PayPal's first big refresh in years, by Pentagram. Sharper logo, a custom Futura-based font, no more yellow, and one honest question: is it actually a rebrand yet?
PayPal partnered with Pentagram (lead designer Andrea Trabucco-Campos) for a 2024 identity refresh: the double-P monogram gets sharper corners and brighter/deeper blues; a new custom typeface, PayPal Pro (based on Futura, built with Lineto), plus a small-screen ‘PayPal Pro Text’; yellow is dropped for a black-white-blue palette (including sleeker black payment buttons); and a motion system echoing tap/swipe/flip gestures. The animations are the highlight. The catch: the monogram (still italic, old font) and the new upright wordmark look like two unrelated brands, and none of it was live on the site or app at launch, so arguably it’s a wordmark, not a full rebrand yet.
Key takeaways
- Pentagram led the refresh; animations are the standout element.
- New custom typeface PayPal Pro (Futura-based) plus a small-screen text variant.
- Yellow removed entirely for a black/white/blue palette; black payment buttons.
- The monogram and wordmark feel mismatched, like two different brands.
- At launch nothing was implemented in the actual UI, so it reads as a wordmark, not a full rebrand.
A quick history
PayPal began in 1998 as Confinity, merged with Elon Musk’s X.com in 2000, rebranded to PayPal, and was acquired by eBay in 2002 for $1.5B. It spun off as an independent NASDAQ company (PYPL) in 2015 and has since expanded (Venmo and other products). After 25+ years, this is its latest identity update.
What changed
| Element | The change | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Logo monogram | The overlapping double-P keeps its form but gets sharper corners and brighter/deeper blues for a cleaner, more geometric look. | Subtle, fine |
| Typeface (PayPal Pro) | Custom, Futura-based, bold and clear (with Lineto); a ‘PayPal Pro Text’ variant improves small-screen legibility. | Solid |
| Color palette | Yellow removed entirely; black/white with blue accents (kept for cohesion with Venmo). UI payment buttons go from yellow to black. | More sophisticated |
| Motion / interactivity | A visual system built on tap, swipe and flip gestures, mirroring mobile use. | Highlight |
| Monogram + wordmark together | The italic old-font monogram sits next to a completely different upright wordmark, sharing no font, shape, style or color. | Feels disconnected |
As of today, the so-called rebrand is nothing more than a wordmark.
Ariel Gaster
The honest critique
The broader system is more modular and flexible (from the new PayPal Debit Card to apps and web), and the photography shifts to spontaneous, human moments. But two issues stand out. First, the combination logo looks like two brands stitched together. Second, and increasingly common in big rebrands, the UI shown was just Pentagram mockups; at publication neither the new logo nor UI was live on PayPal’s site or app (the same happened with Pentagram’s Reddit redesign, still unfinished). The mockups look great, and PayPal’s UI genuinely needs work, but announcing a rebrand before it ships reads as a little unprofessional. This comes as Square, Stripe and Apple Pay intensify competition, so staying current matters.
Pentagram, with lead designer Andrea Trabucco-Campos, working with PayPal’s internal team. Pentagram’s clients include Microsoft and The New York Times.
PayPal’s new custom typeface, based on Futura and built with Lineto, designed to be bold and clear, with a ‘PayPal Pro Text’ variant optimized for small screens.
Yes. Yellow was removed entirely in favor of a black-and-white palette with blue accents, and payment buttons changed from yellow to black.
The italic monogram and the upright wordmark look like two different brands, and at launch none of it was implemented in the live app or site, so it read more as a wordmark than a full rebrand.
To modernize and stay competitive as rivals like Square, Stripe and Apple Pay push the digital-payments market, and to build a flexible system for its global growth.
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