The lack of a good and reliable way to withdraw money from PayPal in Kenya is one of the factors which hinder the average Kenyan’s potential to earn online most significantly. On Like Chapaa, we have had a long and hard struggle to try to find and identify the best way to withdraw from PayPal in Kenya. I believe that we have a contender for this title in e-Pay Kenya.
e-Pay Kenya opened its doors in January 2009 as e-pesa then rebranded in 2010 to ePAY-KENYA. Esther Kimani of e-Pay Kenya reached out to us to provide more information on what e-Pay does. This article is based on her information to us, and on good reports their customers.
e-Pay Kenya offers two ways to withdraw your hard-earned money:
1. Moneybookers
“We have an Merchant Agreement with Moneybookers allowing us to officially run a Money transfer website using their services. This explains why the moneybookers fee is lower (11%) than Paypal. We therefore do not operate under any fear of account limitation as we operate with blessings from Moneybookers. We deliver within the hour but often less,” says Esther Kimani of e-Pay Kenya.
2. Paypal
Esther continues, “We use a third-party gateway to avoid the direct interface with Paypal because we have experienced the danger of doing so (when we operated as e-pesa). This explains why the transaction charges are higher (14%) than Moneybookers but then our users enjoy the following benefits:
- Peace of mind when dealing with us as there is no possibility of our users’ accounts being limited by PayPal
- Our third-party gateway does fraud tests on our behalf to minimize fraudulent transactions.
- We have a strict KYC (Know Your Customer) policy. All our users have to send Identification Documents in order to have their accounts verified, thus allowing them to make transactions.
- We demand that users forward their Paypal Transaction Confirmation emails before they can cash their money. We use this document to authenticate the bona fide account holders. We have caught up with fraudsters who hack into unsuspecting paypal account holders’ accounts.
- Delivery within 24 hours but often less.”
Charges
The bulk of the fees are charged when you deposit money from Moneybookers/PayPal into e-Pay Kenya. Their charges at this time are as follows:
Moneybookers:
- Deposit 11%
- Withdrawal USD 3 irrespective of the amount
Paypal:
- Deposit 14%
- Withdraw USD 3 irrespective of the amount
Conclusion
It seems to me that e-Pay Kenya has a very well thought-out service. It is the best of all such businesses that I have come across so far. It is a bit pricey, but as we wait for PayPal to open itself up, e-Pay Kenya remains a good and reliable alternative.
What do you think of e-Pay Kenya?
ALERT
As far as I know, the REAL e-Pay Kenya is at: www.epay-kenya.com
NOT: www.epaykenya.com
I just can not get over how efficient these guys are. They have passed the test of time (I have been using them for two years now) and they always seem to be on top of the game. Innovative, ability to deliver timely, reliable and courteous are just but a few words I can use to describe them. Excellent customer service……i can go on and on. Their latest announcement of reducing charges was timely and welcome. ePAY, consider going even lower or come up with a structure which gives a better rate for those doing say USD 200 and above. Keep it up guys, I am your die hard supporter and will continue to be as long as you uphold or improve your current standards.
As George says, this is true, e-pay has passed the test of time. I use them on and off, and every time they are efficient. Recently i moved my primary pay method from Moneybookers (skrill) to Paypal, and would continue using them. The post is informative for those who don’t know.
They ROCK!!!!
It’s about time epay-kenya got the prominence they deserve. They are always been very responsive to their clients(me and the other friends using them). They always deliver on time, are curteous and will assist you even late in the night and on holidays. And yes i believe their charges are on the higher side(i have however noted the ruduction and looking forward to more….can’t blame a sista). when all is said and done..all i can say is Kudo’s to the entire team!
EPAY-KENYA has helped me to withdraw my paypal funds for over one year.they are very honest with their customers espe me.on my side i receive money i n matter of hours.I trust them and i recommend any one to this service.
