What are the best PayPal alternatives for Pakistani freelancers?
PayPal is one of the most widely recognized payment methods in the digital sphere. Thousands of freelancers and digital nomads use it to manage their online finances. Most ecommerce sites and check-out portals accept it alongside Visa and Mastercard.
Unfortunately, though, PayPal does not operate in Pakistan. While you can still possible to create an account if you have a foreign bank account, there are easier alternatives for Pakistani freelancers.
When choosing the right digital payment solution, though, you need to keep your eyes open for fraud and scams. Otherwise, you could risk losing money.
To help you, we have vetted numerous digital payment methods. In this article, we present the winners – the five best PayPal alternatives for Pakistani freelancers.
1 – Payoneer
To start with, Payoneer is one of the best PayPal alternatives in Pakistan. The company launched in 2005 and has its headquarters in the US.
Like PayPal, it offers a solid set of functionalities for sending and receiving money.
In addition, it’s accepted by major global enterprises, such as Upwork, Fiverr, People Per Hour, Amazon, and Google.
Freelancers can opt to manage payments in US dollars or convert everything into PKR through any VISA ATM. It’s also possible to transfer your money directly to your local bank account.
Sending and receiving payments from other Payoneer customers is free on this platform. However, credit card transactions in all currencies are charged at 3% per transaction. When it comes to payments from marketplaces such as Fiverr and Upwork, individual fees apply.
2 – SimSim
Next up, SimSim by FINCA Microfinance bank is a viable PayPal alternative for Pakistani freelancers. It launched in 2017 as the first free digital wallet in the country, approved by the State Bank of Pakistan.
SimSim offers an app for both iOS and Android devices. Both on the mobile and desktop app, it’s easy to manage payments.
Freelancers can set up a SimSim wallet using their CNIC and mobile number. Subsequently, you can enjoy this solution’s card-less digital payment system.
However, SimSim is probably better-adapted to the needs of rookie freelancers with small and dispersed income streams. Currently, it has transaction limits between Rs 500 to Rs 5000.
A definite plus of SimSim is that it doesn’t charge transaction fees internally – only when you send money from the platform to your bank account.
3 – 2CheckOut – Verifone
A third fantastic PayPal alternative for Pakistani freelancers is 2CheckOut. The company was acquired by Verifone – a multinational payment corporation based in the US – in September 2020. Still, it’s one of the most well-known locally established options that works on a global basis.
Like Payoneer and SimSim, it offers fast and straightforward payment management options.
Freelancers can link 2CheckOut with MasterCard, American Express, and Visa. In addition, you can easily set up verified payment paths to make sure that both your and your clients’ money is safe.
2CheckOut has different plans available depending on which level of service you need. The cheapest one – 2Sell – charges 3.5% and a flat rate of $0.35 per sale.
4 – EasyPay – Easypaisa
Next on this list is Easypaisa – or Easy Pay. It’s the branchless banking services of Telenor Microfinance bank, which in turn is part of the Telenor Group, one of the largest global communications platforms.
Easypaisa is designed for Pakistani e-commerce sellers and customers in particular and offers some great features for freelancers as well.
Easypaisa fees are 1% per transaction for mobile accounts, 2% for the Easypaisa shop, as well as 3% for credit and debit transactions.
5 – SadaPay
Another great PayPal alternative for Pakistani freelancers is SadaPay. This digital payment solution even issues MasterCards to its users.
Furthermore, it allows seamless financial transactions and online payments at a global level. Large international corporations such as Netflix, Facebook, Amazon, and AliExpress all accept the SadaPay debit card.
Another advantage of this solution is that it’s fast and easy to set up. All you need to do is install the mobile app and upload a selfie and a picture of your CNIC. Once your account is verified, you’ll get full access as well as your card.
One final advantage of SadaPay is also that you can set it up, send and receive payments, and make withdrawals without paying any fees. The only exception is that foreign exchanges for non-PKR purchases are charged at 1.5% per transaction.
Conclusion: The Best PayPal Alternatives for Pakistani Freelancers
As the list above shows, there are several great PayPal alternatives for Pakistani freelancers.
You can harness these digital payment solutions to manage your online finances and successfully handle multiple income streams on a global basis.
Once you’ve compared these options and picked the best to meet your individual needs, you’re good to go. You can launch yourself straight into the global freelancing world.
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
