Hello!! You are welcome to InfoLeading Blog. Here we share authentic information to assist and guide you at your disposal. In this article, I will teach you everything that you need to know about PayPal and how to open a PayPal account in Nigeria that can send and receive money.
I would like to explain certain things about PayPal account before showing you how to open a PayPal account in Nigeria. If you are in a hurry and want to skip the explanations, you can simply use the table of content to easily navigate to where you want to start reading this article from.
However, I will advice you to read everything in this post step by step so as to understand what this article is all about and to learn something new as well. Because this post will end the long quest of searching for how to open a PayPal account that receive money in Nigeria.
About PayPal
Paypal was founded in 1998 and it was named Confinity before the founders’ Peter Thiel, Max Levchin and Luke Nosek rebranded it to PayPal in the year 2000. PayPal became a subsidiary of eBay after PayPal went public through an IPO in 2002.
In those days, Nigerians could use PayPal to send and receive money. Unfortunately, some Nigerians started using this opportunity to defraud Americans and Europeans on websites like eBay, Amazon and Craigslist.
This caused the ban of Nigerians from making use of PayPal’s services around 2004.
After ten years, PayPal decided to lift the ban but it came with a clause; we Nigerians are only permitted to send money from PayPal but won’t be able to receive money.
There were rumors that the Central Bank of Nigeria demanded that PayPal must be a registered Business in Nigeria before Nigerians can be permitted to receive money with their PayPal accounts. But PayPal is not yet willing to do this.
So before we commence into the detailed information on how to open a PayPal account that receive money in Nigeria, I would first and foremost list most of the occasionally asked questions and give the answers to them.
Complete Video Tutorial on How To Open A PayPal Account That Can Send and Receive Money
Below are the list of the perpetually asked questions:
1.Why do you need a PayPal Account?
2. Does PayPal work in Nigeria?
3. Types of PayPal account in Nigeria?
4. What are the requirements to open a PayPal account?
5. Which bank uses PayPal in Nigeria?
6. How do I link my PayPal account to my Nigeria Bank account?
7. Can I receive money on PayPal without linking a bank account?
8. Can you withdraw money from PayPal in Nigeria?
9. How to open a verified PayPal account in Nigeria?
10. How to open a Nigerian PayPal account
11. How to open a Dubai/Lesotho PayPal account
The above listed question are the mostly asked questions and I am going to give you guys the answers to these questions. So let’s get started.
RECOMMENDED:
How To start Affiliate Marketing in Nigeria
How to open a free Payoneer account in Nigeria
Why Do you Need a PayPal Account
Accepted Worldwide
Paypal is the widely used and popular payment platform in the world with over 277 million users. It was reported by Pymnts.com that the 255 million from the total users are consumers while 22 million are merchants.
It is as well the mostly used online Payment platform in Europe and the United States. Assuming the Nigerian Paypal account can receive money, it would have been the best and preferred option to acquire funds from relatives abroad instead of using Western Union.
Customer Friendly
I guess the main reason why PayPal is very popular is because their interface is more customer-friendly compared to merchant friendly.
For instance, if a customer buys a product from a merchant and is not satisfied with the product, the customer has about 180 days to request a refund on PayPal.
And mind you that PayPal looks into refund disputes so that some mischievous customers won’t cheat and dupe the merchant.
In most cases, it is a (50/50) win-win situation.
Security
I could still remember when I used my debit card to perform a transaction on one Nigerian government platform. That same day I was being debited for a same transaction I never performed.
I tried contacting that government platform but there wasn’t a feedback. I decided to lay complaint to my bank so as to get to them and they said there is nothing they can do about it..
But when you are making use of PayPal to perform online payments and transactions, you do not need to reveal your debit card details. Your card details are already encrypted on the PayPal’s server.
PayPal is also PCI compliant so you have nothing to worry about.
Receive Payments from Affiliate Networks and Freelance Sites
The major reason why a lot of Nigerians want to own a PayPal account is because of payment from affiliate networks.
You should definitely learn more about Affiliate marketing in Nigeria and how to make more money from it.
After you have gotten a lot of commissions from affiliate networks or earnings from freelancing websites, you would definitely want to cash out your money.
But unfortunately, the Nigerian PayPal account cannot do this for you so you will need a PayPal account that can do this.
Does PayPal Work In Nigeria
Actually, many people do want to know whether PayPal still works in Nigeria for the Nigerian user. This is a major question people do ask. Of course YES, PayPal services are still operational in Nigeria just that it is being incoporated with certain limitations. You won’t be able to receive money using PayPal in Nigeria.
You only fund the account, perform online transactions, send money and do other things that doesn’t involve receive or withdrawing money.