I have just withdrawn money from paypal to mpesa using http://www.epesamoney.com and the transaction took about 4 minutes. This was a test, USD 5 to send, total charge on paypal was USD 5.85 and money receives on mPesa was Kshs 415, the site says exchange rate is 83. I loved the test results. Soon after getting the mPesa message, I see an email alert that confirms I have received payment, and the email includes a code for mPesa and a copy of the email they receive from paypal.
I again tried the system with another 5 USD and it works like a charm. I got a call from their support in Kenya asking me if I actually made the second transactions and I said yes. It then came through.
So far this has been the fastest and cheapest way to send money from Paypal to Mpesa. I only spent USD 1.7 to send USD 10. Big up ePesa, I have evidence if anyone needs it. Thanks Like Chapaa.com
Is it still working
This is great! epay have lowered their rates further! In another development, they are processing paypal transaction much quicker (they say within the hour). Below is an email I have just received from them:
Greetings,
———————
We promised to work on further fee reduction and are now happy to announce the new structure with immediate effect as follows:
• Moneybookers – 8% + 1.5 USD per transaction
• Paypal – 12% + 1.5 USD per transaction
The higher the value of your Paypal withdrawal, the higher the savings based on the new structure. For more information on this and other ePAY-KENYA related news, click on this link: https://epay-kenya.com/news.htm. Help us spread the word about our services amongst your friends, colleagues and relatives.
Kind regards,
ePAY-KENYA Team
For those interested in selling products online, ePAY are now offering Promo Codes for waiving the USD 49 2Checkout signup fee for Vendor accounts. Write to ePAY using support@epay-kenya.com and request for the promo code. It is good to see ePAY partnering with giants like 2Checkout in a bid to opening up the e-commerce space in this part of the world. Thank you ePAY and keep it up!
I wrote to support@epay-kenya.com concerning the ‘promo’ codes but no reply. Please, Esther do something. Otherwise e-pay’s Paypal transaction were efficient and quite fast. Good job.
I have tried signing up with them but I keep receiving an invalid confirmation url. Anyone with a similar experience?
Thanks
Hi Wally. This is Esther from ePAY. This is a common problem associated with your browser settings. Kindly forward your full names and email address to support@epay-kenya.com and we will be glad to signup on your behalf. You can complete your profile details once we provide you with login details. Sorry about that. I look forward to receiving your details.
Esther,
Thanks a lot for your response. I forgot to update here that I have tried again and it has worked. I am now checking out your services. I believe they will fit the hype. I am posting this same thing on mail but will leave it here for the sake of other curious Kenyans.
1. Is withdrawal from PayPal in Kenya really possible?
2. If I verify my account tomorrow, can I withdraw, say 400 dollars on Tuesday and get it the same day?
Truly it is great to hear that there is a way to do a PayPal withdrawal in Kenya.
Thank you.
Thanks for the response
I am glad you succeeded. We have been in this business for three years and I can assure you that our system works perfectly and most importantly, your account is not prone to Paypal limitations as we use a well reputed third party gateway. As long as your account is verified, you can withdraw your USD 400. From the time you initiate the transaction, it will take up to 30 minutes to receive your money via Mpesa. Your paypal account needs to be verified though. I look forward to being of assistance to you whenever you are ready.
Thanks again Esther and I believe verification is sending the scanned ID, right. I look forward to doing major business with you.
Yes Wally. A scanned copy of your ID (both sides) or passport is required. If you intend to do USD 1000 and above per week, we will require you to have your account certified by sending a utility bill or bank or Credit card statement with your name and address. I look forward to doing business with you.
If you are interested in selling Products or Services Online and are looking at the most Cost Effective Gateway through which to receive your money locally, then we have good news for you. ePAY-KENYA has signed up an Agent Agreement with 2Checkout and in a rare gesture, 2Checkout has provided ePAY-KENYA a special Promo Code which allows you a 100% waiver of their USD 49 Signup fee.
2Checkout’s payments platform bundles a gateway and merchant account into one single offering with no need to contract with a merchant bank or manage separate agreements. You can accept Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, Discover, PayPal, Diner’s Club, JCB and Debit cards from one solution through 2Checkout’s fully secure hosted payment pages. In addition, 2CO provides industry leading recurring billing services, call center support, full SSL certification, and the system is translatable in 15 languages and 26 international currencies for buyers and sellers in over 200 countries.
