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Why PayPal Sucks and What You Can Do About It

Last Updated on March 15, 2021 By Walter Akolo 106 Comments

PayPal Sucks

Do you use PayPal in Kenya? If you’re a freelancer, I bet you do.

It’s mostly not a matter of choice. You have to use it since there are many sites that only have PayPal as their withdrawal method, for example iWriter and Rev among others.

Don’t get me wrong I love PayPal and have been their ardent user from back in 2011. But I must admit that of late, PayPal sucks big-time in Kenya. In fact, wherever possible, I always use Payoneer instead of PayPal. I hope the guys over at 2221 North First Street San Jose, California 95131 where PayPal is located get to read this post because something needs to be done, NOW!

Below are my reasons why PayPal SUCKS and what to do about it.

1. Constant limitations

A PayPal limitation is where your account is sort of “suspended” and not allowed to do some stuff. For example you may be unable to send money, send refunds, make website payments etc.

This company seems to be malicious against Kenya and a few other countries because most countries don’t have it this way.

Before 2015, it would be hard for them to limit your account. In fact that would only happen if you clearly violate their terms of service.

Comes 2015 and there comes strange limitations. In Jan and Feb only, I got so many emails and Facebook inboxes by guys telling me their accounts had been limited. Funny thing they had done nothing contrary to the PayPal terms of service. They would simply receive money from Rev, iWriter, Elance (now Upwork) etc and withdraw to Equity (which is allowed by PayPal).

After PayPal limits an account, they ask for some stuff e.g. a photo ID, business registration certificate (for business accounts), invoices etc. Sadly, for many accounts nowadays, even after you have provided them with all that they require, they still permanently limit or close the account.

Note that if your account is permanently limited, you won’t be able to access your funds for 6 months. However, if you’re lucky, they may allow you to send refunds to your clients so that they use an alternative means to pay you.

Mr. PayPal, if you’re reading this, kindly after you’ve received the right documentation, restore someone’s account. I’m not advocating for those going against your terms, but for the real, law abiding users, restore immediately.

Update: PayPal listened. Nowadays limitations are not as common as they were. Thank you, PayPal!

2. Inability to transact for new or unused accounts

“We’re sorry, but you cannot send this payment right now”

This is the error you receive when trying to transact with a new account. Even if it’s your real, verified account with your own details, it will still bring this error for a while. For more information on the steps to create your account, you may want to read our trusted facts about PayPal in Kenya.

Upon calling Mr. PayPal to ask why the error, you may be given reasons like “your network has issues, try again” or “you are unable to transact for security reasons, keep trying” or anything else Mr. PayPal wants to tell you.

It’s funny that they allow you to receive cash that you won’t be able to withdraw.

Worse still, in some cases you won’t be able to receive the cash at all. When someone sends cash, s/he gets the above error.

The saddest fact about it is this, there is no indication as to when the transaction will go through. Imagine you receive your hard earned $1,000 to your legitimate PayPal account but are unable to withdraw it for a week or more due to the above errors!

3. Inability to add the Payoneer Global Payment Service

Now, one of the biggest benefits of Payoneer in Kenya was the fact that you could withdraw money from PayPal to your Payoneer account. This would be done through the addition of their US virtual account which they now call the Global Payment Service.

After adding the service to PayPal, you would be clicking “withdraw” on PayPal, proceeding to send to your “bank account” and the cash would be available for withdrawal on your Payoneer account after two days.

However, this was stopped by PayPal in mid-2014. From then till now, it is not possible to add this payment service. It only works for those accounts that had added the service to PayPal earlier. However no new additions are possible.

Therefore, the only PayPal approved ways to withdraw your money from PayPal right now are: Doing it through Equity Bank, which takes 3 days and using the PayPal to MPESA service.

However, these methods are more expensive than what the Global Payment Service used to give, unless you withdraw from PayPal to a Kenyan USD Equity bank account.

What you can do about it

Below are my quick pointers on what you can do about it.

