Certain restrictions and difficulties arise when using payment systems such as PayPal in a number of countries. In Belarus, issues related to the use of PayPal remain relevant for employers and employees. This article consider the possibility of using PayPal to pay salaries in Belarus and the specifics of this process.
PayPal is an electronic payment system that has been operating since 1998. Initially, it was linked to online auctions to make it easier for participants to pay for purchases and receive payments. The system currently operates in more than 200 countries. However, not all countries have the same operating conditions for the system. PayPal’s working conditions in different countries:
PayPal has been working for Belarus residents since 2014. This international payment system is registered in the USA but is not officially registered in Belarus. It should be recalled that only three international payment systems are registered in Belarus: Golden Crown, Unistream, and MoneyGram.
PayPal in Belarus works in payment mode. That is, you can link a Belarusian bank card to it and pay for purchases of things and services. It does not matter in which currency the Belarusian bank card is issued. The system charges about 4% for conversion into foreign currency.
You can also receive refunds to your Belarusian PayPal account that were previously transferred from the same account.
The peculiarity of the PayPal system in Belarus is that it does not accept payments except for refunds of previous payments. Only the employee can transfer money to the PayPal wallet from his Belarusian bank card linked to the PayPal account. This mode of operation is called Send only—it is prohibited to withdraw funds and receive money.
The Belarusian employee can make a salary transfer to his PayPal wallet when the Belarusian employer transfers the salary to the card account of the Belarusian bank, as is usually done. This will allow you to pay online, for example, for booking, subscriptions to foreign services, and trading platforms. The employee cannot withdraw money to his other bank card from the Belarusian bank.
A foreign employer can transfer payments to a PayPal wallet when an employee is verified in the system as a resident of another country in which PayPal accepts payments. In this case, the employee binds the bank card of the bank of that country to the account. In this case, the Belarusian bank card will not link to the account. Such a salary transfer is possible when it is allowed by the state’s laws in which the employing company is open and operates.
As we have already found out, a Belarusian employer who works with a Belarusian bank cannot transfer wages to an employee’s PayPal wallet, and the Belarusian company cannot register in the PayPal system.
A foreign employer will most likely be able to transfer an employee’s salary to PayPal when the wallet is opened not in Belarus but in a state where PayPal operates in a more extended mode, for example, SRW Send – Receive when it is possible to receive and transfer money in foreign currency. When an employee has several PayPal wallets (it is allowed to have 2 wallets), he can technically transfer amounts between them. You need different phone numbers, email addresses and bank cards to do this.
It is essential that it is acceptable in the employer’s state to pay salaries this way. After all, PayPal is more active in payments for goods and services with the participation of companies and individuals.
For freelancing, it is possible to receive a salary on PayPal when the account is not opened in Belarus, and a foreign bank card is linked. On international freelance exchanges, you can enable the possibility of receiving fees on PayPal, but this does not apply to Belarusian accounts.
If you receive payment from a foreign employer to a foreign PayPal account, you can withdraw money to an electronic wallet of another payment system, such as Payoneer. Some Belarusian banks work with cards of this payment system, and you can withdraw funds.
It should also be noted that it may be necessary to declare income from abroad, in particular, when the total amount in 2024 exceeds 10,431 rubles.
In 2023, this amount was 9,338 rubles.
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