PayPal in Malawi
Everything people in Malawi ask about PayPal: whether it is available, how to create an account, how to log in, and how to get your money.
Is it available?
Yes. People in Malawi can open and use a PayPal account to send and receive money online. Accounts in Malawi work the same way as accounts anywhere else, and you manage them at paypal.com.
In 2026 PayPal announced that PayPal USD (PYUSD), its digital dollar, is now available to users in Malawi and 26 other African countries, so Malawian users can buy, keep, send and receive it through their PayPal accounts.
PayPal in Malawi at a glance
Sign up
Choose Sign Up. PayPal uses one website worldwide, so there is no separate Malawi site.
Choose a personal account, or a business account if you invoice customers.
Add your name, email address, a password, your phone number and your address.
PayPal sends a code or link to confirm both before the account is fully usable.
PayPal shows what you can link and withdraw to for Malawi when you add one.
Log in
There is no separate Malawi login. Log in at paypal.com, or in the PayPal app, with the email address and password you signed up with. If you cannot get in, use the Forgot password link on the login page.
Getting your money
Which Malawian banks and cards you can link, and whether you can withdraw, depends on what PayPal offers for your account at the time. Check the Wallet section of your account before you rely on it, and expect withdrawals to take a few business days, with currency conversion fees where they apply.
FAQ
Yes. People in Malawi can open and use PayPal accounts. In 2026 PayPal also announced that its PayPal USD (PYUSD) digital dollar is available to users in Malawi and 26 other African countries. What your account can do, such as linking a card or withdrawing, depends on what PayPal offers for Malawi when you set it up.
Go to paypal.com, choose Sign Up and select Malawi as your country. Enter your name, email address, password, phone number and address, then confirm your email and phone number. Finally add a card or bank account if PayPal offers that for your account.
Log in at paypal.com with the email address and password you used to sign up, or use the PayPal app. There is no separate Malawi login. If you cannot get in, use the Forgot password link on the login page to reset it.
It depends on your account and on which Malawian banks and cards PayPal supports at the time, which can change. Check the Wallet section inside your PayPal account to see what you can link and withdraw to before you rely on it. Withdrawals can take a few business days, and currency conversion fees may apply.
PYUSD is PayPal's digital dollar, a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar and issued by Paxos Trust Company. PayPal says Malawian users can buy, keep, send and receive PYUSD through their PayPal accounts, with no fee for sending or receiving it between PayPal accounts. That announcement does not mention cashing out to a Malawian bank.
Xoom is PayPal's international money transfer service, and its Malawi page lists cash pickup (including First Merchant Bank) and transfers to Airtel mobile wallets from selected countries such as the US, UK and Canada. Options, fees and speed vary by where you send from, so check Xoom directly before you send.
More PayPal guides