  1. Use alternatives e.g. M-PESA Global , Wise (formerly TransferWise) and Payoneer where possible.
  2. Use old PayPal accounts to receive your cash if you transact high volumes per month (e.g. if your brother has an old PayPal account you can receive your payments through his account if he agrees to it)
  3. If you choose to create your account, build the volumes slowly.
  4. Very important: stick to the same IP and gadget for your account. For example you can dedicate your laptop to be the only place where you withdraw from, using your Safaricom modem or wifi. Another example is if you choose to use your phone, try to always be using the same phone for PayPal transactions, especially when sending money or withdrawing money.
  5. If you travel outside Kenya, you will not be able to use your PayPal account in the new country so have someone manage it for you or open a new one. Logging in from another country may lead to an instant limitation.
  6. Pray – Yes, pray that Mr. PayPal makes things easier for us in future

Bottom Line

PayPal is still a “necessary evil” for Kenyans. Despite of the fact that they have strange issues here, most sites still only allow PayPal.

Due to the above reasons, I still say that nowadays PayPal sucks in Kenya.

The constant limitations, transaction delays, and delayed withdrawals can make you sick to the stomach.

I am usually very optimistic that things will get better for this industry. However, I am always against discrimination.

If this trend continues, I hope the other providers, like Wise (formerly TransferWise), and Payoneer, will overtake PayPal so that they are left to discriminate themselves.

The good news is that PayPal is also feeling the heat and slowly improving their services. In my opinion, they still have work to do.

Let’s talk on the comments, shall we!

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About Walter Akolo

I'm a freelance writer, blogger, trainer, and internet marketer. My joy is to see you making money online. Feel free to browse around and leave a comment. I strive to reply to all queries. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter .

Comments

  1. Margaret says

    September 30, 2021 at 5:21 pm

    I have been trying to link my bank card for a while now with PayPal without success. I wonder where the problem is?

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      October 8, 2021 at 8:51 pm

      Hi Margaret,

      Make sure the card:

      – has at least Sh. 500
      – is enabled for online transactions (call your bank)

      Then try again. If it fails, contact PayPal support.

      Reply
  2. Francis Gikonyo says

    May 3, 2020 at 2:18 pm

    Same here, more than one year ago my account was permanently limited and even after 180 days I’ve tried all I can to withdraw my dollars from PayPal, someone kindly give me an idea how to do it

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      May 6, 2020 at 11:11 pm

      Sorry about that, Francis. Contact PayPal support and request them to allow you to withdraw to Equity, M-PESA, or to send to a friend. Some say this helps!

      Reply
      • Francis Gikonyo says

        May 7, 2020 at 2:37 am

        Ooh okay, thank you so much let me give it a trial.

        Reply
      • Lk says

        November 22, 2020 at 9:57 pm

        How do you contact them though? I’ve tried everything. Phone number doesn’t go through; chat has no agents; help center question has no response. Any tips would be much appreciated!

        Reply
        • Walter Akolo says

          November 25, 2020 at 6:03 pm

          Hi LK,

          They do respond. They don’t have live chat. And they stopped taking calls due to the pandemic. You can message them via their support center. You can also reach them on Twitter or Facebook inbox. Some people say Twitter works faster.

          Reply
  3. Anne Murigi says

    April 22, 2020 at 5:32 pm

    So I’m faced with the same issue. I had my account limited and then suddenly, I got an email that my account is closed for security reasons. I have used my account for about 10 years and the whole security issue reason doesn’t make any sense. It does feel like we are getting discriminated, but what’s worse is that it’s not like we are using the service for free. I wish there was an organization where we could voice our concerns collectively about PayPal like the way they have in the US and UK.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      April 22, 2020 at 9:16 pm

      Hi Anne,

      So sorry about that. Yes, some of the things happening there are terrible!

      Like many of us, strive to focus on alternatives.

      All the best going forward!

      Reply
  4. Chris says

    February 14, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    I tend to disagree that PayPal has reduced the limitations. You get limitations for almost anything such as receiving money, updating your details, even setting your payment references. The good thing is that they allow you to withdraw but only after 6 months.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 21, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      Thanks for your feedback, Chris. Trust me it’s better than it was at some point!

      Reply
  5. Wanjiru Francis says

    October 31, 2019 at 8:55 am

    It is plain simple PayPal is run by people who hate blacks and more so Africans. They discriminate against us… but time will tell…
    Paypal will fall.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 4, 2019 at 12:18 pm

      Hi Wanjiru,

      Not sure about the hate for Africans or blacks. Or even about its failure.

      But for sure, if they continue with some practices, they may go down. If they change for the better, they may go up even further.

      I hope they make the right choices.