Types of PayPal Account in Nigeria
There are four ways to create a PayPal account in Nigeria. I would be explaining how to open a PayPal account later on.
The four ways are as follow;
- Opening a PayPal Nigeria Individual account.
- A PayPal Nigeria Merchant account.
- PayPal account through First Online (First Bank internet banking platform).
- Foreign PayPal accounts (Lesotho, Dubai, UK).
Below is the explanation of what distinguishes the four types of accounts mentioned above;
PayPal Nigeria Individual Account
This type of account lets you open a PayPal account in Nigeria without hiding your IP. This kind of PayPal account is the one used for only sending money but on the other end, you cannot receive money from anyone.
This type of PayPal account can be created only if you intend to pay for items on foreign websites.
PayPal Nigeria Merchant Account
This is a type of PayPal account that is used by registered business owners in Nigeria. It allows you to send money and receive money through your website.
In essence, this is applicable only when an individual who visits your website is interested in buying a product or services you render using your website. So they a PayPal user cannot send money to you directly.
If you sell goods or services to the foreign market, you can use the PayPal merchant account.
However, if your product or service is mainly to Africans, you should try other options like Paystack or Flutterwave they are good fit.
PayPal Through First Online (First Bank Internet Banking)
When PayPal lifted their ban they also extended to Nigeria in 2014, they went into a partnership with First Bank Nigeria. First Bank customers are the main beneficiary of this partnership because it offers them instant verification of PayPal and use of their services .
But mind you that opening a PayPal account in Nigeria through First Bank doesn’t grant you access to receive money with PayPal.
It is basically the same thing with the aforementioned only that your account will get verified faster.
Foreign PayPal Accounts
Due to the fact that you cannot really do a lot more with a Nigerian personal PayPal account, many people go for the foreign PayPal accounts, i.e they open a PayPal account using other countries that can send and receive money.
The most popular of such countries are Dubai (UAE) and Lesotho.
Now, with this type of PayPal account, you can actually send and receive money but it could also be risky.
This is so because once PayPal traces any ingenuine activity on the account, your money would be seized immediately. There have been lots of reports of people that have experienced such, so using this account requires a lot of care.
What are the requirements to open a PayPal account
In other to open a Personal PayPal account, you will need the following;
- First name
- Last name
- Address
- Phone number
- e-mail Address
- A strong password
- Security questions
When you are through with signing up the account, you can then start receiving money right away. If you want to start sending money, simply do so by adding a payment method using either debit or credit card, or a bank account.
Which bank uses PayPal in Nigeria
Like I said earlier, First bank are in partnership with PayPal so they are the only PayPal partner in Nigeria.
You can use First bank services to gain access to PayPal. Although some other banks are still aspiring to become partners with PayPal.
Although, banks like Access Bank also allows its card for performing online transactions using a Nigerian PayPal account. This is done through its Naira Visa Card.
How do I link my PayPal account to my Nigeria Bank account
For you to link your Nigerian bank account to Paypal in Nigeria is not possible because the only bank in partnership with them is First bank like I mentioned above.
But here is what you can do with other banks, you can only lind your Nigerian bank debit card which I will show you in a giffy how you can do it.
- Login to your Nigerian PayPal account
- Click on get verified
- Click on Link a New Card
- Your bank will send a message containing your code
- Once you’ve received the code, then Log back in and click on Enter PayPal code
- Enter the 4 digit code
- Click on confirm and your are done.
You can now use your PayPal account for payments from Nigeria without a ban on the websites that accept PayPal as a method of payment.
Can I receive money on PayPal without linking a bank account
Acctually, you are likely to receive money on PayPal without linking a bank account or debit card. But where the problem lie is for you to make use of that money.
You cannot use that money unless you have verified your PayPal account with a card.
And you won’t be able to also withdraw the money if you haven’;t linked a bank account on the PayPal account.
So this question is settled.
How to Open a Nigerian PayPal Account
So before you open a Nigerian PayPal account you should know what you are using the Nigerian PayPal account for.
Do you intend using it for a business (you must own a website) or to pay for goods and services online?
Step 1: Go to PayPal.com.
Step 2: Select the type of account; personal or business.
You can choose Personal by just clicking the top of the screen like in the image below. For the merchant/business account, click on business account.
You can use the links below for faster access to the individual sign up pages;
Personal account: https://www.paypal.com/welcome/signup/.
Business account: https://www.paypal.com/bizsignup/.
Step 3: Enter your correct information.
If you are opening a business account, enter the name of your business as it is on your CAC certificate.
