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Help » Payments » Payment Methods » Withdrawal Methods for Providers » PayPal

PayPal

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Who can register for PayPal withdrawals?
Providers in most countries can register with PayPal - however, most countries are not supported for withdrawals from PayPal to your bank account. Before sending your oDesk earnings to PayPal, please check that your country is supported. Even amongst supported countries, features and fees vary widely. In addition, PayPal may limit your account until you pass their verification procedures (which vary by country - a bank account or credit card is usually required).
A Personal PayPal account is fine for most users. There's no need to sign up for a Premier or Business account unless you have other needs those account types' features (sending Mass Payments, low cost credit card processing, etc.).
PayPal is usually the most convenient and cost-effective option for providers who live and have bank accounts in countries where PayPal offers free electronic funds transfers (such as Australia, Canada, India, etc.).
What fees and other costs are associated with PayPal withdrawals?
PayPal fees are very low, so long as your PayPal account is in US Dollars. If you have a bank account that you can register with PayPal, it is generally the best withdrawal method for providers in Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and much of Europe.
When withdrawing your earnings from oDesk to PayPal:
  • oDesk charges $1 per withdrawal to PayPal.
  • If your PayPal account is in a currency other than US Dollars, PayPal will add a currency conversion fee of 2.5% to the exchange rate. Therefore, we recommend you set your account's primary currency to US Dollars.
Providers who have bank accounts other currencies supported by PayPal (such as Euros) will have to decide whether to pay the currency conversion fee on the way into your PayPal account (PayPal set to bank currency) or on the way out (PayPal set to US Dollars).
When transferring your money out of PayPal:
  • Withdrawal fees vary by withdrawal method, destination country and currency choice (see PayPal's withdrawal fee calculator for details). Electronic funds transfers (where available) are fee-free if minimum transfer requirements are met (usually about $150).
  • If the withdrawal is in a currency other than the account currency, PayPal will add a currency conversion fee of 2.5% to the exchange rate.
Ability to transfer money out of PayPal varies by country. It may be possible to transfer your earnings to a bank account, credit card or to receive money by check (see PayPal's withdrawal fee calculator for details). In countries where withdrawals are not offered, you may be still be able to open an account and use your earnings to 'Pay by PayPal' to online merchants and transfer money others' PayPal accounts (see PayPal Offerings Worldwide for a complete list of countries and available services).
Sandeep, a provider in India creates a PayPal account with US Dollars as the primary currency. His bank account is in Indian Rupees.
  • He withdraws $150 in earnings from oDesk.
  • oDesk deducts a $1 withdrawal fee and $149 are deposited into his PayPal account.
  • He transfers the $149 to his bank account. PayPal charges a 2.5% currency conversion fee for the exchange from US Dollars to Indian Rupees.
  • The equivalent of $145.27 is deposited into his bank account.
PayPal is generally the most convenient option for providers in India like Sandeep. If he did not have a bank account that accepted PayPal transfers, Payoneer would be a good alternative.
Maria, a provider in the Ukraine creates a PayPal account with US Dollars as the primary currency.
  • She withdraws $150 in earnings from oDesk.
  • oDesk deducts a $1 withdrawal fee and $149 are deposited into her PayPal account.
  • PayPal does not allow withdrawals on accounts in the Ukraine, but she can use her earnings to make purchases online. Her purchasing power with US Dollar merchants is $149.
  • If the purchases are not in US Dollars, PayPal adds a 2.5% fee on top of the exchange rate.
  • Her purchasing power with non-US Dollar merchants is the equivalent of $145.27.
While PayPal is an option for Maria, a debit card through Payoneer would offer her more flexibility for a similar level of fees.
Alex, a provider in Switzerland already has a PayPal account with the primary currency set to Euros. His is bank account is in Swiss Francs.
  • He withdraws $150 in earnings from oDesk.
  • oDesk deducts a $1 withdrawal fee and sends $149 to PayPal.
  • PayPal charges a 2.5% currency conversion fee. The equivalent of $145.27 is deposited into his PayPal account in Euros.
  • Transfers the $145.27 to his bank account. a 2.5% fee is added to the exchange rate from Euros to Swiss Francs.
  • The equivalent of $141.63 is deposited into his bank account.
Changing the account's primary currency to US Dollars would allow Alex to avoid this double currency exchange (and therefore reduce his fees).
How long do PayPal transfers take?
Withdrawals from oDesk to PayPal are instantaneous. You should receive a confirmation email from PayPal within a few hours. However, withdrawing earnings from PayPal can take some time and will vary by method and country.
If you believe your PayPal withdrawal failed, please contact Customer Support. They can check the status of the transfer and recover the untransfered funds.
How do I register for PayPal withdrawals?
Registering for PayPal withdrawals is done partly with oDesk and partly with PayPal. You may create a new account or use an existing PayPal account.
Currency Considerations: PayPal charges a 2.5% fee each time there is a currency conversion. We strongly recommend setting your primary currency to US Dollars on PayPal to avoid an incoming conversion fee.
However, users who have bank accounts in other currencies which PayPal offers as primary (such as Canadian or Australian Dollars) may find it more convenient to set their accounts to that currency to avoid the outgoing currency conversion fee. This is only suggested for users who often make PayPal purchases in that other currency.