If you are interested in this limited offer, request for the code through support@epay-kenya.com and we shall be glad to forward it to you.
ePAY, you rock!! I have had my vendor account approved by 2checkout. This is amazing! I saved USD 49?? This truly shows how professional you are by giving value added services. No wonder your services are so streamlined and spot on. Long live ePAY!!!!!
Hi Esther,
It is Wally again. Tuesday is here. How long does it take to verify. I sent my scanned ID and have not received any response. As stated before, I need to withdraw some cash today. Please respond as soon as possible. I still trust that you offer the great services stated above.
Hi Wally, kindly check, your account was verified and an email sent this morning. Kindly check your spam mail as well if you have not received the email. And we shall definitely not disappoint on great service..
I second that! ePAY are truly ahead of this game. Why don’t you try negotiate such deals with Paypal? Or at least go into partnership with them like you have with 2Checkout ! We want paypal to allow us withdraw locally.
Working hard behind the scene Susan. Unfortunately, paypal has recently ‘grey listed’ Kenya and that does not augur well for us. Tunafaa tujipange as I do not see paypal coming to Kenya soon until the government steps up its efforts on Anti Money Laundering campaign by enacting the appropriate law.
Hi,
I really like this forum….its really benefiting us kenyans.
with regard to paypal, i think payoneer US withdrawal would do. liaising with them would be great. I once contacted them on the same and they said that i needed to scan some documents and provide some details on my website….didn’t have one so i gave up.
For Easter, it would work well. They charge 1% for transfer into mastercard that is very easy to use( i have one myself).
Dealing with payoneer.com is easy, they have live chat customer support that is very reliable.
I have seen that it is verified. I have not seen the mail (even in spam). I have just logged in to my ePay account and seen that’s taken care of. Thank you very much.
Let me proceed to withdraw in the next couple and hours.
Verified. I have just withdrawn some dollars through ePay successfully. The whole process took a very short time as promised also. Good to know that you can actually succesfully withdraw from PayPal in Kenya.
@Esther
Thank you so much together with your team for the generous support
@ Wally…Thank you for giving us the chance to serve you and i believe that we proved our worth. We look forward to your return visits….
You are welcome. There will surely be many return visits and recommendations. In fact I just sent the second withdrawal request. I hope you’ll reduce your fees though in due time.
hy i just learnt about epay Kenya today and would like to know how to deposit money for my paypal account to my epay Kenya account .thank you
@David, with pleasure. Kindly make a request through our ticketing system at https://epay-kenya.com/contact.htm. I will send you a document containing what you need to know about withdrawing paypal money into your Mpesa through ePAY-KENYA.
Finally!!!!
I’ve been looking for this for soo long (okay, maybe only for a few months). I’d been wondering how i’ll withdraw money from my paypal account.
I was so desperate, i actually called Kevin up for a solution.
I’m signing up now to epay-kenya.com
Thanks to Kevin and epay-kenya.
Hi guys
Thank God we finally have paypal.He! ni mungu tu sasa nina swali…can i link my freelancer card to Paypal? thoughts? recommendations?….someone? anyone? nitashukuru 😉
Sorry Missy you can’t do that. What you can do though is have them create for you a US Virtual Account so that you can be withdrawing straight from PayPal to your card. You will have to be waiting for 4 days though for a transaction to complete. Just go to your payoneer account, go to contact us and tell them you are interested in a US Virtual Account. They will take it up from there.
Thanks Wally..How much would that cost me?
It will cost you 20 dollars per year. This 20 dollars will be taken upfront when you receive cash on Payoneer. WIthdrawals are still the usual $2.17 per withdrawal. They deduct a small percentage, I think less than 1 percent when you receive cash. It is good for withdrawing huge chunks of cash e.g. over 100 dollars but you can even withdraw 5 dollars if you want. They actually open a bank account for you so you literally withdraw from PayPal to your card.
