if you have a debit/credit card added to your paypal, and you make a purchase using paypal but you don't have enough funds in your paypal balance, paypal will make up for it by using your debit/credit card that is connected to it?
it's still considered a paypal payment though, right? so if it's some site that ONLY wants paypal payments, it'll still go through just fine and all?
makes me wonder if i should even bother to keep anything in the actual paypal balance at all from now on
Yes, it does that, and it still goes through PayPal so it's a PayPal payment.
Sometimes, especially when your account is new, they will restrict payments that aren't covered in full by your balance, and force you to make an e-check or direct bank payment. If you have both bank account and cc added, and address confirmed, it shouldn't do that.
Yeah I don't even keep money in my paypal since it's hooked up to my debit card.