PayPal: how to register and what currently works for Russians

About PayPal

PayPal is an international secure online payment system. When paying, you don't enter your card details on every website — you simply log into your PayPal account and confirm the payment. Your card details stay inside PayPal and are not shared with the seller.

Important: In 2022, PayPal suspended services for individuals from Russia. Currently it is impossible to:

Register a new account from Russia
Pay or receive money with Russian cards
You can use an account if it is registered in another country (for example, in Kazakhstan or Turkey)

How to register on PayPal

1. Go to the official PayPal website and click "Sign Up" at the very top of the page, as shown in the screenshot.

2. Select the account type: Personal Account

3. Choose the country where you are actually located or where you have a card (for example, Kazakhstan)

4. Fill in the details — name, address, e-mail

5. Link your card — PayPal will temporarily charge $1.95. Once confirmed, the card will be active and the amount will be refunded. You will find the confirmation code in your card statement.

After registration, you need to link your payment card to the PayPal account you just opened. This is so that you don't have to enter your card information every time you pay via PayPal.

Enter your credit card number in the "Credit Card Number" field, specify the card's expiration date (usually shown on the card as Expiration Date or Exp Date), and enter the card's CSV (or CVC) code — the last three digits on the back of the card next to your signature sample.

To verify your card, PayPal will charge $1.95 from it. This money will be returned to you in a couple of days.

The point of this operation is for you to confirm access to your card statement. To validate your card, you will need to enter the verification code specified in the note to this verification payment. You can view the card statement through your online banking or by requesting a card statement from an employee of the bank that issued your card.