If you need to a new PayPal account:

  1. Confirm with PayPal that your country is supported and that their features and fees are acceptable.
  2. Go to Payments > Payment Methods. Select the Withdrawals tab.
  3. Click the Sign Up Now link in the PayPal Actions column.
  4. You'll be taken to the PayPal website to register for a PayPal account with your @odesk.com email address or your personal email address (in Profile > User Info).
    • Complete the PayPal registration process, including confirming your email address.
    • If you do not receive a confirmation email shortly, be sure to check your spam folders. Emails sent to your @odesk.com email address are forwarded to the personal email address we have on file - so either way you will be checking for the confirmation message from PayPal in the same place.
    • Once confirmed, we suggest you set up your preferred withdrawal method with PayPal before moving on to the next step. The process varies by method and country.
  5. Complete the PayPal withdrawal method activation process (directions below).

If you have an existing PayPal account:

Registered to your @odesk.com or personal email address (in Profile > User Info).
  1. No special action required. Skip directly to the activation directions below.
Registered to some other email address.
  1. Use one of the following two methods to make your email address on PayPal match oDesk.
    • Add your @odesk.com or personal email address (in Profile > User Info) to your existing PayPal account. When you log into the PayPal website this option is in My Account > Profile. Click the link in the confirmation email from PayPal to complete the addition.
    • Change your personal email address (in Profile > User Info) to match your PayPal account. Click the link in the confirmation email from oDesk to complete the change.
  2. Complete the PayPal withdrawal method activation process (directions below).

To complete your PayPal withdrawal method activation:

  1. Return to oDesk's Payments > Payment Methods. Select the Withdrawals tab.
  2. Use the Click here link in the Account column.
  3. Press the Enable PayPal button. For security reasons, PayPal withdrawals will become active in 4 days.

Please confirm your PayPal account and complete any necessary verification process with them before initiating a PayPal withdrawal on oDesk. You are responsible for making sure that PayPal provides the services you need before you withdraw money. Once you submit a withdrawal oDesk transfers the money to PayPal and is unable to retrieve it.

Never make a withdrawal from oDesk to PayPal until you've figured out how to access your money after the transfer.

How do I edit my PayPal information?
In most cases, changes to your PayPal account must be done directly on PayPal. (When you log into the PayPal website most editable options are in My Account > Profile.) It is possible to remove your email address from one PayPal account and add it to another or register it for a new account. It is also possible to add additional email addresses to an existing account. Just keep in mind that an email address can only be associated with only one PayPal account at a time.
oDesk can only send your earnings to the email address specified during the withdrawal method registration process. To send to a different email address:
  1. Remove PayPal as a withdrawal method.
  2. Re-add PayPal as a withdrawal method using a different email address. For security reasons, there will be a waiting period before the withdrawal method is available again.
Once you withdraw funds using PayPal oDesk does not have control over the funds, cannot reverse the transaction and cannot ensure that you receive them. It is your responsibility to ensure your PayPal account is properly set to handle the transactions.
How do I remove my PayPal information?
To remove your PayPal withdrawal method:
  1. Go to Payments > Payment Methods. Select the Withdrawals tab.
  2. Press the Remove button in the Actions column.
  3. Press the Confirm button in the Actions column. You are free to re-add PayPal as a withdrawal method again anytime.
Removing your email address from a PayPal account must be done directly with PayPal. (When you log into the PayPal website the option is in My Account > Profile.) It is possible to add a new primary email address to your PayPal account then continue to use it after deleting the @odesk.com address. Closing the account entirely must also be done directly with PayPal.
Are there any restrictions on PayPal withdrawals?
oDesk withdrawals to PayPal have a minimum of $1 and a maximum of $10,000. PayPal availability, features and fees vary by country and PayPal may place additional restrictions on your account.
oDesk charges a $1 fee for PayPal withdrawals. So if you only withdraw $1 there will be nothing left to deposit in your PayPal account.
I've registered for PayPal withdrawals. How do I transfer my earnings?
oDesk does not automatically transfer your earnings to your PayPal account. You must make withdrawals manually in Payments > Withdrawals. (Learn more about withdrawing your earnings.)
I'm a buyer. Can I pay by PayPal?
At this time, buyers cannot pay with PayPal, Western Union or any other online payment vendor. But please check back periodically as we're continuously working to expand the options for our users. (Read more about existing payment methods.)
Some buyers do pay with PayPal-issued credit cards. Please check with PayPal for details. However, PayPal virtual card numbers are not accepted.
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