Receiving money through PayPal can be difficult if you live in DR Congo (DRC, also known as Congo-Kinshasa), Ethiopia, Ghana, Angola, or Côte d’Ivoire. In most of these countries, you can create a PayPal account and use it to make payments, but you cannot receive money. In Ghana, you cannot even create a normal Ghanaian PayPal account.

This limitation matters when a client, customer, friend, or family member wants to pay you through PayPal. You may have completed a freelance job or sold a service online, only to find that you have no direct way to receive the PayPal payment in your country.

The good thing is that you don’t necessarily need your own PayPal account to receive money from someone who uses PayPal. There are several ways to receive the payment in your country, and this article will show you the options that currently work in DR Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Angola, and Côte d’Ivoire.

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Can You Receive PayPal Payments in Congo-Kinshasa, Ethiopia, Ghana, Angola & Côte d’Ivoire?

PayPal does not offer full account features in these five countries. If you live in DR Congo, Ethiopia, Angola, or Côte d’Ivoire, you can open a PayPal account and use it to send payments, but you cannot receive money into the account.

Ghana is different. PayPal is not available for opening a normal Ghanaian PayPal account, so you cannot create a local account to receive payments there.

Here is the current situation:

Country	PayPal availability
DR Congo	You can send payments, but you cannot receive them
Ethiopia	You can send payments, but you cannot receive them
Ghana	A normal Ghanaian PayPal account is not available
Angola	You can send payments, but you cannot receive them
Côte d’Ivoire	You can send payments, but you cannot receive them

However, these restrictions don’t mean that someone with PayPal cannot send money to you. You just need to use another method to receive the payment, depending on where the money is coming from and what the payment is for.

Now let’s look at the options that work.

1. Use Xoom for Personal Payments

Xoom is a PayPal service that allows people to send money internationally without the recipient needing a PayPal account. The sender can use their PayPal account to fund the transfer, while you receive the money through one of the available payment methods in your country.

Xoom currently supports DR Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire. Depending on the country, you can receive the money through mobile money, cash pickup, or directly into a bank account.

For example, recipients in DR Congo can receive through mobile wallets such as Airtel Money or collect cash. In Ethiopia, Xoom supports bank deposits, mobile wallets such as Telebirr, and cash pickup. Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire also have mobile money and cash pickup options.

Angola is the exception among the five countries covered in this article. Xoom does not currently provide a receiving option for Angola.

However, Xoom is meant for personal transfers between people such as friends and family. It cannot be used to receive payments for freelance work, products, or services.

So if a friend or family member wants to send you money from their PayPal account, Xoom can be a simple option in the four supported countries. For client or business payments, you will need another method.

2. Use SVZ Finance to Receive PayPal Payments

If you need to receive a legitimate PayPal payment for freelance work, services, or other business purposes, you can use SVZ Finance. The service helps people in countries with PayPal restrictions receive payments they cannot receive directly through their own local accounts.

Here’s how it works. You contact SVZ Finance and provide the details of the payment you want to receive. SVZ Finance receives the PayPal payment and sends you the equivalent through an available payment method in your country.

It can be the fastest way to receive PayPal payments without having your own PayPal account, especially when the person paying you already uses PayPal and does not want to switch to another payment platform.

You can learn more about how the service works and contact SVZ Finance through its Receive Payments page.

3. Receive PayPal Payments Through Payoneer

Payoneer gives freelancers and businesses another way to receive money from clients who prefer to pay with PayPal. Instead of receiving the money into a PayPal account, you can send the client a payment request from your Payoneer account.

The client opens the payment request and chooses from the payment methods available to them. PayPal can be one of those options. If they pay with PayPal, the money is deposited into your Payoneer account rather than a PayPal account.

This option is particularly useful in Ethiopia, Angola, and Côte d’Ivoire, where PayPal can be available as a payment method for eligible payment requests. For DR Congo and Ghana, PayPal is excluded as a payment method for Payoneer payment requests.

>>> Check out Payoneer payment request.

4. Use Alternatives to PayPal

If the person paying you does not specifically need to use PayPal, another option is to receive the money through an international payment platform. This is useful for freelancers and online business owners who regularly receive payments from clients abroad.

WorldFirst

WorldFirst provides a multi-currency account that allows you to receive payments using foreign account details in currencies such as USD, GBP, and EUR. You can share the appropriate account details with your client, and they can pay you through a bank transfer instead of PayPal.