      Reply
  6. Levi Bett says

    April 17, 2019 at 9:39 pm

    well you guys were talking about paypal way back in 2015 about it limiting peoples account but am commenting in 2019 and the same trend is still there, infact the introduction of paypal to m-pesa service has increased the limitation of peoples accounts, this thing really frustrates someone.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      April 17, 2019 at 10:12 pm

      Yes, sadly it is still happening.

      Reply
  7. Lilly says

    December 31, 2018 at 10:21 am

    To say PayPal sucks, is even an understatement, Walter. In Zambia we still can’t receive through it!

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      January 10, 2019 at 6:30 pm

      So sad Lilly.

      Reply
  8. Elijah Simiyu says

    December 22, 2017 at 12:32 pm

    I agree with that Mr. Walter. Paypal should stop limiting accounts or freeze them for 90 days just because you’ve received huge cash. If they are doubting the source of the funds, why don’t they call them? Besides, they need to understand and appreciate that Kenyans are hardworking freelancers who get huge sums of cash online. Period!

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      January 9, 2018 at 6:04 am

      I hear you Elijah. Can really be inconveniencing sometimes to get all these funny limitations. That issue really needs to be sorted out. Good thing lots of competitors are coming up and even cryptocurrencies are now being accepted fast. If they don’t do something, someone else will overtake them.

      Reply
    • John Monyjok Maluth says

      September 30, 2018 at 3:36 am

      Sure. You and Walter said it all.
      I’m a South Sudanese freelancer, my account is permanently limited.
      I tried by all means to contact PayPal, all in vain.

      Well, I think we need to write our own codes, create our own PayPal or KenyaPal.

      John

      Reply
      • Walter Akolo says

        October 5, 2018 at 12:20 am

        Sorry for that John.

        Reply
  9. nuzzo samson says

    June 12, 2017 at 5:18 am

    Would it be advise to get a USA PayPal account from here: http://www.auctionessistance.com/shop instead of opening a kenya PayPal account?

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      June 12, 2017 at 12:49 pm

      Hi Nuzzo. No. Best to open one and follow their terms of use.

      Reply
  10. Nataku Kuntu says

    April 17, 2017 at 10:09 pm

    I got limited by PayPal and they didn’t bother to help me restore my account. Now my account is permanently limited and need to accept payments.

    I hired Auction Essistance to open me an account and it is working good. My only issue is trying to get money out of a USA account. Do you have any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      April 18, 2017 at 3:50 pm

      Sorry for the challenge faced, Nataku. Sorry no idea how you can get cash from a US account. I advocate for people to just use local accounts and if that doesn’t work, they ask their clients to use other payment processors such as Skrill or Payoneer.

      Reply
    • Dennis says

      December 22, 2017 at 11:18 am

      Hi. If you have an American PayPal, use Zoom. It is a subsidiary to PayPal and withdraws cash directly to mpesa from PayPal

      Reply
    • morrisjacob waweru githuku says

      March 2, 2020 at 4:56 pm

      hallo i hope you are good as i am . i also have a challenge with paypal because they limited my account . how can i open american paypal account please .help me please

      Reply
      • Walter Akolo says

        March 9, 2020 at 7:42 pm

        Hi Morris,

        Don’t open an American PayPal. That’s against their terms. Their platform, their rules. Make sure you follow their rules to the letter. Contact them for help on lifting the limitation.

        Reply
    • Lacey says

      February 6, 2021 at 1:24 pm

      The only way you can get money from a US account is through Payoneer’s Virtual US account IMO

      Reply
      • Walter Akolo says

        February 8, 2021 at 11:31 pm

        Sometimes PayPal allows you to withdraw to Equity, M-PESA, or even send to a friend. You may have to really reach out to them severally for that to happen, though. Thanks Lacey!

        Reply
  11. Gerald Matiri says

    December 24, 2016 at 1:20 pm

    Hey Walter,
    Great article. But personally, i think that most of the people who complain about their accounts getting limitations are only giving half the story. In most cases, these are people who use Paypal to Mpesa service. If the service provider, is caught, this affects even the people who use their services. Otherwise, if you use the right channels to withdraw, you will never face those limitations. But overall, i agree Paypal sucks. Unfortunately, skrill is only popular in the U.K. and Paypal remains a favorite for many in other parts of the world.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      December 24, 2016 at 2:27 pm

      Thanks Gerald. I agree that some people do get into problems for doing things against PayPal’s terms of use. However, at the time of writing this post, there were many haphazard limitations – including for people who were receiving cash from freelance sites and withdrawing to Equity or Payoneer. Due to such posts and other complaints online, PayPal has toned down since and now things are back to normal.

