PayPal for South Africans

Somebody wanted to pay me through PayPal so I tried to open a PayPay account linked to my Nedbank account.  PayPal asked me for a 9-digit “routing number” – and Nedbank does not have such a thing. I could not find any information on the Internet about routing numbers so I am putting it out there now.

PayPal is connected to First National Bank (FNB) but you don’t need an FNB bank account to join PayPal. I was getting a screen that required a “routing” number because I was trying to link a BANK ACCOUNT and South Africans only need to link a Visa CARD. Here are the instructions PayPal sent me for linking a card to a non-FNB bank account and for withdrawing funds from PayPal via the FNB website.

You have to withdraw/transfer the PayPal funds into a South African bank account within 30 days, according to a Reserve Bank law from about 1935. FNB will let the Reserve Bank know about your withdrawal to update the records of the balance of payments, i.e., economic transactions between South Africa and the rest of the world.

• PayPal Routing Numbers
• Register a PayPal account
• Link to a free FNB Online banking profile
• If you are not an FNB customer
• If you want to open an FNB bank account
• Linking a card
• Withdrawing funds

PayPal Routing Numbers

Most debit cards cannot be used for online transactions (because debit cards are pin-based). You can only use a Visa card. If you want to use a MasterCard, go through TransferWise. They charge South Africans double their usual fees but they still seem to be lower than PayPal fees. FNB charges 1.5% of the rand value for every transaction you perform.

Register a PayPal account

1. Go to www.paypal.com
2. Register a PayPal account.
3. Click on Banks/Cards or Balance/ Wallet and add either a cheque card or credit card.
4. Click on your saved card.
5. Click on CONFIRM CREDIT CARD.
6. You should be advised that USD1,95 has been deducted from your card to generate a 4-digit code in your bank statement. It takes a day or two for the code to reflect and then the money is repaid about three days later.
7. Once the code is received, log into your PayPal account to verify the card.
8. Link to the FNB Online banking platform as explained below.

Link to a free FNB Online Banking profile

FNB online banking profiles can be for FNB or non-FNB customers. You just need an account with a bank card. Qualifying accounts include most savings, cheque and transmission accounts. You can even register using your Discovery credit card.

If you are not an FNB customer

Register for a free FNB Online Banking profile in order to link your qualifying non-FNB savings, cheque or transmission account online through www.fnb.co.za.  

1. Ensure you have sufficient funds in your cheque or credit card for PayPal to deduct USD1,95 (±R50).
2. Go to www.fnb.co.za.
3. Click on REGISTER – next to the “USERNAME” tab.
4. Select “Register for PayPal for Non-FNB customers”.
5. Use the CARD NUMBER and ATM pin details option.

Please note: Certain documents will be required in compliance with the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA), to perform a know-your-customer (KYC) verification in order to validate your FNB online banking profile. Forward your documents to paypalkyc@fnb.co.za. If you are linking in your personal capacity, send your ID and proof of address not older than three months.

If you want to open an FNB account

FNB has recently enabled Smart Gold Debit cards for online transactions (Easy accounts). This means some FNB Debit cards can now be used for PayPal verification.

See below the linking and withdrawal steps.

Linking cards

1. Log into your FNB Online Banking Profile at www.fnb.co.za   
2. Under the “FOREX” tab, select “PayPal services”.
3. Select “FOREX Menu” (orange tab on the left) then “Link PayPal Profile”.
4. Enter an existing email address as your “Primary PayPal email address”.
5. Confirm that your Balance of Payments reporting details for the S A Reserve Bank are correct.
6. The balance of payments (BoP) of a country is the record of all economic transactions between the residents of the country and the rest of the world in a particular period of time.
7. If your BOP reporting details are not correct, update the applicable fields.  
8. If you do not bank with FNB, enter your South African Bank account details. FNB will verify the account information to ensure that the account linked is registered in the same personal or business capacity.
9. Click “Continue.”
10. A new page will display your amended Personal Details and Balance of Payments Reporting Details. Check that this information is correct.
11. Read the “Terms and Conditions” section.
12. Tick the check box to confirm that you have understood the Terms and Conditions.
13. Either enter the One Time Pin that was sent to you or enter your digital certificate information.
14. Click on “Submit”.
15. You will be redirected to the PayPal site to log into your PayPal account.
16. If the PayPal page is not automatically opened, then click on “PayPal Login.”
17. If this still does not work, you may need to enable pop-ups on your Internet browser.
18. Once logged into your PayPal account, click the “Continue” button.
19. You will be taken back to your online banking screen, where the status of your linking process will be displayed.
20. Once your profile has been linked, you will be redirected to the “PayPal Service Quick Guide” page on Online Banking.
21. Your PayPal Account will reflect on the “Accounts” landing page, together with other accounts that are linked to your FNB Online Banking profile.
22. Once you have successfully linked your Pay Pal account to your FNB Online Banking profile, you can perform a withdrawal, as explained below.

Withdrawing funds

1. Log into your FNB Online Banking Profile at www.fnb.co.za
2. Go to “FOREX”.
3. Select “PayPal services”.
4. Select “FOREX Menu”.
5. Withdraw from PayPal.
6. Select the Bank account you want the funds withdrawn to.
7. Select a Balance of Payment (BOP) reason for the transaction.
8. Enter the amount in USD (without the $ sign or commas e.g. 50.00).
9. Click on “Get Quote”.
10. If you are happy with the quote, select “Continue”.
11. Confirm that the details are correct and accept the Terms and Conditions.
12. You will be redirected to PayPal to confirm the payment or you can click on “Log in To PayPal”.
13. Click the “Pay now” button. You will be redirected to FNB.
14. Select “Finish”.
15. 1.5% of the rand value will be charged for every transaction you perform.

Note:  A withdrawal can take five to eight business days to reflect in your nominated bank account. This excludes weekends and public holidays in South Africa and the United States of America.

For more information about the FNB PayPal Top Up and Withdraw Service, please contact FNB directly on 0875 729 725 or paypalenquiries@fnb.co.za to speak to a consultant.

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