Today, we are going to answer one of the questions that have been floating around out there with regards to using PayPal in Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, Zimbabweans will not like the answer. So, does PayPal Link to Zimbabwean Banks?
Can you link PayPal to Zimbabwean Banks?
The short answer to the above question is no.
Zimbabweans can now have PayPal Accounts
It is not possible to link your PayPal account to Zimbabwean banks. In fact, although Zimbabweans are now able to have PayPal accounts, transactions can only be made in one direction. This is something on which we have previously dwelt.
It is quite possible to link your Zimbabwean MasterCard or Visa card to PayPal. This is something that we have been doing over the years. Doing this allows you to buy things on Amazon, eBay, AliExpress and other places. Our Standard Chartered account was used in this regard.
Zimbabweans Cannot Receive Money into their PayPal Accounts
The sad thing is that although PayPal is quite happy to have Zimbabweans take money out of the country through purchases, it does not allow them to receive money into their accounts. Neither does it allow Zimbabweans to link their PayPal accounts to their bank accounts.
Not our fault, says PayPal. According to the company, the issue has largely to do with regulation from the RBZ. Which begs the question, why would the central bank not be interested in allowing Zimbabweans to receive money from outside through PayPal at a time when the country is desperately looking to replenish it’s nostro accounts?
The PayPal Alternative
The good news is that it is still possible to get paid for online work even if you are in Zimbabwe. We get paid for the freelancing work that we do through Payoneer. Although it is still a bit smaller and limited, Payoneer has proven to be a worthy PayPal alternative. You can sign up for Payoneer by clicking on the banner below.
Hi admin. How do I make payments online using paypal in Zimbabwe. I have my Barclays Visa card do I just link to paypal and start transacting. I have been told its not so simple. I just want to know the practical way I can make online purchases.
If Barclays still allows you to make online payments, then its simply a matter of signing up and you are done. I have my stanchart card added to my paypal and have bought tons of things online. Havent tried it this past year, though, but as long as Barclays allows you to make VISA payments, they you should be good to go.
Hi admin, I have a payoneer account and I was wondering how I can make a withdrawal and what kind of bank or account should I have in order for me to withdraw money from my payoneer account.
Hey Takudzwa.
I assume you have the Payoneer mastercard card. At the moment, you cannot withdraw money using your card in Zimbabwe. But you can make purchases where they accept mastercard. It used to be that you could go to stanchart, CBZ or any other bank and withdraw USDs. Even from the ATMs. Now, I think your best bet would be to go to South Africa or Botswana and withdraw cash from ATMs there.
Regards
Thank you for the help. How about transferring my funds to a local bank possibly into an FCA account. Is that a viable option ?
Hi I have question.Since Zimbabweans cannot receive payments via paypal.What if you do not link your paypal to visa or bank and use Paypal independently can u still not receive payments via Paypal
I don’t know whether that will work. What they simply do is they detect that you are using a Zimbabwe IP address. From there, your account gets limits. And if you open an account while in South Africa, that won’t work because you will have difficult accessing it from Zimbabwe. What I do is I get a trusted person in South Africa to open an account and I use that. They then send me money via Mukuru. Anyway, try what you are saying and see if it works.
What kind of account would I then have to open in South africa
If you are in South Africa, you can open a Paypal account without a problem. Regarding the account for transferring money, I know of FNB. So, if you are in Zimbabwe, get a trusted person living legally in SA to open Paypal and then you can use that. Then they will transfer the money into their own account before transferring to you via Mukuru. No doubt you will lose some money due to transaction fees. But it’s better than nothing.
Hi I have an FBC master card but it’s still difficult to link it to Paypal account …help
Do you wish to link so you can buy stuff? If that’s the case, then you shouldn’t be having any issues. If you are trying to receive money from outside, that’s not possible in Zimbabwe via Paypal.
Hi Admin. Is it possible to link a PayPal account opened in South Africa with a Zimbabwean Visa count?