I actually had a question similar to Missy’s:
I have a payoneer account and was wondering how to get a virtual card and whether that would cost me?
@Wally who seems to have all the answers ;D, is it possible to get money onto my payoneer virtual card or account and send it to paypal?
Allan,
No you can’t do that, you’ll only use it to withdraw. You can use ePay-Kenya.com for that.
Another great thing about ePay-kenya is that you get the cash within minutes and not the 4 days when you send it to your account. All in all, it is good to have both.
Ok so i got i touch with payoneer and got this huge email but included the relevant things: My question is before i commit myself, did you guys go through all this hussle to set up a virtual account?
Thank you for contacting us about joining the Payoneer US Payment Service. This premium service allows you to receive online earnings from select US corporations as direct deposit transfers (local US ACH) directly to your Payoneer prepaid card. Once you send funds through this service, your funds are automatically loaded to your Payoneer card for your use. You cannot withdraw money using the US Payment Service itself, or use it to load any online wallet.
If you are interested in participating, please reply to this e-mail and address the following questions and requests.
What services or products do you offer?
What is your website URL?
Please provide us with direct web links showing some examples of your products, services and other online activity. Please make sure the links include mention of your name or shows your relation to the product/service.
Please provide a copy of a government-issued photo ID. You can send your driver’s license, passport or national ID. If your ID is in a different language than English, we prefer an international passport.
You can scan/take a photograph of your ID and attach it to your reply to this e-mail. Please send both sides of the document where relevant. We prefer jpeg format under 1MB. If you have already provided us with your ID copy, please skip this requirement.
Please confirm that you expect to receive ACH payments from the following companies. Payment attempts from any other company will be automatically declined.
They listed a whole lot of companies i could be linked to but under PayPal it read
PayPal Inc. (Important Note: Transfers from PayPal to Payoneer are allowed, but transfers from the US Payment Service to PayPal are automatically declined)
Please note that payments are subject to the terms & conditions set by the US organizations that are paying you. The US Payment Service involves an annual fee of $20, and 1% of the payment amount.
For any questions please reply to this e-mail; Payoneer is happy to be your single point of contact for the US Payment Service.
Thank you,
Sofia
Payoneer Customer Relations Department
Missy,
I did not consider that hustle at all. Just answer those questions and that’s it.
Create a free website/blog using wordpress or kbo.com and give them as your website. Give them a link to your freelancer.com username to show them that you do some work online. The rest is straight forward. As I had stated you can receive from PayPal but can’t upload funds to PayPal. Their commissions are the lowest ever – 1%. If you are normally busy online like me, trust me you won’t feel the 20dollars per year (other services will take that 20 dollars instantly when you do a 200 dollar transaction, get it? i.e. 10%, 12% commissions e.t.c.). Get all those answers right and you’ll have the account in a matter of days.
@ Wally Ok… Thanks for the feedback by the way is this Ako wally by any chance?
Missy,
What is it about Ako wally?
You are welcome.
Thanks to e-pay!!!
I sent an email to e-Pay, and received a document with instructions on how to withdraw from a paypal account, but I don’t get the steps. I don’t understand where http://chuchihosting.com comes in.
Someone please give me the simplified and easy to follow instructions on how to channel the funds in my paypal account to e-pay.
Thanks.
You have to register at that website churchi……. then withdrawal will involve buying the icons on the website… every icon has some value of money… so you simply buy the icon (or multiple of icons) that are equal or nearly equal to the amount of money you want to withdraw… I dont know if am making sense… but I Hope I do.
you’ve really helped me. thanks
i agree. Their (e-pay) explanation was not simplified for first time users.
But Nelson says it all, register at chuchihosting (it’s the gateway they use to channel money) 1st then follow the steps outlined in the email you got from e-pay. Make sure your PayPal account has been verified first.
If you have any questions I’d advise you to contact e-pay Kenya through their support ticket system, they’re actually very helpful and respond almost immediately.
Thanks very much.