      There are some open minded clients who accept Skrill. Also sites like Upwork, Freelancer and others accept Skrill. Once you get awesome DCs where you both mutually benefit each other, you can always negotiate a good way of receiving cash. Some even agree to send you directly via MPESA through Xoom, WorldRemit, Western Union, etc.

      Reply
  12. Masha stevies says

    December 24, 2016 at 12:04 am

    I’m thankful of your post Walter.
    I’m soon traveling and i plan on being away for a while. How can I best be able to receive my payments through paypal. Does it mean that I have to open a new bank account as well.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      December 24, 2016 at 2:08 am

      Hi Masha. You’re most welcome. If you’re travelling within Kenya then there shouldn’t be an issue. If outside Kenya, PayPal recommends you close the Kenyan one and open a new one in the other country. However, it’s best to contact PayPal and communicate your plans. They’ll help you out.

      Reply
  13. nuzzo says

    September 23, 2016 at 5:18 am

    Is it recommended to use a USA verified PayPal account? Is it safe to buy one from sellers such as Auction Essistance?

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      September 23, 2016 at 6:12 pm

      Hi Nuzzo. Don’t buy. Any verified account should work. Just create your own account. It’s free.

      Reply
  14. Alina Mughal says

    September 17, 2016 at 10:13 am

    Hi Walter Akolo , i like your post and points,It will be help full for me in future.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      September 17, 2016 at 9:45 pm

      Thanks Alina.

      Reply
      • morrisjacob waweru githuku says

        March 2, 2020 at 5:00 pm

        hallo sir . now what will i do and my paypal account is limitited?

        Reply
        • Walter Akolo says

          March 9, 2020 at 7:43 pm

          Hi Morris,

          Sorry about that. Contact them for assistance on lifting the limitation. You’ll need to submit all they ask for.

          Reply
  15. Bob Robert says

    August 19, 2016 at 11:36 pm

    Hi Walter or Comrades,
    I am in a serious problem. I have a business account that I started using in 2013. I have been receiving money upto thousands of dollars in a month. Suddenly this month, I have dropped drastically and the only person who transacted via my platform had to call me first and asked me of my country.
    I dont know where I went wrong because I have not changed anything much. Four months ago, I started to log in to my paypal using anonymous x (ie using a US IP) this is because, I restricted my website only to be accessible in some states but not others.
    I have been withdrawing my money from different computers wherever I am including cyber cafes in town etc.
    At times, I have been sending the dollars for conversion through another person.
    Can somebody advise me based on this or something related to this.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      August 20, 2016 at 2:20 am

      Hi Bob. You’ve not clearly stated what exactly the problem is.

      Reply
      • Bob Robert says

        August 22, 2016 at 1:33 am

        Hi Walter,
        My sales have dropped seriously.

        Reply
        • Walter Akolo says

          August 22, 2016 at 10:27 pm

          Hi Bob. You can keep marketing heavily. I don’t see how the drop is related to PayPal.

          Reply
  16. Nuzzo says

    May 13, 2016 at 5:32 am

    Since I am based in a country where PayPal isn’t supported. Do you think buying a USA PayPal account from Auction Essistance would be a good idea?

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      May 13, 2016 at 2:05 pm

      Hi Nuzzo. I don’t personally advise on buying and selling of PayPal accounts. However, you can do more research and see the viability of that. Note all the risks and be very cautious. All the best.

      Reply
  17. Dancun says

    February 13, 2016 at 1:33 pm

    I have not yet began withdrawing from PayPal, but I’d rather ask from advice from you first when that time comes. In the meantime, I have some cash sitting there and I’m able to make simple payments online without any issues, which is good.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 13, 2016 at 1:50 pm

      Hi Dancun. No worries. I believe withdrawing should be fine too. When you start getting huge amounts is when problems may start.

      Reply
  18. Ken says

    February 6, 2016 at 3:10 pm

    I read a comment done by a former employee of Paypal on paypalsucks.com that Paypal security system raises flags whenever a transaction is done in Africa or in Asian, for Africa its Nigeria, though I think this is before they entered Nigeria

    Paypal has for the last one week withheld $120 on my account, I jumped quickly to Skrill and at times western union and Ecobank rapid transfer. I think the different IP addresses and the cookies could be the problem.

