Source-backed analysis7
Review basis
Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.
7 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 10, 2026
How we review
PayPal Review
Global wallet for overseas shopping and getting paid, with notable conversion fees
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated
- Web
- iOS
- Android
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
PayPal suits people who shop internationally or get paid by overseas clients, thanks to its reach across more than 200 markets and a 4.8/5 App Store rating. The trade-offs are currency conversion fees of 3 to 4% over the base rate, bank withdrawal fees in some countries (60,000 ₫ per withdrawal in Vietnam), and a Trustpilot score of just 1.4/5 with many complaints about account limits, held funds and denied disputes.
Best for: Shoppers paying overseas websites and services that accept PayPal
Skip it if: People who need low receiving and exchange costs, since 3 to 4% conversion plus the withdrawal fee can add up
Pros
- Wide reach: Wikipedia cites 202 markets and 25 currencies (2022), and many international websites accept PayPal
- Account opening and purchase payments are free when no currency conversion is needed
- App rated 4.8/5 on the App Store (about 6.3M ratings) and 4.04/5 on Google Play (about 3.7M ratings)
Cons
- Conversion fee of 4.00% (listed currencies) or 3.00% (other cases) over the base rate; withdrawing to a bank can also cost extra (60,000 ₫ per withdrawal in Vietnam)
- Trustpilot 1.4/5 from 42,380 reviews (88% one-star): account limits, held funds, hard-to-reach support, denied disputes
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
Cons
- The Android app includes several advertising and analytics SDKs; the full privacy statement could not be opened for checking
Best for
- Freelancers and small sellers who need a widely recognised way to receive money from abroad
Skip it if
- Anyone who cannot tolerate the risk of account limits or held funds, per many Trustpilot complaints
Problems it solves
Experience & key features
What PayPal is
PayPal is an online payment wallet from PayPal Holdings, headquartered in San Jose, California. According to Wikipedia, the company came from the 2000 merger of Confinity and X.com, was bought by eBay in 2002 and spun off in 2015. Wikipedia also cites about 426 million active accounts and 202 markets as of 2022.
Key features
The App Store description says the app is for shopping in-store and online with purchase protection, earning rewards on the PayPal debit card, sending money internationally, Pay in 4 instalments, package tracking and subscription management. These features vary by country, so check what is available for an account in your country. Official news from August 2026 says PayPal World lets US users pay via in-store QR codes at Weixin Pay merchants in China.
Fees and value
According to the Vietnam personal account fee schedule (updated 31 May 2021), purchase payments are free if no currency conversion is involved. With conversion, the fee is 4.00% or 3.00% over the base rate depending on the transaction, and withdrawing to a Vietnamese bank costs 60,000 ₫. Because this schedule carries an old update date and the seller fees page could not be opened, anyone receiving commercial payments should check the current schedule in their account.
More analysis
Who it is for
PayPal suits those who pay overseas websites or receive money from international clients. For domestic-only payments, local wallets and QR systems (such as MoMo or VNPAY in Vietnam) are often more common choices; people receiving international money often compare Wise or Payoneer too. The 1.4/5 Trustpilot score is a reason to read about account limits and the dispute process before relying on it for main income.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026
Tài khoản cá nhân (Việt Nam)
PersonalFree
Per the Vietnam personal account fee schedule (last updated 31 May 2021): purchase payments are free when no currency conversion is involved; the conversion fee is 4.00% over the base exchange rate when sending a payment, or receiving a refund more than 1 day after the original payment, in listed currencies (such as USD, EUR, GBP), and 3.00% for all other conversions; withdrawal to a Vietnamese bank costs 60,000 ₫ when no conversion is involved (a conversion fee may apply otherwise); a bank-returned withdrawal due to wrong details costs 70,000 ₫. Seller fees are on a separate merchant fees page, which could not be opened.
- Free plan limits
- Opening an account and paying for purchases is free when no currency conversion is involved. The real cost is usually in conversion and bank withdrawal fees. The fee page reviewed is dated 31 May 2021, so compare it with the current schedule in your account.
- Free trial
- No free trial
Cancellation & refunds
The fee page reviewed gives no refund deadline. The App Store description mentions purchase protection; Trustpilot has many complaints that buyer claims are denied, so the exact terms should be read in the current buyer protection policy.
