May 6, 2022
Are Money Transfer Apps Safe? How to Protect Yourself
I remember the days when friends would remind me, “Hey, you still owe me money for that .” [...]
WHAT’S IN THIS REVIEW?
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You can use PayPal to pay or get paid and send or receive money worldwide. It’s a simple premise and an extremely popular service. PayPal ended Q4 of 2021 with a total of 426 million active accounts. To give some idea of the scale of their business, that’s more people than you’ll find on the entire continent of South America.
Yet, is PayPal safe? It’s decent but could benefit from features of a virtual private network. A VPN will encrypt your traffic, keeping it safe and secure while completing online transactions.
Here’s everything you need to know about using a VPN with PayPal, including a step-by-step guide to getting started.
Using a VPN with PayPal
It’s easy to see why the use of PayPal is non-negotiable for some vendors. It offers a decent level of protection for buyers and sellers, and it’s a payment system that many users are comfortable with.
President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Schulman noted PayPal’s solid growth in an earnings call for the period ending December 31, 2021.
“We surpassed $1 trillion in annual TPV for the first time in our history, ending the year with $1.25 trillion of total payment volume. We had a record 5.3 billion transactions in Q4 alone, up 21%. We added 49 million net new active accounts to exit the year with 426 million active accounts, including 34 million merchants. In the last two years, we added 122 million net new active accounts.”
Dan Schulman , PayPal President & Chief Executive Officer
PayPal is vital for many businesses, who are also known to implement VPN solutions to improve their overall online security when making payments. Many individuals also run their business through PayPal, and it’s accepted by many vendors, big and small.
VPNs are used to improve privacy, so it makes sense that they’re used with online payment processors.
A VPN will also be helpful if you’re in a location where PayPal isn’t available. You’ll be able to switch to another IP address, which gives the appearance of the user being in another country.
How to Set Up a VPN for PayPal
We’ve put together a simple guide explaining how to get started with a VPN and PayPal. (For the purposes of this piece, we’re assuming that you already have a PayPal account.)
It’s worth noting that, unlike many other digital wallets, PayPal allows you to visit any regional version of the site. This means that you won’t have to worry about switching servers every time you log in. However, this does make it exceptionally difficult to sign up if you don’t have an account and you’re in a banned country, as you’ll need to input a valid address.
I’ll keep a VPN on while my computer is in use, so I’ve tested PayPal with multiple providers to varying degrees of success. It is possible that PayPal will block the IPs and servers used by VPNs. However, I’ve had no issues logging in while appearing to be in various countries.
Here are steps to set up and use a VPN service and PayPal for the first time:
- Choose a VPN provider. (We’ve listed some of the best options for PayPal below.)
- Sign up with the service, and download the relevant app for your device.
- Once the VPN app is downloaded, sign in with your login credentials.
- Choose a server in a relevant location. (If you’re not sure where to pick, most VPNs will have a Recommended setting.)
- You’ll now be safely connected to the VPN.
- Open PayPal, and log in.
- If you do encounter any issues, switch your IP address by selecting a different server.
Along with Paypal, you’ll be able to access a range of services, including torrenting movies and tv shows safely from the best torrenting sites, and unblocking Netflix for regional content.
Does PayPal Allow VPNs?
PayPal doesn’t explicitly ban the use of VPNs. Although, a response on their help pages shows that the company takes a dim view of any sort of proxy service:
“The use of a VPN, or any sort of proxy, is not permitted when using PayPal. For more information about restricted activities, please take a look at the PayPal User Agreement, which can be found by clicking Legal at the bottom of any PayPal page.”
PayPal may block the use of a specific VPN server. If so, you’ll just have to reconnect using a different IP address. You should be able to log in to PayPal while using a VPN after passing a simple security challenge like two-factor authentication (2FA).
Always make sure to turn on 2FA on your account for an extra layer of protection.
Best VPNs for PayPal
The best VPNs for PayPal need to tick the following boxes:
- High speeds – so you won’t be waiting for payment pages to load or risk getting charged multiple times
- A simple money-back guarantee – just in case you do run into any issues
- No logs policy – especially important when it comes to money and banking
- Additional security/privacy features – anything extra that helps to improve security, like a kill switch or split-tunneling
- Ability to access PayPal – a given, but one that many free VPN services don’t offer
We considered everything from the number of servers on offer to additional security features when putting together this list of the best VPNs for PayPal together. They all have a money-back guarantee just in case you do happen to run into any issues, although it’s unlikely if you stick to PayPal’s terms of service.