    I would advise anyone who wants to jump into PayPal to receive payments to do so with care. You’ll be frustrated for no apparent reason

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      February 6, 2016 at 7:12 pm

      That’s true Ken. They frustrate one for absolutely no reason.

      Reply
  19. Samuel Maina Salim says

    November 28, 2015 at 9:18 am

    I bumped into this while I was researching on the topic, and thought it would help;

    “Under the following circumstances, Paypal has certain triggers in place as a safeguard against fraud. Here are some reasons why some of these safeguards might be triggered:
    – You’ve received an abnormally large amount of money in your account that is way above your average.
    – Someone has filed a complaint to Paypal about your business.
    – A series of chargebacks have been placed against your account.
    – Your website has questionable content.
    – You are in violation of Paypal’s use policy. For example if you sell drugs or anything illegal, you may get banned.
    – Your account information is not up to date or your account is not fully verified.
    – Someone has logged into your Paypal account from a strange location.
    – Your credit score is low or something with your background history makes you a higher risk customer.
    – They have detected fraudulent activity on your account.”

    “…If you are expecting to receive a large sum of money, then you should call Paypal ahead of time so they expect to see the extra funds.”

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 29, 2015 at 12:22 pm

      Thanks for the great info Samuel.

      Reply
      • Miriam says

        December 22, 2017 at 2:15 pm

        For this I need clarification on what a large sum of money is? As in how large is large?

        Reply
        • Walter Akolo says

          January 9, 2018 at 6:07 am

          I’ve not seen PayPal giving a specific figure on this, Miriam. From friends, it can be random. E.g if you usually receive $40 per day then all of a sudden it goes to $500 per day, you may get a temporary limitation. For some people, it’s higher figures like $2,000+. I believe they have their own way of calculating that they’ve not disclosed to the public.

          Reply
  20. Jackson Siro says

    November 23, 2015 at 12:54 pm

    for sure I have been divastated by paypal to the extent that I don’t wan’t to use it any more. Your experience is just like mine in a great extent

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 24, 2015 at 3:51 am

      So sorry to hear that Jackson. Feels real bad.

      Reply
  21. Peter Mutiso says

    November 20, 2015 at 10:07 pm

    Hi Walter,

    On a sincere not, I think this is a poorly researched article. You are solely laying the blame to PayPal. For instance, who is to blame between PayPal and Payoneer when it comes to adding Bank of America provided by payoneer to PayPal? Or better, why didn’t Payoneer change from first century bank to bank of America but still some of us using the first century we still get our withdrawals? How about fraud measures between Payoneer and PayPal?

    And lastly, PayPal will limit any account which has been verified using a card that is already in use
    Regards
    Peter

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 20, 2015 at 10:47 pm

      Hi Peter

      Thanks for your feedback and opinion.

      This is not a researched article, it’s real experience shared.

      Payoneer clarified to me that PayPal was the reason that the accounts can’t be added to PayPal accounts. First Century or BOA doesn’t matter, in 2013 and before, you would just add the Payoneer bank and it would work. I have PayPal accounts with each of the above banks.

      Like I have said here many times, fraud needs to be curbed, and shouldn’t be defended. The concern is legitimate people having their PayPal accounts limited for seemingly no good reason. Google “PayPal limitation” you’ll understand what I mean.

      Your last point is not true. You CANNOT add the same card to two accounts. It won’t limit, it will give an error message stating that the card has been used elsewhere so you use another card.

      Let me know if you have any more questions.

      Reply
  22. EDGAR says

    November 19, 2015 at 3:06 pm

    The best way to avoid a limitation is to ensure that paypal does not track you. Have your settings to always clear cookies when you close your browser, always close your browser and start a new session when logging in anew, use a dial up modem, use flashblock so they do not install their flash cookies on your machine. I have used several fictitious accounts for a long time without any issues. I f you allow them to track you then when they limit you, you will be in trouble. And lastly build your transaction volume slowly.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 20, 2015 at 9:07 pm

      Thanks Edgar for your additions.

      Reply
  23. Gilbert says

    November 19, 2015 at 8:37 am

    Thanks Walter for that info, hope they get the point, they have limited my account with over $900 in it and i was just left helpless.
    Could you assist in getting an old account Walter?

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 19, 2015 at 10:50 am

      Hi Gilbert

      You’re most welcome.

      I’m so sorry about the limitation.

      Sorry I can’t assist in getting old accounts. However, if you have friends/family who use PayPal, you can request to receive your payments via their old accounts.

