Photo credit: Alvaro Reyes
Is PayPal required?
Yes. You will need to create a PayPal account in order to make a loan. Don’t worry though, PayPal is a simple, easy to use system, and it’s free!
Can I use a different payment method?
No. Kiva exclusively uses PayPal for all monetary transactions.
Payment methods we will NOT accept include, but are not limited to:
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Dollar bills or coins
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Checks
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Wire transfers
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Money orders
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Or any other money transferring system, such as Venmo, Google Wallet, Apple Pay, Skrill, Intuit, or Facebook Message payments
How do I get a PayPal account?
To set up a PayPal account go here and click the “Sign up” button. The site will walk you through the process, but for more questions or to learn more about PayPal, you can go here for a more thorough overview.
You will need to link your PayPal account to either a credit card, debit card, or bank account. We highly suggest that you absolutely do not link your PayPal to a credit or debit card. Though PayPal is generally free, the site will charge you for every transaction through a card. Instead, you should link your PayPal account to your bank account. It simplifies the process and it is free.
Remember that you need to confirm your email and your bank account to make sure they are connected correctly and that PayPal will work. Until you do this, money will not transfer.
The money from my loan was sent to me over PayPal, but it’s not showing up in my bank account?
When you are paid money on PayPal, the money will NOT appear immediately in your bank account. The money goes into your PayPal account, and you have to go into your PayPal account to claim the money and transfer it into your bank account. Until you do so, the money will stay safely in your PayPal account.
How do I send payments to Kiva on PayPal?
Head to your account's transfer page here and send the repayment amount to “PayPalzip@Kiva.org”. It’s as easy as that!
There is a detailed step-by-step explanation of the repayment process here.
What are Automatic Repayments?
Signing up for Automatic Repayments is a great way to always stay on top of your repayments, and we highly recommend it! You have to have money in your PayPal account if you want to sign up, but anyone is eligible. You can learn much more about Automatic Repayments here.
If you do sign up for Automatic Repayments, remember to check in periodically to make sure you have enough money in your PayPal account for upcoming repayments. If there is not enough money in your account for a monthly payment, Automatic Repayments will freeze and you’ll miss a monthly payment.
More questions or issues with PayPal?
Email us at borrowers@kiva.org for support.