Please note that you should fill the details with your correct information as it is subject to verification so it is wise to fill everything correctly. If any information is wrong, you are likely to loose your account with the funds in it in near future.
Step 4: Confirm your email address.
Go over to your email box, open the message from PayPal and click the confirm your email address button.
You will be prompted to enter your password again in other to confirm it.
Step 5: Enter your debit card details (Linking your Card).
Not all the MasterCard and Visa debit cards from Nigerian banks work. Keep that in mind.
Below are some of the banks that work perfectly with PayPal include;
- Zenith Bank.
- Gtbank.
- Access Bank.
- First Bank
After entering your card details, an equivalent of $1.95 will be debited from your bank account.
This is to verify and make sure that your debit card actually works. And the money will be refunded later after you have verified your PayPal account.
Step 6: Verify your Paypal Account.
You will be sent a four digit code on your mobile phone. On getting this code, login back to your PayPal account.
Click on Activate account and enter the four-digit code. The code you need to enter is the four-digit number after *PP.
Note: The *PP code can also be found in your statement of account.
So do not worry if you happen not to get this code in an SMS, login to your bank’s internet banking platform to view your statement of account or go to your bank to request for your statement of account.
How to Open a Dubai/Lesotho PayPal Account
A Dubai or Lesotho PayPal account gives you the privilege to send and receive money through PayPal. However, you have to be careful while using it as I stated earlier in other not to get banned and loose your funds.
If you had a PayPal account prior to this, it’s advisable you close it and maintain only this new account.
Step 1: Visit the PayPal website of the corresponding country you want.
Dubai: https://www.paypal.com/ae.
Lesotho: https://paypal.com/LS.
Step 2: Select personal account.
If you select a business account, you may be asked to present registered business documents.
Step 3: Fill in your correct details.
You should enter your correct phone number and address. An international passport is the best proof of identity on PayPal; although other ones still work fine.
Step 4: Add your Debit card.
Login to your PayPal account and click on add debit card. Enter your card details and click on save.
For Dubai and Lesotho PayPal account, your card details are verified automatically.
Best Practices
These are some of the things you need to do so as to prevent your PayPal account from getting banned;
Do no leave huge sums in Foreign PayPal accounts
If you opened a Foreign PayPal account, it is not wise to leave huge sums of money you cannot afford to lose, in the account. You can make use of the services of PayPal ex-changers in Nigeria to withdraw your money from PayPal.
Use a Dedicated VPN
One of the reasons why PayPal ban an account is because of the fluctuating IP address people use to access their accounts. This is for security purpose only.
You should know that Nigerian internet service providers (ISP) do not give dedicated IP addresses.
In other to prevent your PayPal from getting banned, you should use a dedicated VPN of the countries you opened your PayPal account with.
For instance, assuming you opened a Dubai PayPal account, you should always use a dedicated Dubai VPN to access your PayPal account.
I doubt if there’s a dedicated VPN for Lesotho.
If you need a dedicated VPN for your PayPal account, I recommend dedicated VPN’s from IJAM Exchange. They also have other tools to you might need to operate your Foreign PayPal account.
Be honest with your Dealings
Only request for a refund when it is necessary. PayPal is smart and they can limit your account once they notice a pattern ofconsistent refunds.
Never use your PayPal account for illegal businesses or to scam. If you do so, your account will definitely get banned.
Buy PayPal Funds only from Legitimate Sellers
Do not buy PayPal funds from people who get their own funds through illegal means, the funds will be seized and probably returned back to the owner.
Your PayPal account might no get banned but most exchange will not issue you a refund anymore because of the illegal activities.
Conclusion
Actually, owning a PayPal account opens you to a world of possibilities. As a business person, you can sell your product or service to anyone in the world.
When customers buy products or service through PayPal, they are certain to get their money back if you don’t deliver quality service to them – This alone makes people prefer PayPal to other payment methods.
As a business owner that offers quality products and service, this grants you more sales for your business.
If you are a freelancer or an affiliate marketer, a PayPal account that can receive money means more income for you.
I hope in the nearest feature, Nigerians will be able to receive money through PayPal without using VPN’s.
Need Any Help?
If you are encountering any problem on how to open a PayPal account in Nigeria that can send and receive money, feel free to contact us using the WhatsApp icon or the comment section below this post.
Remember we are here to serve you so you can encourage us by sharing this post and subscribing to our newsletter so as get updated once we upload new articles. Thanks for your time.
People Love Reading!!
How to get Google AdSense Account Approval
How to start Rice farming Business in Nigeria
15 Profitable small Business Ideas
How to Make Money with Vconnect affiliate program
5 bad Money habits that wil keep you Poor