      Otherwise you can open a new one and apply the above precautions.

      Reply
  24. Dennis says

    November 19, 2015 at 2:09 am

    Hello Walter,

    Great post as always! And like you, I wonder why they’d receive cash if they are not going to allow for a withdraw.

    Yikes! I feel sick just imagining how it’d feel waiting 6 months to use my PayPal account again. God forbid.

    I remember some time back when I, infuriated by PayPal, asked iWriter why they wouldn’t show some love for Skrill or Payoneer. The reply from Amanda was so darn concise, I could not ask twice: “We only accept PayPal and don’t have plans in place for other money transfer services.”

    If it wasn’t for that comment by Samuel, that the limitations aren’t a Kenyan-only affair, I’d probably think all this had to do with that line by CNN about Kenya being a blah blah of blah blah…Grrr!

    Thanks Walter.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 19, 2015 at 10:43 am

      Most welcome, Dennis.

      Hehehe…I have talked to Brad Callen of iWriter too and he had the same argument.

      But that overdependent on only one provider is not good. I’m glad Fiverr eventually embraced Payoneer.

      Due to competition, I believe more sites will come up that are more diverse, flexible and considerate.

      Thanks Dennis

      Reply
  25. Dan says

    November 18, 2015 at 7:12 pm

    It’s good to finally hear from you Walter, and thanks for bringing this up. Hope Mr. PayPal hears us. I’ve also suffered severely due to this.

    Just to add to the recommendations, I’d like to point out that opening another PayPal account when abroad may not be a very good idea because depending on how it’s used, it may go against Mr. PayPal’s User agreement. Users are only allowed two accounts: One business account and one personal account. Any extra account will not go down well with Mr. PayPal.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 8:11 pm

      Hi Dan

      Thanks for your comment. Good to hear from you too.

      I hope he hears us too and does something real quick.

      They do recommend that when moving to another country you open a new account. Read it from the horse’s mouth here https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/Adding-and-updating-info/MOVING-TO-ANOTHER-COUNTRY/td-p/72951?profile.language=en-gb

      Thanks a lot and looking forward to reading from you again and again here.

      Reply
  26. Mike says

    November 18, 2015 at 6:08 pm

    I have used Paypal for the longest time.

    1. do not link your PAYONEER US virtual account. (they stopped doing this ever since payoneer became a money transfer service of sorts.. I.e. that you can send peer to peer within payoneer network
    2.NEVER EVER, i mean never ever.. exchange your paypal balance with another platform e.g. send someone paypal for mpesa or for skrill of for payoneer or for payza and so on.. dont ask me how they know.. but they do sense and you’ll be limited for life.

    So far I have nothing but good experience with Paypal since 2007. I have never called them.but they called me once when i did my first equity bank transfer.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 8:07 pm

      Hi Mike. Wow, 2007! That’s quite a loooong time. Sure, as stated in the article you can no longer add the Payoneer virtual account. About PayPal to MPESA, there are quite a number of variables on that. I’m glad you’ve had such a great experience and thanks for your tips too.

      Reply
      • Mike says

        November 19, 2015 at 9:47 am

        Year, I was equally shocked.. when I searched “Activate your Paypal Account” and the email traced to Sept 2007.
        Am a software and digital content related.. vendor.

        I’ve gone through the metamorphosis of looking for solutions to work around paypal and am glad to see the possibilities we have today.

        One of the greatest concern of any Financial remittance or exchange service is Money laundering and terrorism funding.

        So if you receive payment from ONLY one individual or company and immediately withdraw this may raise a red flag.

        an average vendor account receives payments from customers across the globe in varied amounts.. the vendor also has expenses around the web and by the time he withdraws..it looks like an ordinary business and yes. its one.

        the challenge that Kenyans face is lack of diversity in transactions in their paypal accounts.. the transactions are predictable. One may want to diversify in their income sources, spending and later withdraw..

        Reply
  27. Edgar says

    November 18, 2015 at 3:50 pm

    Thanks walter, I personally have an old account and have not had issues so far, but I know the terrain is becoming more unpredictable by the day. I remember one time back then while visiting Equity to pick my ATM and was asking the guy at Equity why they cannot link up with platforms like Paypal. I think it is a step in the right direction only if they made the withdrawal quicker and maybe linked up with other platforms like payoneer. Probably as the banking sector in Kenya opens up more to such platforms, the misconceptions by such platforms particularly about kenyan accounts will soon change for the better. Meanwhile it is still very unpredictable and unfair for many.