This can also be useful if you receive payments from freelance platforms. WorldFirst supports payments from platforms such as Upwork, Deel, Malt, and Freelancer.com.

Payoneer

Payoneer is another option, especially for freelancers who receive money from international clients or platforms. It provides receiving account details in major currencies such as USD, EUR, and GBP, which you can give to clients who prefer to pay by bank transfer.

Payoneer also works with freelance platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr. Once the money reaches your Payoneer account, you can withdraw it using the withdrawal options available for your account.

The main difference with this method is that the sender is no longer paying you through PayPal. They are using a bank transfer or supported platform payout instead, so it only works when they are willing to use another payment method.

5. Open a PayPal Account in a Supported Country Legally

If you regularly receive PayPal payments, you may prefer to have your own PayPal account instead of relying on another service each time. One way to do this is to legally register a business in a country where PayPal supports receiving payments.

PayPal supports business accounts, and when you register a business in a supported country, you get legitimate business details and documents that can be used to set up and verify the account. Depending on the country and business structure, this can include your company registration details, business address, and tax information.

You can then create a PayPal Business account for the company and use it to receive payments. This is a better long-term option if you regularly work with clients or customers who prefer PayPal and you want your own account.

Setting up the business and PayPal account involves several steps, so I won’t cover the entire process here. Read this guide to learn how to set up a PayPal account legally in a supported country.

Which Option Should You Use?

The best method depends on who is sending the money and whether they specifically need to pay through PayPal.

If a friend or family member is sending you money, Xoom is the simplest option where it is available. They can fund the transfer using PayPal, while you receive the money locally without needing a PayPal account.

For freelance, client, or business payments that need to come through PayPal, you can use SVZ Finance to receive the payment without having your own PayPal account. In Ethiopia, Angola, and Côte d’Ivoire, you can also check whether Payoneer gives your client the option to pay a payment request using PayPal.

If your client doesn’t need to use PayPal, WorldFirst or Payoneer can be better alternatives. You can receive international payments using foreign receiving account details, such as US, EUR, and GBP account details.

And if you receive PayPal payments regularly and want your own account, consider setting up a business legally in a PayPal-supported country. It requires more work to set up, but gives you a longer-term solution for receiving PayPal payments directly.

FAQs

Can I receive PayPal payments in DRC (Congo-Kinshasa)?

You cannot receive money directly into a PayPal account in DR Congo. You can still receive money from someone using PayPal through options such as Xoom for personal transfers, SVZ Finance for legitimate client or business payments, and other methods covered in this article.

Can I receive PayPal payments in Ethiopia?

PayPal accounts in Ethiopia cannot receive payments directly. You can use Xoom for personal transfers or SVZ Finance when you need to receive a legitimate PayPal payment. Payoneer may also allow an eligible client to pay your payment request using PayPal.

Can I receive PayPal payments in Ghana?

You cannot create a normal Ghanaian PayPal account to receive payments. For personal transfers, Xoom is available in Ghana. For legitimate client or business payments through PayPal, you can use SVZ Finance.

Can I receive PayPal payments in Angola?

PayPal accounts in Angola cannot receive money. SVZ Finance is an option when you need to receive a legitimate PayPal payment, while Payoneer may also let an eligible client pay your payment request using PayPal.

Can I receive PayPal payments in Côte d’Ivoire?

You cannot receive money directly with a local PayPal account in Côte d’Ivoire. Xoom works for personal transfers, while SVZ Finance can be used for legitimate PayPal payments. Payoneer may also be an option when PayPal is available to the client paying your payment request.

Can someone send money from PayPal to my bank account?

Not directly in the same way they would send money to your PayPal account. However, services such as Xoom can let the sender fund a transfer with PayPal while you receive the money through a supported local receiving method.

Can I receive PayPal payments without a PayPal account?

Yes. You don’t always need your own PayPal account to receive money from someone who uses PayPal. Xoom, SVZ Finance, and in some cases Payoneer can make this possible, depending on the type of payment and your country.

How to Receive PayPal Payments in Unsupported Countries Without Your Own PayPal Account

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Daniel Nnanna

My name is Daniel Nnanna, and I’m passionate about SEO and affiliate marketing. I love diving into the latest strategies and continually learning new things. Outside of my professional life, prayer is a central part of who I am, guiding me in both personal and professional endeavors. I’m always excited to explore new opportunities and grow in every aspect of my life.
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