Go through it step by step and feel free to ask their support any question through their online ticketing. By the way if you follow it step by step it is quite simple. I love their speed, recently withrew cash from PayPal to my phone in 15 min.
Cheers
am now left with the paypal account verification. how is this done. did you use i&m, kcb, or another bank? how much does the i&m debit card cost?
Use whichever bank card you have whether it is Co-op, Equity e.t.c. You can use either your debit (ATM) card or a credit card if you have. There are no charges for this. Just go to your bank and ask them to open your card for online transactions and they’ll do that in a few minutes.
As for ePay verification, just send a scanned copy of your ID to their support email above.
I hope everything works out.
You have really sorted me out. I have applied for Safaricom I&M visa card to be ready in the next few days.
Thanks very much.
Great. I heard you can even buy stuff online with that Safcom card.
I would just like to inquire if An Equity ATM card… (ordinary account) can be used to verify Paypal.. Am avoiding unnecessary trip to the bank for the same only to be disappointed. Thanks
Yes, you can use the Equity ATM card. As long as it’s a card that is written Visa or MasterCard somewhere you can use it. The one for Equity is Visa.
Is it true that the money I have in my paypal account can be returned to the sender because if I fail to claim it for 30 days? Or it can stay there for months.
I am new into using Paypal.
Am about to get a debit card to verify my account then withdral via epay
Euchytus,
If someone has sent you some cash, just accept it, no need to test the 30 day thing. On the other hand, if you have cash on PayPal, it can stay for as long as you wish, as far as I know.
Thanks.
Thank you for the info. Am totally new as far as PayPal is concerned.
I have tried to link my visa debit card for verification, but am always getting;
“We were unable to verify this credit card. Please check if the information you entered is correct. Please also make sure your credit card billing address matches your PayPal street address.”
I will appreciate any help
Going to PayPal’s help center, am getting;
“Most addresses outside the U.S. can’t be confirmed at this time.
If a seller requires a confirmed shipping address, PayPal suggests the buyer contact the seller directly. Sellers may deliver to an unconfirmed address, but are liable for any buyer-initiated disputes.”
I also have a similar problem….. I have been trying to link my Equity ATM card and it says…”We were unable to verify this credit card. Please check if the information you entered is correct. If the problem persists, please try to enter a different credit card.”…… Earlier on Today i was at the Equity bank for activation of the same…. and those guys to just enter the card number….. BUT it is not working. Somebody please help..!! Thanks
Thank God. I have just gone through. I had forgotten to activate my card for online use. On doing so, guess what, paypal have charged $1.95 USD to make sure the card is mine. am now waiting for the unique 4-digit code.
Try it on your card, Nelson.
Now for the activation of an ATM I had been advised to go to Equity bank… But today when I was there they just told me to simply use my card number.. nothing else is required… and it is not working… Am planning to go back tomorrow.
Just go them, if they’ll open tomorrow, and ask them to activate it for online use. Am using the I&M’s and fortunately one can log in to their website and do it from anywhere, which I just did.
Hope Equity, sorts you. If not try I&M. It just cost ksh.250 for the Mpesa visa prepay debit card.
Ok. By the way.. how long did it take for you to get the mpesa card? and can someone apply for it at any customer care centre
I went to I&M bank. it takes less than 5 days
ok. thanks
You can now verify paypal free without stress using SAFARICOM I&M SAFARI CARD……I did mine in seconds and now working!!!!!!! 0725124166
John,
Whichever method you use it is free. Whether coop, safcom e.t.c. The advantage of Safcom and KCB prepaid debit cards is that they come open for online transactions so you don’t have to go to the bank to ask them to open them up.
All the best in freelancing and also check out this blog http://www.freelancerkenya.wordpress.com for more insights.
Ok these topics are too much, Kelvin can we simply have a topic about Paypal……one that will be resourceful
1. how to join and the steps
2. emphasis on the card to attach for verification….which banks are favourable?
3. withdrawal process……………….which other sites like ePay can help us?
4.if you want to pay in dollars also…..through paypal….the procedure? eg when subscribibg to omething or using eBay?