    Reply
  28. Motuka says

    November 18, 2015 at 3:10 pm

    Now, when you talk about sticking to the same IP, here comes the problem. most of us use dial up internet, whenever you are disconnected, you are assigned a different IP. And no!, I am also in IT, I wont use a proxy server, because even I have implemented very strict rule about it. If you are trying to sign up at my website and the system recognizes you are behind a proxy, you wont get through, instead you will be reported to Maxmind fraud protection for more analysis…

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 3:23 pm

      Thanks Motuka. True about dial up IPs. Unfortunately they still sometimes just limit account claiming security concerns due to the IP issue. However, it has proven for many that use of the same device is usually safe. Therefore different IPs on same device. Also if you login from an IP in a different country, using the same device, you may be limited. My take is if one is clearly not violating their TOS, they should go easy on them.

      Reply
      • Motuka says

        November 19, 2015 at 2:22 am

        So it is safe so long as I stick on my computer.. Very good, but another question, Does that mean I should never clear site cookies? ^_^. Again, what if am using same computer but swap OS? Thanks.

        Reply
        • Walter Akolo says

          November 19, 2015 at 10:47 am

          Hi Motuka

          It’s just proven to be safer, when used on one machine. I believe clearing cookies and swapping OS are a different ball game. I once just changed the modem I use on the same machine and it got limited.

          However, note that I am talking of large transactions here. If you’re doing below $200 on different machines, IPs, cybers e.t.c. (though same country) you shouldn’t have issues. Using masking software like HMA and accessing the same account from a different “country” will raise flags too. Even Facebook and Gmail will have you verify your account if you log in like that.

          Also, if you use a static IP and PayPal limits one account on that IP, then others on the same IP are in trouble.

          As said above, mostly the above applies to large transactions and blacklisted IPs.

          Thanks

          Reply
  29. Peter says

    November 18, 2015 at 3:05 pm

    I have been using Paypal for quite a bit and I must say that, although they have issues, one has to be extra careful with the kind of transactions they get themselves involved in. I do big volumes but the last time I had my account limited for non-verification, was in 2011. Since then, I have spend quite some time to understand the ecosystem. The best way to deal with Paypal issues is to read their TOS, and abide by them. Money laundering, for example, is and continues to be a big issue in different countries in Africa- Paypal was fined a few million dollars for allowing transactions into certain “terrorist” countries by the US govt. Tax evasion, and identity theft, especially among those earning online infringed on American citizens for example. The best way one can also protect their accounts is to be seen to be doing some business with it, buy domain names, shop on eBay, and other platforms using the payment channels, otherwise, you sooner or later, you will realize that Kenya isn’t really PayPals market when volumes are considered! Otherwise, such a great article, Walter.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 3:20 pm

      Thanks a lot Peter. Glad to see you’ve been using PayPal for such a long time without issues. Great additions about online shopping and going against their TOS. As mentioned in the article, if you go against their terms, it makes sense to be limited. My concern is when they limit innocent accounts of guys doing good business with them. Thanks for your compliment.

      Reply
  30. Stephen Mwanza Kavita says

    November 18, 2015 at 3:00 pm

    This is what i call an informative post. I wrote to paypal regarding linking my payoneer card & their answer was so vague. But I love the way Kenyans are embrassing online business, soon paypal will have to reconsider their limitations to kenya PayPal accounts.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 8:14 pm

      Thanks my friend Steve. Yeah, soon they will just have to.

      Reply
  31. Cyprian says

    November 18, 2015 at 2:40 pm

    Walter,its Very sad indeed that Paypal is holding its clients cash at ransom.I hope for Paypal Community to come together and petition Paypal to drop some of this regressive approaches to safety controls.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 3:16 pm

      True, Cyprian. I hope so too.

      Reply
    • Zephania says

      November 19, 2015 at 1:10 pm

      Hi Cyprian, how have you been? I am following this conversation closely.

      Reply
  32. james says

    November 18, 2015 at 1:39 pm

    They are real suckers. They have taken us to hell and back. But I hope Skril and PAYONEER gets better and become the choice companies for online transactions

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 2:13 pm

      True, James. If they don’t style up they’ll be overtaken.

      Reply
  33. Dennis says

    November 18, 2015 at 1:30 pm

    This must be real sucking and sending my stomach rumbling?

