PayPal: fees, availability and limits

PayPal says it is available in 200+ countries and regions and supports 25 currencies.

To open an account you must live in a country or region on PayPal’s worldwide list and be at least 18.

Applies to: UAE user agreement

Personal payments (between friends and family) are limited and may not be available in some markets.

In some countries ("Automatic Transfer Countries") you can receive payments but must withdraw the full amount, or PayPal withdraws it automatically. The agreement does not list these countries.

Applies to: UAE user agreement

Receiving an international commercial payment (a sale to a buyer in another country) costs 4.40% + a fixed fee for accounts in the UAE and Egypt.

Applies to: UAE and Egypt (PayPal’s “all other markets” row)

For accounts in Saudi Arabia, the same international receiving fee is 4.90% + a fixed fee.

Applies to: Saudi Arabia

The fixed fee depends on the currency you receive; for example 0.35 EUR for a payment received in euros.

Converting your balance or a payment you received into another currency costs 3.0% on top of the base exchange rate in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Applies to: Middle East & Africa group, which includes the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt

When you refund a commercial payment there is no fee for the refund, but the fee you paid to receive it is not returned.

Withdrawing AED to a bank account in the UAE is free when more than 750.00 AED and no conversion is involved; below that it costs 11.00 AED.

Applies to: UAE

Withdrawing EGP to a bank account in Egypt costs 125.00 EGP per withdrawal.

Applies to: Egypt

Withdrawing to a card has a fixed fee by currency: 20.00 AED, 19.00 SAR or 79.00 EGP.

Applies to: UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt (card withdrawal table)

Withdrawing to a bank account or wallet through a third-party service provider costs 2.0% + 1.50 USD, and the provider can charge its own fees.

Applies to: Markets listed by PayPal, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt

Withdrawal to a bank account or a card may not be possible in every market.

Which withdrawal methods you can use depends on your country; PayPal shows them after you log in.

Applies to: UAE user agreement

Your bank may charge its own fees, so less than the full amount can arrive.

PayPal may ask for your date of birth, taxpayer or national identification number and physical address.

Applies to: UAE user agreement

If PayPal cannot verify your information it can close, suspend or limit access to your account.

Applies to: UAE user agreement

Verifying your account (for example confirming a bank account or card) can remove a withdrawal cap.

Applies to: UAE user agreement

A document sent to remove a limitation must show all 4 corners of the page.

If PayPal limits your account, it emails you the reason.

In most cases customer service cannot remove a limitation over the phone.

After you complete the required steps, the review usually takes 3 business days.

Risk-based holds on received payments generally last up to 30 days.

Applies to: UAE user agreement

PayPal can set a reserve, for example 10% of payments held for a 90-day rolling period.

Applies to: UAE user agreement

Decisions about holds, limitations and reserves may be based on confidential criteria.

Applies to: UAE user agreement