How To Use Paypal In Kenya
PayPal is a payment platform with a website and a phone app that enables payments between parties through online money transfers.
In this article Keweb. co tries to answer the question by publishing the ways one can Use Paypal in Kenya
Below are the most helpful ways to Use Paypal in Kenya
The most common use of PayPal in Kenya is online shopping. You can use many payment platforms to make online purchases, but PayPal is the most well-known and trusted internationally. Read on to find out how their fee structure works.
International Money Transfers
You can also use PayPal to securely transfer funds between family and friends internationally. Unlike most other cross-border facilities for doing this, PayPal is free if you have the money in your PayPal account. If you send it from your debit or credit card, you’re charged 2.9% along with a fixed fee.
A popular alternative to PayPal, which is often much cheaper, is Transferwise, allowing you to send money directly to M-Pesa accounts using a debit or credit card.
To Hold Funds in US Dollars
You can also use PayPal to temporarily hold money in US Dollars if the exchange rate is not favorable. The company doesn’t charge you for the balance you hold in your account.
To Buy Cryptocurrency
If you’ve taken the plunge into Cryptocurrency, you can use PayPal to buy any of the established currencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum. This service is currently only available in the USA, but hopefully, it will expand to Kenya soon.
How to Create a PayPal Account
Opening a PayPal account requires minimal effort, but a bit of information. Just follow these steps.
- Begin by going to the PayPal website.
- Click on the ‘Sign up’ button on the upper left side of the page.
- On the next page, select ‘Personal Account’ and click ‘continue.’ We’ll get to open a business account a bit later on.
- Input your mobile phone number on the next page, preferably your M-Pesa number.
- PayPal will send a confirmation code to this number. Input it on the page that appears next.
- After confirmation, you’ll be required to enter your home address, a form of identification number, and your date of birth.
- Read the user agreement and check that you agree with the terms. Hit “Agree and Create Account,” and you have a new PayPal account.
PayPal fees in Kenya
The table below summarises PayPal fees for different transactions.
| Transaction type | Fee |
| Opening a PayPal Account | Free |
| Transferring funds from your PayPal account | 5% with a minimum of $0.99 and a maximum of $4.99 |
| Transferring funds from your bank account | Free (higher than market exchange rates apply. Bank rates may apply) |
| Transferring funds from your card | 2.9% + a fixed fee based on the currency used |
| Topping up from M-Pesa | 4% of the amount + Paybill charges |
| Withdrawing to M-Pesa | 3% of the amount |
| Requesting payment as a vendor | Between 2.4% and 5% + a fixed rate of $0.30 |
How to Link PayPal to M-Pesa
Safaricom and PayPal introduced an easy link for transferring money straight from PayPal to your M-Pesa account. To set this up, follow these steps.
- Go to PayPal’s mobile money website. If you don’t already have a PayPal account, there is a link to set one up right below the ‘Get started’ button.
- Click on “Get Started”
- Enter your PayPal login details when the window pops up.
- Read and agree to the terms and conditions.
- Add your M-Pesa number.
- You will receive a verification code on the number you’ve given. Complete the online registration using this number.
How to Top-up and Withdraw from PayPal to M-Pesa
It’s quite easy to top up and withdraw between PayPal and Mpesa. Once you’re registered, going to PayPal’s mobile money website will give you the option to either withdraw or top up.
Let’s begin with topping up.
- Click on Top Up to Paypal.
- PayPal keeps your money in US Dollars, so you’ll have to convert the amount you’re depositing. There’s a calculator at the bottom of the Top-up page to help with this.
- Once you know the amount, go to the Safaricom or SIM app on your phone, go to the Paybill option, and use Paybill number 800088.
- For account numbers, use the number you’ve linked to your Paypal account.
- Enter the amount you’ve calculated and press send. You’ll get an SMS confirmation of a payment made through Thunes. That’s it.
Withdrawing is even easier. On PayPal’s mobile money website,
- Click on Withdraw from PayPal.
- This will direct you to a page that shows your PayPal balance. Enter the amount you would like to withdraw.
- Click on continue to withdraw.
You can only withdraw amounts greater than $1 and less than Ksh 150,000.
How to Unlink M-Pesa from PayPal
The link between PayPal and Mpesa goes through a company called Thunes. Thunes is a cross-border payment network that enables the seamless transfer of funds across many countries in the world.
To unlink an M-Pesa number from PayPal, you will have to contact Thunes from the mobile money website. Once on the web page:
- Your current details should be automatically filled in if you’re logged in.
- On the box labeled ‘Please select a topic,’ select ‘I want to unlink my account.’
- Add your reason for unlinking your account in the message area.
- Complete the captcha confirmation and send the message.
It might take some time to be completed, but this is currently the only way to do it.
Opening a PayPal Business Account
A PayPal business account makes it fast and easy for businesses to process card payments and bank transfers from over 200 countries.
With a Business Account, you can accept payments directly on your website using checkout buttons and let PayPal do the processing. This convenience is crucial to keeping your customers coming back.