PayPal faced a challenging earnings report on February 7, 2024, resulting in a 7% stock decline in after-hours trading. Despite a 9% revenue increase to $8 billion, the company experienced a 2% year-over-year drop in active accounts, totaling 426 million. Monthly active accounts grew by 1%, marking a shift from previous double-digit growth rates. The total number of payment transactions rose by 13% to 6.8 billion. CEO Alex Chriss emphasized the need for improvement, leading to restructuring and a focus on enhancing profitability through branded checkout growth.
Chriss highlighted PayPal's transition year in 2024, expecting minimal contributions from recent innovations. The company aims to leverage its Cashback Mastercard, with an average revenue per account five times higher than checkout-only accounts, but only 2% of active accounts currently possess the card. He emphasized a personalized shopping experience through AI and merchant relationships, granting consumers control over their data. CFO Jamie Miller reported a 14% increase in transactions per active account, reaching 58.7, projecting 7% revenue growth for the current quarter, while full-year non-GAAP earnings are anticipated to align with the prior year due to flat transaction margins.
