Can You Use PayPal in Armenia? + 5 Best Alternatives!

PayPal is an online payment system that supports the transfer of money online. Simply put, PayPal makes it possible to make payments online as well as send or receive money online from friends, family members, or loved ones. With PayPal, it is possible to go through an entire day without using or touching physical money.

In fact, this is something that many PayPal account holders are already doing in many countries including the US. This is especially so given the number of businesses both online and physical stores that now accept payment through PayPal.

For those that use PayPal daily, being able to use it when they travel to a different country or simply when sending money to a different country is very important. This post gets to look at Armenia, to be more specific, is it possible to use PayPal in Armenia?

PayPal services are not available to people in Armenia. However, PayPal account holders from other countries visiting can use PayPal in Armenia although the use is limited.

Can PayPal Be Used In Armenia?

PayPal account holders who are planning on visiting Armenia can use their PayPal account while they are in Armenia be it limited. Why you ask, well, in Armenia, PayPal services are completely unavailable given certain requirements that have resulted in PayPal not setting up their systems in the country.

This is why many in Armenia who want to create or have a PayPal account end up registering with or using a card(s) from a different country. If they were to use cards from Armenia, they wouldn’t be able to use PayPal completely as they won’t be able to top up their PayPal account or withdraw when they receive money be it payment from buyers, friends, family members, or loved ones.

Can PayPal Be Used To Send Money From Armenia?

If you are traveling to Armenia and happen to have a PayPal account then yes you can use it to send money using it while in Armenia. In fact, it is possible to transfer money using PayPal while in Armenia to 59 countries. Keep in mind however that you can only be able to send money using your PayPal account to other PayPal users who are not based in Armenia.

In Armenia, many people do not use PayPal services given that it’s not available in the country just yet. Even if they were to use it, sending them money will be pointless given that withdrawing the money you’ve sent to them involves a lot of hassle such as finding a card from a bank that’s not in Armenia and using it to withdraw money from a PayPal account.

Can PayPal Be Used To Receive Money In Armenia?

Unlike sending money, receiving money using PayPal while in Armenia is impossible. Simply put receiving money using PayPal is not yet supported in Armenia. This also applies to those that are visiting Armenia and happen to have valid PayPal accounts.

Just to be clear, if you happen to be let’s say be from the US and are currently visiting Armenia, you’ll be able to receive money using your PayPal account; however, there are no channels put in place that’ll see you cash it out in Armenia. So basically, you’ll not receive the money you receive using your PayPal account while in Armenia.

There are other alternative methods one can use or embrace if they want to withdraw money from their PayPal account while in Armenia. These however are not advised given that a number of them are usually illegal and you might end up not getting your money altogether or compromising the security of your PayPal account.

Can PayPal Be Used To Purchase Goods/Services In Armenia?

Given the fact that PayPal is not available in Armenia, many businesses including hotels and even restaurants do not accept PayPal as a means of payment. In other words, if you are looking at purchasing at an Armenia store, be it online or a physical store, you’ll not be able to do so with the balance in your PayPal account.

You can however still shop for any product or service online from several international stores such as eBay and Amazon given that many sellers on such said platforms accept PayPal as a means of payment.

It is however not advised especially if you are simply visiting Armenia for a short period of time given that it’ll take some time to ship what you’ve just purchased or ordered to you while in Armenia. If it’s a must you shop in Armenia, we suggest making use of physical money.

Will PayPal Ever Come To Armenia?

So maybe you are not planning on visiting Armenia straight away and you are wondering, will PayPal ever be in Armenia. Well, the answer is yes. Although there is no clear timeline on this, talks are underway between PayPal and relevant authorities in Armenia with regards to PayPal setting up their system in the country. The negotiations have been on-going for some time now actually as it all started late 2018 so it might be sooner than expected.

What Are PayPal Alternatives In Armenia?

Given the numerous limitations associated with using PayPal in Armenia, it comes as no surprise that many people are always on the lookout for alternatives when they visit the country. In fact, even Armenians are always looking for PayPal alternatives so as for them to be able to transact businesses online. That said there are several PayPal alternatives one can take up while there are in Armenia.

1. U!Pay

Topping the list of PayPal alternatives for those who are keen on keeping up the use of digital wallets to transact everywhere they go is U!Pay. With this particular mobile wallet, users can make payments when shopping online as well as send and receive money. It does pretty much what PayPal does. The one thing U!Pay users cannot do is send and receive money internationally. The same also goes for international payments.

Website: U!Pay

2. EasyWallet

Considered Armenia’s most secure and fastest digital wallet, EasyWallet is another ideal PayPal alternative for anyone in Armenia. A plus with EasyWallet is the fact that users can use it to transfer money to other digital wallets in Armenia. Like PayPal, users can use EasyWallet to send and receive money as well as make payments for 400 plus services.

Website: EasyWallet

3. PayX

PayX is relatively new compared to the other digital wallets already listed in this post. With it, users can use their phones to make payments when shopping in Armenia. It also boasts as being one of the few digital wallets in Armenia that support card-to-card transactions.

Website: PayX

4. Compare Transfer

Although not a digital wallet, Compare Transfer is an ideal platform for anyone who wants to send money to someone in Armenia especially so if they are looking at doing so without high fees. With Compare Transfer, users can easily compare exchange rates and fees for many providers.

Website: Compare Transfer

5. Stripe

Stripe is always a go-to PayPal alternative in just about any country you go to. With Stripe users have the possibility of doing everything that they could with their PayPal account? A plus with Stripe is fees. It has very low fees compared to PayPal.