Ideally the way i see it,Paypal will not give Kenya a thought unless we have full knowledge of how to use their services. The numbers are what will help convince them setup shop and transact with Kenyans. If we can have a full topic on this ASAP we can move forward real fast.
Excellent idea! We’ll get working on this. 🙂
hallo people,
thank you very much for the info.going to my bank for them to activate my card for online transcations.
you have been of great help thanks alot guys.
God bless you all.
I would vouch for e-pay kenya any day. I run several transaction with them each week and they have never let me down. The only thing is that the rates are a bit too high (especially for paypal)… though I guess they also do pay a lot to their gateways.
Anyway, this is one reliable way to withdraw moneybookers or paypal in Kenya…. plus they are almost instant as I usually get my money within 30mins each time I make a transaction with them…
Service worth trying out/…
Thanks Kevin, It works perfectly. Thanks for your assistance. At least we have a payment gateway company that we can trust.
i would like to know which banks in kenya support pay pal and how i can deposit money to m paypal account. You have a nice theme can i know which it is? i would like to use it in my new site
Hi, this piece was informative and i commented a while back. Can someone be kind enough to share infor on which banks support paypal. I am through with registration but i do not know which bank card to link….equity,co-op,kcb………..gani wasee….saidieni bana nimekwama hiyo stage………
Victor, vipu buda,
Hizo zote zinasaidia, Equity, Coop, KCB e.t.c as long as the card is written Visa. Just do the following:
-Go to the bank and tell them to open the card for online transactions (free)
-Go back home or to a cyber, link the card with PayPal
-If you have 200 bob in your account, click on verify
-PayPal will deduct $1.95 from your account and deposit it to PayPal
-Go to an ATM and get a mini-statement (no need for that if you have mobile banking coz you’ll get a text)
-Give PayPal that 4 digit code in the relevant box
-Voila! Your PayPal is verified
-Use ePay-Kenya or Payoneer to withdraw (more details on the little link above on trackbacks.
Enjoy,
Wally aka akowally aka freelancerkenya.wordpress.com
Thanks bro, though i am thanking you late….that is the information i needed. I am now fully in,thanks again.
Hi Esther,
need help in signing up for an epay kenya account. i have tried in vain. please help before i give up with epay-kenya
thanks
Breaking News! – ePAY reduces rates.
We are happy to announce the reduction of deposit transaction fee from 12% + USD 1.5 per transaction to 10% + USD 1.5 per transaction with immediate effect. The withdrawal fee remains USD 3 irrespective of the amount withdrawn. Many of you have spoken, we have been listening and finally we are able to do something. We thank you most sincerely for having given us the opportunity to work on the modalities which gave us the leeway to reduce the rates with the only string attached being more savings for you.
In another development, we have introduced an ePAY Community Forum on our website. Use this platform to share your ePAY experience with other community members, find solutions to common challenges, communicate to ePAY team, express yourself etc. We are committed to enhancing your experience at ePAY-KENYA.
Have a great week a head as we take this early opportunity to wish you a happy Madaraka Day.
Kind regards,
ePAY-KENYA Team
Thanks Esther for the 2% reduction. I have also seen that your dollar rate is up 🙂
You are welcome Wally. There is a possibility that the dollar might go a little higher. We are monitoring keenly. Stay tuned!
@Wally, the dollar rate has gone up further as predicted. Good time for harvesting after three months of depression!!
Great! We’ll continue using your great services.
It is good for Kenyan if they realize how easy it is to withdraw their PayPal earnings via Payoneer Master Card and Virtual US Account.
The transaction takes 1-5 days and the cost is 1% of the total money being transferred. The money can then be dispensed at any ATM with a Master Card sign at a cost of (Kshs. 179/=) $2.15.
For more details about applying for the free Master Card that Integrates to PayPal , visit :http://ndungusoft.com/articles.php?id=30
where are the epay offices located in Nairobi?
You are most welcome Victor. I’m happy that it worked out.
Raphael, check our ePAY-KENYA support ticket. You have been assisted and you now have an active account. Send your ID for account verification.