, Tailwind config, SCSS or a Figma-ready list.
Is the PayPal color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #1A1A1A on #FFFFFF reaches 17.4:1 (AAA). For body text always keep a 4.5:1 ratio and for large UI elements 3:1 — the full contrast matrix above shows the exact score for every color-on-color combination in this palette.
What colors go well with the PayPal palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #B37400, #19077E, #151414 extend it naturally: the complementary hue for high-energy accents, an analogous neighbor for calm transitions, and a tinted neutral for surfaces. All three are computed from this palette's hues on the color wheel.
What mood does the PayPal palette create?
PayPal reads as cool, minimal, calm. Saturated blue drives the personality, grounded by neutral gray — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the PayPal color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the PayPal palette is free for personal, client and commercial work — websites, branding, apps, print and social content, with no attribution required.
How do I add the PayPal palette to Tailwind or CSS?
Use the export panel on this page: CSS variables, a Tailwind config block, SCSS variables, or a Figma copy list are generated from PayPal's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.