Does PayPal work in South Africa? (all you must know)
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In the ever-evolving technological age we now live in, online financial platforms like PayPal have become very popular, especially when trying to transfer money around the world.
If you live in South Africa, you may be wondering if you can use PayPal and how does it work? I looked into PayPal South Africa and this is what I found!
Will PayPal work in South Africa in 2022?
Fortunately, PayPal does operate in South Africa, so you can receive, spend, and withdraw money in 2022. Also, due to foreign exchange controls in South Africa, when you receive money via PayPal, you must withdraw the money to your bank account to be able to access it. However, PayPal does not currently support the South African rand.
If you want to learn more about how to create PayPal in South Africa, how to link money to your bank account, how to withdraw money to your bank account and more, keep reading!
How to get a PayPal account in South Africa?
Creating a PayPal account in South Africa is the same as creating a PayPal account in any other country:
- First go to the PayPal.com home page and click “Sign Up”
- You can visit any PayPal.com home page, whether in the US, South Africa, or elsewhere because you can change the “County/Region”
- Then, choose between a personal account or a business account and click “Sign Up Now”
- Next, enter your “country” of residence and your phone number
- Next, PayPal will send you a 6-digit security code that they will ask you to enter to confirm that you are signing up for the account
- Then, enter the other required information, such as your name, address and email address
- Finally, you need to check the box next to PayPal Policies and click “Agree and Create Account”
Once this is done, you have an active PayPal account and you can now receive payments via PayPal.
Unfortunately, to be able to withdraw or send money using PayPal, there are a few more steps to complete.
You must link your payment method, such as your bank account and debit or credit card.
Additionally, to use PayPal in South Africa with your bank account, you need to have an FNB bank account or FNB Internet Banking profile and your non-FNB bank account.
So, if you already have an FNB bank account, here’s how to link it to your PayPal account:
- First, log in to your FNB bank profile at www.fnb.co.za
- Second, click on “Forex” and then “PayPal Services”
- Next, click on the menu bar on the side of the screen and click on “Link PayPal Profile”
- Finally, link your accounts by following all the instructions provided by the website
Additionally, when you have completed the account linking, you must log in to your PayPal account to confirm your account.
Additionally, if you do not have an FNB bank account, you can link your PayPal profile to your other South African bank accounts by:
- First go to www.fnb.co.za
- Then, click “Sign Up”
- Finally, click on “Sign up for PayPal for non-FNB customers”
Additionally, to register your PayPal account for non-FNB customers, you must submit certain FICA (Financial Intelligence Centre Act) documents.
Additionally, you can submit these documents by emailing paypalkyc@fnb.co.za.
Once the FICA process is complete, you will be able to link your “Verified PayPal Account” to your non-FNB bank account.
Additionally, you can link a credit or debit card to your PayPal account.
Although PayPal does not support South African currency, linking your credit or debit card to your PayPal account in rand will allow you to spend money or pay for goods and services.
This is possible because the money has already been converted to rand through your bank or card issuer.
So, to add and confirm your credit or debit card to your PayPal account:
- First, log into your PayPal account and click on “Wallet”
- Second, click on “Link a debit or credit card”
- Next, you need to enter the card’s information and click on “Associate Card”
- Then, click on the card you just linked and click on “Confirm Card”
- Finally, click “Get Code” and then “Finish”
How do I withdraw money from PayPal in South Africa?
In South Africa, you must have an FNB Bank Account or FNB Internet Banking Account, and your non-FNB Bank Account to withdraw money from PayPal.
I previously explained how to create a non-FNB online banking profile and how to link your FNB or non-FNB bank account to our PayPal account.
Therefore, once your FNB or non-FNB bank account is fully linked to your PayPal account, you can withdraw funds:
- Start by logging into your FNB Internet Banking profile via www.fnb.co.za
- Then, click “Forex”, then “PayPal Services”
- Next, click on the menu tab on the left side of the screen and click on “Withdraw from PayPal”
- After that, enter the dollar amount you want to withdraw
- Finally, follow the remaining instructions to review and confirm the exchange rate, the amount of rand you will receive, and the terms and conditions of the transaction
Also, after completing the final step and completing the withdrawal, you will be taken to your PayPal account to view the withdrawal and then returned to your FNB profile.
You will then have the funds deposited into your bank account within 3 to 5 business days.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on whether PayPal converts currency, how to unlock PayPal, and PayPal complaints.
in conclusion
Thankfully, PayPal is accepted in South Africa, however, PayPal does not currently support the South African rand. Therefore, when receiving money in South Africa, you receive funds in the sender’s currency and must convert it to rand.
Also, to convert the funds you receive into rands, you must transfer the funds to your bank account in South Africa and your bank will convert them into rands. Additionally, to withdraw funds from PayPal, you must have an FNB bank account or online banking details.