Are you a freelancer? Content creator, or remote worker? If you’re frustrated by the inability to receive your earnings with PayPal right in Nigeria, then this article is for you. I’ll teach you how to get a working PayPal account in Nigeria, for free!
I struggled for many months to get a working PayPal account, until I achieved it. This is why you’re probably here. PayPal placed a ban on receiving payments in Nigeria, simply because of the fraud menace.
Technically, you can’t receive money using a Nigerian PayPal account. You will need to create a PayPal Business account using a country that PayPal allows to receive payments. This is what this article is all about.
So, what’s PayPal by the way?
PayPal is the OG of online payments. It’s the platform that made it possible to send money across the internet without having to deal with the hassle of bank transfers, and it’s been a game-changer since it launched. But here’s the fun part: PayPal wasn’t always just PayPal. It started off as two separate companies—Confinity and X.com—back in the late 90s.
Confinity was all about security software for handheld devices, and X.com was focused on digital payments. Both companies realized they had something bigger on their hands, so in 2000, they merged to form what we now know as PayPal. Among the founders were Peter Thiel, Max Levchin, and everyone’s favorite tech disruptor, Elon Musk. Yep, Musk was part of PayPal before he decided to dive into electric cars and rockets.
PayPal took off because it was the first to make online payments easy and trusted—whether you were sending money to a friend or buying that weird collectible off eBay (which PayPal also helped blow up). Fast forward, and it’s now a go-to for millions of users worldwide, even with competitors popping up left and right.
So yeah, PayPal’s been around for a while, and even though it might not have the flashy newness of some apps today, it’s still holding its game steady today.
You need a PayPal account to cut it as a freelancer or online entrepreneur today. But before we proceed, let me tell you my story.
How PayPal Works
PayPal is like your trusty sidekick when it comes to moving money online—whether you’re buying something, running a business like Print on Demand, or making your freelance gig pay off. For everyday users, it’s the easiest way to shop online without handing over your credit card info to every website that catches your eye. Just link up your account, and PayPal jumps in to handle the messy details while keeping your financial stuff under wraps.
For businesses, PayPal acts like a global cash register, letting you accept payments from anyone, anywhere, whether it’s with credit cards, debit cards, or straight from PayPal balances. Plus, it gives you all the extras—like invoicing, payment tracking, and fraud protection—so you can focus on what matters: running your business.
Now, for freelancers and content creators, PayPal is pure gold. You can invoice clients easily on sites like Fiverr, Upwork, Guru, Freelancer, Udemy, and others. It enables you to get paid in different currencies and stash away your earnings without any hassle. Whether you’re selling art, writing, or sharing content, it connects with platforms like Patreon or Etsy, so getting paid becomes one less thing to worry about. It’s the ultimate payment tool, making life a whole lot simpler for anyone juggling gigs or running their creative side hustle.
In short: PayPal’s got your back—whether you’re selling, creating, or just spending.
My journey towards getting a working PayPal Account
I was once like you, desperately looking for a way to get a working PayPal account that will enable me to withdraw my earnings accumulating on Udemy. I had created a course (it’s 2 courses now) back in the day, and it makes money for me every month. I was using Payoneer to withdraw my earnings, until one fine morning in October 2023 when Payoneer suddenly blocked my account!
It was crazy. I didn’t know what to do. After several back-and-forth messages between their customer support and me, I gave up. They made it clear that they were not going to reinstate my account – not now, not in the future. For me, it was time to look for a Payoneer alternative.
I began to look for a way to get a working PayPal account. Udemy supports 3 payout methods: PayPal, Payoneer, and direct deposit to a US bank (only for US course creators). I tried several times to create a working PayPal account but all failed. I even created an Argentinian PayPal account, but it was shut down in 2 weeks.
I also tried getting someone based outside the country to help, but he slammed a hefty charge of 150K to create a PayPal account in my name! It was that crazy! This problem lingered for about 6 months until I achieved a breakthrough.
After much research and relentless effort, eventually, I was able to create a working PayPal account in Nigeria. I subsequently submitted the PayPal email to Udemy to release my pending payments, which they did! I was overjoyed when the money dropped into my PayPal account. Phew.
I will lay out step-by-step what you need to do to get your payouts in Nigeria, via PayPal. I’m doing this for a paltry fee of N5,000 only (like I said, someone charged me N150K for this). I have packaged everything you need to know in a handy PDF eBook which you will get once you make the payment.
Don’t worry. Paystack is handling the payment processing. There is nothing to be afraid of. Your payment information is securely handled by Paystack – nothing to worry about.
I created a brand new PayPal account, just for the sake of this tutorial. These are the screenshots below. Also, check the system date – it is just yesterday the 10th of October, 2024.
The following screenshots below are proof of my main PayPal account. These pictures show you the transaction history of my PayPal account; just to prove to you that it works, and I’ve been using it. However, if you have questions, don’t forget to contact me here for help.
Final Words
Did you find this article useful? I guess you did. Share this article on your socials, and don’t forget to leave a comment below to let us know your experience. For now, let’s call it a day.