international payment method in nepal paypal/payoneer/visa or mastercard/skrill

Top 5 Ways to Receive Online Payments in Nepal

by Soham Amatya
 

Tell me if you can relate to this.

You’re smart. You’re hard-working. And you’re a badass internet freak. I also assume you’re a Nepali and you want to make some real money online.

Yet lately, you have no idea as to how to cash out those online dollars in Nepal.

Man, I feel you. I have been there.

Just as easy as it sounds to make money with, online transaction in Nepal is such a pain in the ass.

Let’s just suppose. You have everything achieved. An awesome client. An amazing pay. And a great career ahead.

Feeling lucky? Wait a minute! That’s too much of daydreaming for one time.

Sooo… you probably already know Nepal is under semi supported Cross-Border Payments.

Annoying, isn’t it?

Technically, yes.

But, not for guys like us.

Let me tell you what top 5 methods online workers in Nepal are using today:

1. International Visa or Mastercard

Having an international Visa or Mastercard is simply the best option if you’re earning in dollars. All you have to have is a foreign currency account (USD/EUR/GBP) in a ‘A-Class’ bank (not all A-class Banks in Nepal offer this service). Based on your regular income and other relevant documents duly issued by the concerned organization (your client), you’ll be able to get an international Visa or Mastercard.

Once you get your Visa or Mastercard, you can use it online and anywhere in the world.

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2. Paypal

PayPal is the most popular online payment service used throughout the world today. No doubt it’s faster and safer than any other payment services on the internet. Too bad it’s not available in Nepal. But luckily, there are some hacks you can use to get by.

Hack No. 1

Link your international Visa or Mastercard if you have one – that would be the number one hack of all. However, not everyone has an international card in Nepal, so there are people that are trying to use Payoneer and prepaid international Visa cards (please note: you need a Valid Passport & Confirmed Air Ticket, and a permission from the Central Bank Nepal to get a prepaid international Visa card).

Sorry to say, guys! These aren’t going to work. What’s more, Paypal has stopped accepting Payoneer Mastercards from August 27, 2015.

Hack No. 2

This is simple. All you need is a very trustworthy person abroad – be it a family friend, relative or anyone. Get their address, phone and SSN (Social Security Number) and use it to create a Paypal account you want to use. Paypal will ask for a phone verification, so be prepared for that. Link either his/her bank account or a credit card and you’re good to go.

Now, I know this calls for too much of information. But you’ve got to do it – if you’ve got to do it.

I’ve done exactly the same. And, trust me it’s the most genuine and easiest way possible.

Hack No. 3

This isn’t something I’d recommend, but there are people that are using VPN servers to use Paypal. What they do is – they use a virtual temporary IP address of USA (or any other country where Paypal is accessible) with a virtual bank account number. This shit is going to get you in trouble. Don’t get into it.

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3. Skrill

This seriously makes me happy. Finally, there’s a Nepali payment gateway teaming up with a global payment system. Skrill is a UK-based company that has partnered with eSewa. It charges 3.99% fee for conversion into Nepalese Rupee from currencies like: USD, Euro, GBP, Canadian Dollar or Polish Zloty. Conversions from other currencies into Nepalese Rupee attract a rate of 4.99%. Plus, until July 31, 2016, Skrill has waived the 1% send fee to send money to eSewa wallets in Nepal.

Everything is just fine, but the question is – Will your client be flexible enough to send money via Skrill? Because people still don’t trust it as much as they trust Paypal.

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4. Payoneer

Payoneer is a cool option if you’re working for slave wages in job bidding sites like sites like Fiverr, Freelancerand Upwork. The process of getting the card, however, is long and tedious. You need to sign up to Payoneer, submit the documents (Passport) to verify your identity, wait until the card is shipped to your address (it may take up to 30 days or forever in some cases) and verify it online.

Once you have the card in your hand, you can withdraw the money from Local ATMs in Nepal. Payoneer charges an annual maintenance fee of $29.95 – and $3.15 + 3% Foreign Transaction Fee per ATM withdrawal.

My suggestion: Withdraw all your money at one go and don’t ever check your balance from local ATMS in Nepal.

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5. Payza

Frankly, I don’t trust this. Even Fiverr, Upwork and Freelancer don’t accept Payza. I’ve never met a single client that would pay me via Payza. Nevertheless, I know it’s a Bangladeshi company and I’ve heard people say that it works just like Paypal and the procedures are somewhat similar too.

Unlike Payoneer, Payza doesn’t charge you any monthly or yearly fees.