How does PayPal work in Nigeria
PayPal works in Nigeria for sending payments and shopping online, and through a partnership with the Nigerian fintech Paga, users can also receive international payments and withdraw them in Naira.
Setting up and using PayPal in Nigeria involves a few steps.
- Open an account: Sign up on the PayPal Nigeria website for a personal or business account, using your real details and a phone number.
- Add a card: Link a supported international or dollar-denominated Visa or Mastercard to fund online purchases, since local Verve cards are generally not accepted.
- Pay merchants: Use PayPal to pay international online stores that accept it, without sharing your bank or card details directly with the seller.
Receiving money works differently, because PayPal relies on Paga for the local side of the service.
- Paga account linking: Connecting a PayPal account to a Paga wallet gives Nigerian users two-way access, so they can receive funds as well as send them.
- International receipts: Once linked, you can be paid from more than 200 countries using your PayPal email address.
- Naira withdrawals: Funds in PayPal can be moved into the Paga wallet and then withdrawn in Nigerian Naira (NGN) to a local bank account, or spent locally.
Freelancers and businesses comparing PayPal with other ways to get paid from abroad often look at guides such as Payoneer vs PayPal vs Wise alternatives before choosing a setup. If you plan to receive money in Nigeria through PayPal, make sure your details match across PayPal and Paga, and confirm that your card type is supported before relying on it for purchases.