To open and start using an account is quite easy.  You simply go to www.paypal.com register for an account, complete the necessary and your account is created.  To spend money you have a couple of choices.

 

1. Add money to your account using your credit or debit card, and use it

2. 'Add' a bank  account to your Paypal account and use that to fund online transactions by direct debit.

 

Both of these involve a certain amount of fiddling about initially but once done make online payments very easy.  The advantage of paypal over other online payment systems is that it is so widespread.  It is rare that a website selling goods will not have Paypal as an option.

 

Other online payment options for Kenyans are E-gold, which is very good but costly to set up, or Moneybookers.  I like Moneybookers as it is very secure and more understanding about the varieties of lifestyles people lead with respect to their location.  Paypal has a very US-centric feel to it and anyone outside of the US or EU can feel that they are being treated as possible fraudsters or scammer.

 

I hope that the long awaited IT and Communications Bill  will reassure Paypal that Kenya is ready for fully fledged ecommerce systems for all (not just those able to afford expensive overseas merchant accounts) and that the paypal account I have signed up for is soon provided with full send/receive options.

 

It will be at this point that Kenya will be truly able to take part in the multi-billion dollar online trading activities that much of the rest of the World enjoy.