This article will show you how to link PayPal to Mpesa service. We will show you step by step how to link PayPal with Mpesa and how withdrawal and top up PayPal’s accounts from M-Pesa.
A few years ago, PayPal and M-Pesa partnered to enable their users to transfer money between the two platforms, and we know this service as PayPal Mobile Money Service.
This was a fundamental change in the digital payments world, especially in Kenya. PayPal users in Kenya can make payments to M-Pesa registered mobile money accounts by using their balance, bank accounts, and credit cards.
On the other end, M-Pesa users can quickly top up their PayPal accounts and use PayPal’s online payments services.
Today, I will show you how to get started with PayPal Mpesa.
Let’s get started.
How to link PayPal to Mpesa
To get started, link PayPal to Mpesa together. You need to have a PayPal account and a Safaricom mobile number.
Here is how to link paypalmpesa accounts:
- Visit PayPal’s M-Pesa page by typing in https://www.paypal-mobilemoney.com/m-pesa.
- Log into PayPal using your PayPal username and password
- Agree to PayPal’s terms and conditions for the service.
- Add the M-PESA number you want to link with PayPal
- PayPal will send an SMS verification code to your M-PESA number
- Key in the verification code PayPal sent you on your M-PESA account and completed the linking process
- You have completed the process of linking PayPal to Mpesa!
Mpesa to PayPal Top Up Process
Now that you have linked PayPal and M-Pesa, you can use the service to top up your PayPal account anytime you want.
Follow these steps to send money from Mpesa to PayPal.
Step one: This is optional; visit the PayPal mpesa link: https://www.paypal-mobilemoney.com/m-pesa and log in. I always use their currency converter to know how much I should top up in Ksh and what it will be in USD.
Also, on this page, you will find the PayPal Pay Bill Number 800088, which I think is handy as you might forget this number.
Step two: Open M-Pesa on your phone, select “Lipa Na Mpesa, ” and then Pay Bill. Use the PayPal Mpesa Pay bill number 800088 and your phone number as the account number.
Step three: Enter the amount you will load to PayPal and submit. It will be successful and instant. You will receive a message from Safaricom confirming the transaction’s success. On the other end, PayPal will send you a confirmation to your email.
If you use a different number, the transaction won’t go through. Also, the usual M-Pesa chahttps://westafricaweekly.substack.com/p/flutterwave-the-african-unicorn-built?s=r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=directrges will be applied.
How do I withdraw money from PayPal to M-Pesa?
After you have linked your PayPal account to M-Pesa, you can withdraw from PayPal to Mpesa account. They will convert the amount from USD to Ksh and transfer it over to your Safaricom MPESA account.
Here is how to withdraw money from a PayPal account:
- Go to https://www.paypal-mobilemoney.com/m-pesa
- Log in with your PayPal user details.
- Select Withdraw from PayPal
- The next screen will show you the Available PayPal balance in your account.
- Enter the amount you would like to withdraw and click. Continue to Withdraw.
- They will send the money to your M-Pesa account in a few minutes.
The maximum amount per transaction is 150,000 Kes; you can’t withdraw any amount larger than this.
There was a time when it was extremely difficult to make PayPal to M-Pesa transfers. However, late PayPal has partnered with Safaricom and Equity Bank. This has made it easy for Kenyans to get money from PayPal to M-Pesa superfast.
Can you withdraw money directly from PayPal to M-Pesa through a Kenyan platform?
Yes, this is now possible!
It wasn’t possible to do this for a long time till 9th April 2018 when Safaricom partnered with PayPal under Thunes to facilitate PayPal to M-Pesa payments.
It’s now official that Kenyans can directly receive their PayPal cash to their M-Pesa accounts.
It takes a few minutes to 3 days to receive money on M-Pesa once you’ve withdrawn, depending on the amount you’re withdrawing.
You can literally withdraw $200 and get the cash on your M-PESA in 5 minutes or less. Sometimes it may take a little longer, but it mostly works in minutes.
Here’s an official video from PayPal that shows you how to do all this:
Another great service that you can use to withdraw from PayPal is the Equity Bank PayPal Withdrawal Service.
So do PayPal to M-Pesa agents still exist?
Yes, they’re still there.
However, as seen above, there’s now an official partnership between PayPal and Safaricom.
It can work in minutes depending on the amount you’re withdawing. Therefore, you may not need to use other services.
Factors to consider when choosing a PayPal to M-Pesa agent
Once again, this has been majorly negated by the partnership we’ve talked about here. However, there are people who still have issues using the official channel and would want to use PayPal to M-Pesa agents (people who exchange PayPal money for M-Pesa in minutes).
If you’re in this situation, you’ve probably seen things like these:
“With our service, you get your cash on M-Pesa within 5 minutes”.
“We exchange your Paypal cash instantly”.
Sounds familiar? I know.
But who should you trust?
Here are things to consider before using anything apart from the official channel.
- The safety of your PayPal account – Some great services do not involve sending money directly to a personal PayPal account. Others involve sending cash to a trusted person’s PayPal account then they send you the equivalent. Withdrawing PayPal money in Kenya through suspicious guys may still work but soon your personal account may be limited, especially if the person gets in trouble with PayPal for whatever reason.
- The speed of delivery – How fast do you get your cash? Most service providers will serve you in 10-30 minutes. The official channel takes you just a few minutes. But if you’re having issues with that channel, you may get an agent who can also deliver fast.
- Quality of support – How is the support team? How do they respond to your queries?
- Exchange rate – How much money will you get at the end of the day?
Some quick ratings of the official PayPal withdrawal method
Why should you opt for the official method? Let’s look at the pros:
Safety of your account 5/5
This is an official service that’s offered by PayPal, Safaricom’s M-Pesa, and Thunes, therefore your account is 100% protected.
Speed of delivery 5/5
You mostly get the cash in minutes, which is amazing!
Quality of support 5/5
Exchange rate 5/5
The biggest asset here is the rate! Using this method gives you the highest possible exchange rate. At the time of updating this post, it’s even faster than Equity’s withdrawal method.
Other services
I had a whole list here when I first wrote this article. I decided not to update this with other services since they seem to come and go real quick. And the official method works fine for most people.
You can always do a quick Google search to see which the latest PayPal to M-Pesa service is. However, to be safe, make sure you check out their reviews to ensure they are not scammers.
What if you can’t use the official PayPal to M-Pesa platform? No sweat. You can use the Equity Bank method instead.
Note that PayPal is not the best method to transact online. There are awesome PayPal alternatives out there like Payoneer, TransferWise, Paxful, and Skrill.
Conclusion
It’s great that freelancers can now officially withdraw from PayPal to MPESA using an arrangement that is directly endorsed by both PayPal and Safaricom.
In case the official method doesn’t work for you, you can always use Equity’s service and still get your cash from PayPal in 3 days.
Equity is also 100% endorsed by PayPal so your safety is guaranteed at all times.
Note that PayPal to M-Pesa is still way cheaper than PayPal to Equity.
Of course, that’s limited by Safaricom’s daily transaction limits.
Those transacting more than Safaricom’s daily limit will have to transact in a couple of days. So if you’re withdrawing $5,000, it may be more practical to just use Equity.
What’s your experience with this method?