Free VPNs are always tempting, but we’d avoid them given the sensitive nature of payment processors and the importance of keeping your personal information safe. They’re often lacking in terms of security and performance, and they’re not recommended for any tasks relating to your finances.
| VPN | Lowest Price | Money-Back Guarantee | Countries | # of Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | $3.99/mo. | 30 days | 60 | 6 |
| Surfshark | $2.49/mo. | 30 days | 95 | Unlimited |
| CyberGhost | $2.23/mo. | 45 days | 91 | 7 |
| IPVanish | $3.99/mo. | 30 days | 50 | Unlimited |
| Private Internet Access | $2.19/mo. | 30 days | 84 | 10 |
NordVPN
If you want lots of servers and superb speeds, NordVPN is a great place to start. They currently deploy over 5,500 ultra-fast servers in 60 countries around the world and offer a simple 30-day money-back guarantee.
Additional features include the capable NordLynx protocol, which helps connect to NordVPN servers faster, improves connection speeds, and does that without compromising security or privacy. You’ll be able to use a single account with up to six simultaneous devices, and it’s an audited no-logs service. We were able to log into PayPal with NordVPN with no issues of note.
SurfShark
One of the more affordable providers to make the list, Surfshark has obfuscated servers that mask that a privacy protection tool is being used in the first place. With Surfshark, obfuscation will hide the fact that you’re using a VPN, even from your ISP.
Surfshark’s been audited by Cure53, and they “guarantee users the right to claim a refund within 30 days following your purchase”. Better yet, a single subscription supports unlimited installs, allowing for further savings. They operate a robust network of over 3200 servers in 65 countries.
CyberGhost
CyberGhost provides various options for you to maintain your anonymity – namely a strict no-logs policy, IP masking, and the ability to pay for the service using cryptocurrency.
We’re pleased to note that it’s also ideal for PayPal thanks to its large network. It offers over 7,900 VPN servers located in more than 91 countries. One-month subscriptions come with a 14-day money-back guarantee, while six months or longer are covered for 45 days. That’s more than enough time to test it out for yourself. One account can be used on up to seven devices simultaneously.
IPVanish
IPVanish should be on your radar due to the inclusion of over 40,000 dynamic IP addresses and the ability to configure settings including OpenVPN scrambling, port selection, and split tunneling.
You can protect unlimited devices at the same time, access fast servers, and get past some of the toughest geo-blocks around the world. IPVanish has over 1,600 high-speed servers in 75+ locations worldwide. So, you’ll never be far away from a region that works with PayPal.
Private Internet Access (PIA)
The final option to make the list is Private Internet Access (PIA). 10 simultaneous connections is a great start. And, it has a simple logging policy coupled with one of the largest server networks in the world.
It passed testing with no data leaks and comes with a security feature called PIA MACE that works to limit access to domains used by ads, trackers, and malware. It’ll work to spoof your location, and is able to unblock US Netflix, among others.
Can I Use PayPal Anywhere?
PayPal is accepted as a method of payment in over 200 countries worldwide. However, that does mean that a number of countries aren’t covered, including the likes of North Korea, Iran, and Cuba. These are due to sanctions put in place by the United States and show no signs of stopping anytime soon.
PayPal also ended its services in Russia as of March 2022.
“Under the current circumstances, we are suspending PayPal services in Russia,” President and Chief Executive Dan Schulman said in a statement. He added that the company ‘stands with the international community in condemning Russia’s violent military aggression in Ukraine.’”
Dan Schulman , PayPal President & Chief Executive
A company spokesperson said PayPal will support withdrawals “for a period of time, ensuring that account balances are dispersed in line with applicable laws and regulations.”
Then there are regions like Nigeria and Ghana. You’ll be able to make a payment using the app, but they’ve limited the ways you’re able to receive money. This is reportedly due to fraud originating from Sub-Saharan Africa, and it’s not great for the millions of people affected by the blocks.
If you’re attempting to sign up with PayPal from another country, we’d advise looking at alternative services such as Payoneer. After all, PayPal is likely to suspend your account eventually, and there will be no way to access your funds.
Spend or Save – Safely
For their part, PayPal is clear that they don’t appreciate the use of VPNs with their service.
It may be an attempt to avoid fraud or users from banned countries. However, it’s not the best outlook for the users wanting to ensure their transactions are secure while using public WiFi. Regardless, I’ve yet to see any issues while using a VPN with PayPal, no matter which server I’ve selected.
A range of premium VPNs can be used with the payment platform, and it’s the safest way to send and receive money from a majority of countries worldwide.
