If you are able to receive payment via PayPal then you are lucky. Because the popular online payment system still does not support many developing countries all over the world. The country I live in (Sri Lanka) is one of them.best Paypal alternative payments methods
I have a PayPal account linked to my credit card. I am able to use my PayPal to buy stuff online through sites like eBay. But, PayPal does not allow me to receive payments from anyone else. And I know for a fact that people in many other countries have the same problem.
As a freelancer, I was forced to find PayPal alternatives for accepting payments from my clients. Over the years I have tried many different payment systems to get paid. Followings are some of the best payment systems that I have personally used, some of which I still use today. Further, Do you know the Method for receiving freelancer payment in Pakistan?
If you live in a country without PayPal support or are simply looking for a better payment system, give these platforms a try. Some of these online payment services are actually better than PayPal.
TransferWise
Best For: Beginners and advanced users.
Platform Fee: Free to receive.
Downsides: Limited availability.
I first heard about TransferWise through a news article when Richard Branson first invested in this new startup. But, I didn’t pay any attention to the forum until one of my clients mentioned it to me. And I couldn’t believe how amazing TransferWise really is.
“Banks can charge up to 5% in hidden expenses when sending money overseas. TransferWise is 8x cheaper on the currency routes surveyed.”
Believe it or not, this is actually true. I have received around 5-10% more when receiving payments through TransferWise than any other payment method I have used.
Once you have registered a TransferWise account, you can send a payment request to your customer along with the required details of your bank account. Then customers can pay with their credit card.
Note that a TransferWise account is not required for anyone to receive payments, yet the customer needs to register an account to send payments. Considering the attractive rates and benefits of the platform, it will not be difficult for your customers to sign up with TransferWise.
Once the payment is processed, the money will be transferred directly to your bank account. No platform fees or transaction fees. That will be charged to your customer.
The only downside to using TransferWise is that the platform is still new and only supports a limited number of countries. It is active in Europe but not fully supported in the US. You can see a list of supported currencies and countries here.
Payoneer
Best For: Beginners and advanced users.
Platform Fee: 3% for transactions plus $25 per year.
Downsides: Expensive platform fees.
Payoneer is one of the most popular PayPal alternatives available today. It is available worldwide and is quite popular among freelancers and people in developing countries.
Right now, TransferWise is my go-to choice for receiving payments. But, when it is not available for a client I am working on, I switch to Payoneer. This platform has a great feature that makes it easy to request and receive payments.
Payoneer allows you to request payment from the customer instantly. The customer then receives their payment request via email with a link to make the payment. And they can pay it directly with their credit card without registering for a payee account. The customer will be charged 3% of the amount for the transaction.
The platform also sends a reminder to customers when they try to ignore a payment request. A useful feature for freelancers to get paid on time.
You can then transfer your money to your bank account or use the physical Payeer credit card you receive upon registering the account to withdraw money from the ATM machine.
The biggest downside of using Payoneer is that the platform charges a $25 annual fee to maintain your account. Otherwise, Payoneer is perfect for freelancers.
Note: Sign up with Payoneer using this link and you will receive an additional $25 once your account reaches a $100 transaction.
Skrill
Best For: Beginners.
Platform Fee: Free to receive.
Downsides: Limitations on the amount receivable.
Skrill (formerly Moneybookers) is a lesser-known PayPal competitor that is primarily popular among online gambling and betting users. However, the platform provides a smooth experience for freelancers as well.
If you can convince your customers to join Skrill, you can get paid through the platform for free. However, when you withdraw your money to your bank account, Skrill will charge a one-time fee per transaction. This amount varies depending on the country of the user. Visit the Fees page to check the platform fee amount based on your country.
Another downside of using the platform is that it does not allow you to receive or withdraw large amounts of money from the very beginning. To remove those limits and receive large amounts of money (such as $2,000 USD), you will need to verify your identity by entering your personal identification card, passport, or a statement from your bank.best Paypal alternative payments methods
I have used Skrill for a long time. After discovering TransferWise, I decided to retire my account. If you’re not satisfied with both TransferWise and Payoneer, consider Skrill.
Stripe
Best For: Advanced users.
Platform fee: 9% + 30 .
Downsides: Limited availability and difficult to implement.
Patti is a payment system that I have not used myself as it is not available in my country. But, many fellow freelancers claim Stripe as a great way to get paid from clients.best Paypal alternative payments methods
You cannot use Stripe like other payment systems. You may not use it to request payment from Customers and Customers may not use the Platform to send payment to you. You must send your customers to a Stripe checkout system to allow them to pay with your credit card.
If you have a website, you can integrate the Stripe checkout button on your website page. However, the easiest way to use Stripe is to use invoicing software, such as invoicing and integrate your Stripe account with the invoicing software to request payments from your customers. This way, your customers will be able to pay you directly through your invoice.
Go here to see if Stripe is available in your country.
2Checkout
Best For Advanced users.
Platform Fee: Depends on location.
Downsides: Difficult to implement and chargebacks.
2Checkout is a payment processor very similar to Stripe. It also does not support direct transactions or payment requests. Therefore, you have to use invoicing software like Invoice Ninja to receive the payment.
One of the great benefits of using 2Checkout is that, in addition to processing payments via credit card, 2Checkout allows you to accept payments via PayPal, even if you don’t have PayPal. Your earnings will be stored within 2 checkouts and you can withdraw it to your bank account once the total amount reaches $300.
There are customers who are reluctant to pay with credit cards (especially brands and corporations). They only pay with PayPal. When this happens, you can use 2Checkout to receive payment.best Paypal alternative payments methods
I used 2Checkout to process some payments early in my freelance career. But haven’t used it recently.
2Checkout has different processing rates for different countries and also charges $25 for chargebacks for fraudulent transactions. Go here to check available rates for your country.
So, what is the best alternative to PayPal? Well, I have to choose TransferWise. If it is available in your country, go for it. Otherwise, Payoneer allows you to request payments from customers with ease. Very easy way to make payment.
Hopefully, PayPal will soon introduce all its features to the rest of the countries around the world. However, I am waiting to be over 6 years old. Until then, let’s look for better PayPal competitors.
Know of any other great paid services? Let me know in the comments.
