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PayPal In Lebanon: Everything You Need To Know

Whether you’re a Lebanese entrepreneur, freelancer, or online business owner, this article answers the commonly asked questions about the availability of PayPal in Lebanon.

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In our globalized world, where businesses and individuals from different countries work together to deliver products and services across all segments, online payment services play an essential role, making it possible for all members of the global market to easily send and receive money across borders. Unfortunately for Lebanese citizens, one of the most important online payment services in the world, PayPal, doesn’t see Lebanon as its priority.

We’ve written this article to answer commonly asked questions about the availability of PayPal in Lebanon, hoping to clear up some of the confusion among Lebanese business owners, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and those who just want to purchase goods and services from outside Lebanon.

Does PayPal Work In Lebanon In 2025?

So, is PayPal available in Lebanon? The short answer is: No, PayPal doesn’t work in Lebanon in 2025.

At the time of writing this article, PayPal is available in more than 200 countries and supports 25 currencies, but Lebanon sadly isn’t one of them. This is the full list of supported countries.

The following Asia Pacific countries are supported by PayPal in 2025: Armenia, Australia, Bahrain, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Mainland China, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hong Kong SAR, China, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Qatar, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna, Yemen.

As you can see, Lebanon isn’t on the list, which is bad news for its nearly 7 million citizens, who are deprived of valuable opportunities because they don’t have access to one of the most used online payment services in the world.

Is PayPal Available In Lebanon? Why Not?

For some time in 2013, it seemed that PayPal would be available in Lebanon before the end of the year, at least according to what Elias Ghanem, the then general manager of PayPal Middle East, said at the Arabnet Beirut conference.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take a long time for PayPal to change its position. “When we announced the launch of PayPal services in Egypt in May, there was a misinterpretation about Lebanon’s launch,” said Laurent Wakim, then business manager of PayPal MENA.

He continued by explaining that PayPal is always trying to expand its geographic footprint, but the company needs to prioritize available opportunities against other initiatives. “So, while enabling Lebanon remains a priority for us, we don’t have any timeline that we can share. There are no reasons per se why PayPal is not launching Lebanon; it is a matter of priorities.”

Sadly, Lebanon has clearly still not become PayPal’s priority, and many Lebanese citizens would like to know why. One possible reason is that the laws, rules, and regulations for banks and online payment services in Lebanon don’t allow PayPal to offer its services in the way the company would like to.

However, it’s also possible that PayPal came to the conclusion that Lebanon isn’t worth the effort from the business perspective. The population of Lebanon is approximately 6.8 million, and only 80 percent of people in the country have access to the internet, which leaves us with around 5.4 million potential users.

Is There Some Way For People In Lebanon To Use PayPal?

While some online merchants that accept PayPal allow their customers to pay without a PayPal account using a credit card, most people in Lebanon would, understandably, prefer to use PayPal without any limitations.

is there a way to use paypal in lebanon

Questionable services like “PayPal Lebanon” are one way for Lebanese citizens to open a PayPal account. Essentially, all such services charge a small fee ($30 in the case of PayPal Lebanon) for opening a PayPal account linked to a virtual Visa card from another country.

However, such services violate PayPal’s User Agreement, which clearly states that “In connection with your use of our website, your Account, the Services, or in the course of your interactions with PayPal, other Users, or third parties, you will not: Access the Services from a country that is not included on PayPal’s permitted countries list“.

Note: NEVER share your personal or financial information (bank or credit card information) with strangers, or with websites that you do not trust or are not secure.

When the PayPal security system detects that someone is trying to access their account from a country that’s not included on PayPal’s permitted countries list, the company automatically restricts the account and makes the user wait 180 days before enabling them to withdraw their money.

The sad truth is that this exact scenario happens to a lot of people who try to use PayPal with a VPN, and it usually ends with them being unable to withdraw their money because PayPal won’t let them use their Lebanese bank account.

Read Now: 5G In Lebanon – Everything You Need To Know

Summary

Even after many years of waiting, people living in Lebanon still can’t legally use PayPal to send and receive money. While there are ways to use a PayPal account opened in another country, the risks involved make it not worth the effort.

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6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Omar

    May 1, 2022 at 12:13 AM

    Hello any one can help me? I want to convert sweat coins into dollars and they told me I should use PayPal, but since I can’t, is there any other possible way to convert my coins I mean like into a bank account in Lebanon or anything else other than PayPal? Please help me cause I don’t wanna use the app for nothing.

  2. Mireille

    April 18, 2022 at 9:00 AM

    If I have to work online I need to download PayPal app, but unfortunately I can’t download it in Lebanon. Is there any other way?

    • Bashir

      April 18, 2022 at 10:19 AM

      Unfortunately, this isn’t an option for you. Maybe consider looking into Payoneer if that’s an option.

  3. Tania Daher

    October 15, 2021 at 11:14 PM

    You can not convince us why your services aren’t working here. Yemen is in war how come PayPal is working there?

  4. Rateb Koulailat

    May 27, 2021 at 10:28 PM

    Hi! I need to create a PayPal account because I want to start a YouTube channel and receive money through AdSense, can you help?

    • Omar Younes

      September 20, 2021 at 4:48 PM

      How are you Rateb. I also need this to work as a freelance transcriber online, did you find any way? If you did, please contact me.

      0096176029820
      Omar Younes

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Stake Powers Instant Payouts With Checkout.com Pay To Card

The new feature lets investors in the UAE, KSA, and UK receive real estate returns in minutes — cutting withdrawal times to under 10 minutes.

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stake powers instant payouts with checkout.com pay to card

Stake, a leading digital real estate investment platform, has unveiled Pay to Card, a next-generation withdrawal feature built on Checkout.com’s global payment infrastructure. The integration enables investors to have dividends and returns credited directly to their bank cards — often within minutes — dramatically reducing the traditional multi-day payout process.

After a successful pilot in May involving over 200 users, some investors reported receiving their funds in under 10 minutes. Ricardo Brizido, CPTO and Co-Founder of Stake, emphasized the importance of speed and reliability: “With Pay to Card, we’re eliminating unnecessary delays and putting returns in our investors’ hands almost instantly. This feature was built to directly solve one of the most common pain points in real estate investing, and it’s already driving strong results”.

The feature launch coincides with rapid growth in real-time finance across the Middle East. Checkout.com’s “State of Digital Commerce in MENA 2025” report highlights a 388% year-on-year surge in Account Funding Transactions (AFTs) in the UAE, reflecting strong demand for immediate payout solutions. The same study recorded a 176% increase in total processing volume from 2023 to 2024 and noted that daily online transactions have jumped 320% since 2020.

Since its 2021 debut, Stake has facilitated over AED 1 billion in property transactions, advancing its mission to democratize real estate investment in high-growth markets. By integrating Pay to Card, Stake reinforces its commitment to customer-centric innovation and operational transparency.

Also Read: Binance Enters Syrian Market As Sanctions Lifted

Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA at Checkout.com, praised the collaboration: “Stake has always led with customer-first financial experiences. Together, we’re meeting the expectations of a region that is no longer just digital-first, but real-time-first. Pay to Card exemplifies how modern payment infrastructure can directly solve investor pain points”.

Pay to Card is now available to all Stake users in the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. By slashing withdrawal times from days to minutes, Stake and Checkout.com are setting a new standard for seamless, on-demand real estate investing.

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