We haven’t tried that to be honest but it probably won’t work. They have systems for detecting the country in which you live so if you are in Zimbabwe and you try to access a South African account, that won’t work. System yacho inokurambira. We have tried accessing a relative’s South African Paypal from Zimbabwe and we couldn’t get in.
Hello admin…i want to ask regarding sending money using paypal kt if someone frm usa achida kunditumira mari using paypal kwandiri since u said muzimbabwe its hard i should find someone either frm SouthAfrica ocreater the paypal acc…then its send to that person…what i want to understand is the process of sending that money to me how is it done
Zimbabwe paypal is only for outgoing payments. If someone want’s to send you money from the U.S, there are many options aside from Paypal. We use Western Union and World Remit. We also do wire transfers into an FCA account. Relating to paypal, what we meant was if you have a relative in SA, the money can be send to them. Then they can send to you via Mukuru. But that’s roundabout. Why not have the money send directly to you via Mukuru from the U.S?
Hello i opened a paypal business account and it seems its possible to receive money. So won’t it be a good idea to receive money thru my paypal then i will send it to a south african paypal acc owned by a relative, then my relative will send it to me thru mukuru
But what if I use banks such as Barclay, Standard chartered bank wouldn’t I still withdraw money
No. You won’t be able to do it in Zimbabwe. You have other options; Mukuru, World Remit, Western Union etc
But what if I use banks like Barclays
As long as you are in Zimbabwe, it won’t work. But you have a trusted someone in the diaspora right? Get them to create the account and manage it on your behalf
Fbc is saying its possible to receive payments in zim wit their FBC mastercard . And also someone was telling me about linking your paypal to xoom .. then you can do cash pick up in any xoom outlets.. there is another gateway called trans wise .. i think it could be another option
I use the FBC mastercard. Yes, you can use it to get money from abroad. But the question is, can you link a Zimbabwean Paypal account to a Zimbabwean bank? If you are in South Africa, you can link your Paypal account to your FNB etc. But in Zimbabwe?
Also have an FBC Mastercard which I am planning to use to receive money through PayPal but will I be able to walk into FBc and withdraw my money from the Mastercard?Also I hear about using Ecocash USD card to withdraw my money from paypal.How do I go about it?
You cant receive money through paypal in Zimbabwe. You can only use money ie buy stuff etc
What is the limit. That which can be received from abroad using a master card? Again, will this money be able to be withdrawn from Zimbabwean Banks or someone will have to go Botswana or Zambia?
Paypal does not work in Zimbabwe for incoming transactions. Once you add a Zimbabwean card, it will not receive money. But you can add a Zimbabwean card for spending online. You just cannot receive payments in Zimbabwe. You are better off getting someone in the diaspora to open an account for you.
Hi admin where can i get a payoneer mastercard
Go to the Payoneer website and apply online. I think I got mine through Upwork though. You can also get one through Fiver, I think
Hie
I opened a Paypal account and have won some cash from abroad will the money be deposited into my account or not since it’s not kinked to any bank account
You can’t get money into a Zim Paypal account. You can only use it.
Good day, I want to start doing online work and i need a paypal account so that i can get paid. Now from what i have gathered here you can create the account , get paid through it but the problem is you cannot link it to a local Zim account so that you withdraw cash but you can make online payments with it. To counter this one then needs to create a paypal in RSA which someone can manage for you, withdraw and send cash to you via money transfer agencies. Can i use a payoneer account instead? can i withdraw money via my bank if its linked to a payoneer opened in Zim? which banks can i use that i would be able to link and withdraw from?
Hmm, it’s not possible to receive money into a Paypal account opened in Zimbabwe. At least it wasn’t possible the last time I checked. I do online work and I blog, so how do I manage? I use Payoneer. Payoneer links to my FBC nostro account. So, it’s very easy. My clients pay me into the Payoneer account and I can transfer it to FBC. Or I can simply use the payoneer card here in Zimbabwe.
Regards
Hie, I’m having problems signing up for paypal
Hmm, usually there is no issue signing up. The only problems comes when it comes to getting paid in Zimbabwe using Paypal.