    Reply
  34. Violet says

    November 18, 2015 at 1:22 pm

    Sucks big time. Hope Mr. Paypal styles Up!!!!

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 1:23 pm

      True Violet. I totally feel you.

      Reply
  35. Marcel says

    November 18, 2015 at 12:37 pm

    Thanks for the info, I was just about to add a PayPal account to my Essay Writers account. Not happening!!! Thank God EW have a good working relation with Skrill

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 12:50 pm

      Most welcome Marcel. However EW are no longer working with Skrill. You’ll be forced to use PayPal there.

      Reply
  36. Dominic says

    November 18, 2015 at 12:27 pm

    Hey dou you have any experience with permanent limitations. My account was limited due to reception of high amount. Do they release the funds after the said 6months…

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 12:49 pm

      Hi Dominic

      Yes, I have had permanent limitations though they give me the option to refund. I therefore refund the cash to clients and they send to another PayPal account.

      They do release after those six months if you choose to wait. However, if the account you used was fictitious, then it will be hard for you to receive the cash.

      Reply
      • Dominic says

        November 18, 2015 at 1:33 pm

        What do you mean by fictitious… It is my account with all credentials

        Reply
        • Walter Akolo says

          November 18, 2015 at 3:18 pm

          Dominic it’s okay if it has your credentials. You’ll get your cash back. So sorry about the limitation.

          Reply
      • samuel says

        November 18, 2015 at 2:40 pm

        I would also like to know what “fictitious” means. For instance, if you have acquired accounts and added their email addresses as secondary accounts to your primary paypal will they require details for the secondary accounts?

        Reply
        • Walter Akolo says

          November 18, 2015 at 3:17 pm

          Hi Samuel. Fictitious means fake details. If they are in your details then no issue. No problem with adding emails too.

          Reply
  37. Edwin says

    November 18, 2015 at 12:26 pm

    I’ve never had such issues with PayPal. I hope they dont start now that I’m aware of them. I receive funds, pay for stuff from especially memberships from websites without any hiccups. I also use a personal tablet, smart phone and laptop to access my account. Had no problems ever.
    Like I said, I hope they won’t start. Anyway thanks for the pointers.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 12:48 pm

      Most welcome Edwin. Yes, I hope the issues don’t get to you. Glad all has been smooth.

      Reply
  38. marx says

    November 18, 2015 at 12:10 pm

    This is great stuff Walter, hope things will change someday

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 12:47 pm

      Thanks and I hope so too Marx.

      Reply
  39. Samoina says

    November 18, 2015 at 11:01 am

    Glad I haven’t experienced this, but just to stay safe, i make sure i do bimonthly withdrawals so that a large amount is not locked in there in case Mr. Paypal decides otherwise

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 12:47 pm

      That’s great. I totally agree with you Samoina. Best to always ensure the money is in your pocket as soon as possible.

      Reply
  40. Samuel Maina Salim says

    November 18, 2015 at 10:21 am

    Paypal’s unfortunate habit of randomly freezing accounts is not limited to the citizens of Kenya. In a report titled “PayPal still struggles with not randomly freezing crowdfunding dollars,” Ars Technica’s Lee Hutchinson follows the woes of projects in countries as far flung as Iceland and Switzerland receiving crowdfunding cash through PayPal that have faced the same challenges as you’ve described. Elon Musk, or whoever’s concerned, really needs to look into this.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 12:43 pm

      True, Salim. There are so many who are having an issue with them. I hope they do something about it as soon as possible.

      Reply
  41. Ambrose says

    November 18, 2015 at 8:17 am

    Thanks Walter for this piece. I have always wondered, what happens when you are a holder of an old PayPal account and your Payoneer card expires? Would it still be possible to add the new one that is issued to you?

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 1:36 pm

      Hi Ambrose. Thanks for your kind comment. If the card expires there’s absolutely no problem. The Payoneer bank account will still work regardless of the expiry of the card. You can always add the new one if you want.

      Reply
  42. reuben says

    November 18, 2015 at 7:55 am

    Hey Walter, thanks for the info above. I feel fortunate to have an old account and only hear of the nightmares others go through as described vividly. I”ll sure watch my back from now on and pray that Mr. Paypal does nothing on my account which I wouldn’t.

    Reply
    • Walter Akolo says

      November 18, 2015 at 1:37 pm

      Good to hear that Reuben. Treasure that old account.

      Reply

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