Setting up a PayPal account

[Handycam72]

A friend of mine is having problems setting up a Paypal account in Russia, they have registered the account but they are having great difficulty registering their cards, it will not accept any of them. I believe Paypal is not very user friendly in Russia, is that true?

Any help would be appreciated

[RussianWind]

Paypal is half friendly with Russian, Ukrainian or for example Serbian accounts.

It depends on for what reason she is trying to register her cards. If to pay, it's mostly acceptable (see below), if to recieve money on her bank account or cash - no way.

Credit cards are ok. In most cases Russian banks do not allow to pay in the internet with debit cards. For doing this a debit card should look like a credit card with embossed letters and CVV on the back side. Also she should inquire in her bank that internet transactions are allowed with this card.

[BillyB]

A friend of mine is having problems setting up a Paypal account in Russia, they have registered the account but they are having great difficulty registering their cards, it will not accept any of them.

Lots of scams involving credit cards in Eastern Europe. Protect your credit card numbers!

I once bought a high priced camera on ebay which also owns paypal which I paid through. The seller talked to me through back channels and wanted to sell me more. I bought a bunch of cameras, some over $1000 for half price. I though he was a wholesaler. I get a call from Amazon.com security which the guy bought the camera from and told me the guy is in Romania using other people's credit cards to buy the cameras. Credit card numbers can be stolen in a variety of ways. One being a tourist and the waitress or vendor stealing your number when you use your card. I try to use cash when possible andnot to let my credit card out of my site when I do use it when I'm in the FSU. I don't blame Paypal if they make it difficult to register credit cards. Maybe they don't trust the employees in their FSU divisions or have trouble stopping hackers.

[Ronnie]

Yep, pretty much every country that was formerly under communist control is now plagued by criminals, online and otherwise.   Paypal is the guarantor against fraud in transaction executed through them so they are merely protecting themselves.

[Lily]

I am an active Paypal user in Russia, paying for my ebay purchases, for services from abroad like Canadian documents translations, even experienced opening a dispute recently. It resolved quickly, however. Sometimes I also resort to Paypal assistance, and they provide a timely reaction.

Paypal is country-specific, therefore if a person moves to another country, a new Paypal account is to be established.

From Russian users, Paypal asks for normal credit cards. It rejects most debit cards. My credit cards are from Citibank and Raiffaisenbank, never any problems with them.

I believe your contact should see what cards are accepted by Paypal, and talk to her bank about eventual issuance of the one for her.

[BC]

here getting hit by Paypal with transfer fees now.. 20 some bucks a pop plus exchange rate differences.

I'm cancelling.

[RussianWind]

I believe your contact should see what cards are accepted by Paypal, and talk to her bank about eventual issuance of the one for her.

I believe the OP wanted to send her money, so she could get it on her bank account or by cash. It is possible through the third party but the percentage will be 4%+

[Gylden]

Best way in my experience is to wire to her account direct, cheapest and less likely for problems.
Never had a problem wiring.

[Vaughn]

I had to dump PayPal four years ago after two unauthorized withdrawals were made from
my balance...  three written complaints with requests for clarification went unanswered.

Many eBay sellers only accept PayPal - ask yourself "Why is that?" When an online
seller refuses to identify him/herself - nor will they cough up a physical address, I get a
bit skittish about opening up our financial information in a transaction with them.

[tfcrew]

PayPal is an offspring of eBay [my understanding]
I haven't seen an auction in a long time that didn't take PayPal.
Wiring money is safe but it certainly isn't cheap.

[Vaughn]

PayPal is an offspring of eBay [my understanding]

eBay had their own online system called Billpoint. In mid-2002, they purchased
PayPal for 1.5 billion. That's right about when I started encountering trouble.

Some, no many - swear by it. Me, I got burned. YMMV.

 

[Gylden]

Pay Pal is a terrible way to transfer money! they say it is free, which it is for the sender, but the reciever must pay and it is similar to Western Union, which is also a terrible way to send money! The absolute best  is a wire transfer from one bank account to another bank account.

Just My Opinoin based on my research/experience! 

[boaterguy]

I had to dump PayPal four years ago after two unauthorized withdrawals were made from
my balance...  three written complaints with requests for clarification went unanswered.

Many eBay sellers only accept PayPal - ask yourself "Why is that?" When an online
seller refuses to identify him/herself - nor will they cough up a physical address, I get a
bit skittish about opening up our financial information in a transaction with them.

Ebay is actually forcing US sellers to only take paypal! There is a way around it but you can not advertise other forms of payment in your listing. They tried this in Austrailia and it failed. I don't see how ebay is getting around the antitrust laws doing this. I bailed on ebay in 2000! I was a powerseller, but I was tired of ebay making more than me!

[Handycam72]

Thanks for everyones advice, it is very much appreciated

My friend wanted to use paypal for online purchases. It is all sorted now, I advised her to speak to the bank who issued the card There was some kind of block on the card.

[Aloe]

I had a debit card from finservice bank back in Moscow, it works fine online with paypal or without... also both visa and mastercard have a special card designed exactly for online purchases, the only problem is once you put money on that card, you cannot withdraw it, you can only buy something online. So better find a normal card that works online