Privacy
The full PayPal Privacy Statement could not be opened (the official page returned a 403 error), so this section relies only on the self-declared App Store privacy label and AppGoblin SDK data. The App Store label lists usage data as used for tracking; purchases, financial info, location, contact info, contacts, user content, search and browsing history, identifiers, usage data and other data as linked to the user; and diagnostics as not linked. AppGoblin lists two ad SDKs (Google, Adobe Marketing), Firebase and Amplitude analytics and Adjust for attribution in the Android app. Users should read the current privacy statement for their region before signing up.
PayPal alternatives
7.5/10Revolut
UK-born finance super-app: multi-currency cards, transfers, savings and investing
7.5/10MoMo
Widely used Vietnamese e-wallet for transfers, bills, spending tracking and QR payments
Frequently asked questions
Does it cost anything to open a PayPal account?
The fee page reviewed lists no personal account opening fee; purchase payments are free when no currency conversion is involved.
How much does it cost to withdraw PayPal money to a Vietnamese bank?
The personal account schedule lists 60,000 ₫ when no currency conversion is involved; if conversion applies, a 3 to 4% fee over the base rate may be added.
Is PayPal safe to use?
No independent security assessment was available to reach a conclusion. Trustpilot has many complaints about account limits and held funds, while the app scores highly on app stores; read the current privacy and buyer protection policies yourself.
Does PayPal support Vietnamese?
Yes. The iOS app lists Vietnamese among its supported languages and the Vietnam fee page is available in Vietnamese.
Review evidence & sources7
Scores
- Ease of use
- 7.8
- Features
- 8.0
- Value for money
- 6.0
- Performance
- 7.5
- Support
- 4.5
- Privacy & security
- 5.5
Why this score
Rated 4.8/5 on the App Store but only 4.04/5 on Android; a Trustpilot reviewer reports the invoicing tool logging them out mid-draft.
Why this score
Purchase protection, international transfers, Pay in 4, a rewards debit card and package tracking per the App Store; some features depend on the country and are not offered everywhere.
Why this score
Payments without conversion are free, but 3 to 4% conversion and a 60,000 ₫ withdrawal fee raise costs when using non-VND money; Trustpilot has complaints about exchange markups.
Why this score
Frequent updates (iOS 10.11.0, Android 5 Nov 2026) and high store scores at very large volumes; no independent data on transaction reliability.
Why this score
Trustpilot reports hard-to-reach, scripted support and 0% replies to negative reviews, though the score may be unrepresentative because the company has not recently invited reviews.
Why this score
The App Store label lists many data types linked to the user, including contacts and browsing history; the Android app has ad SDKs; the full policy was unreadable, so the score is cautious.
What users say
- App Store (US)4.8/5 · 6,300,000
- Google Play (via AppGoblin)4.0/5 · 3,700,000
- Trustpilot1.4/5 · 42,380
Sources
- Vendor-providedPayPal Vietnam personal fees pageNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedPayPal Vietnam personal fees page (secure mirror)Nov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedPayPal newsroomNov 10, 2026
- storeApp Store listing (US)Nov 10, 2026
- review-siteAppGoblin - PayPal Android (Google Play data)Nov 10, 2026
- review-siteTrustpilot - paypal.comNov 10, 2026
- Community-reportedWikipedia - PayPalNov 10, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- PayPal Holdings, Inc.
- Headquarters
- United States
- Launched
- 1999
- Category
- Finance
Capabilities
- Public API
- Integrations
- Mobile app
Platforms
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Interface languages
- English
- Vietnamese
- Japanese
- Spanish
- French
- German
Integrations
- Thẻ Visa và Mastercard
- Tài khoản ngân hàng
- Venmo
- Braintree
- Cửa hàng trực tuyến (checkout)
Support
- Live chat
- Phone
- Help center
Change history
- Feature.PayPal World lets US users pay with in-store QR codes at Weixin Pay merchants in China.
- Company.Enrique Lores named CEO (per Wikipedia, month only).
- Price.Last-updated date on the Vietnam personal account fee schedule (3 to 4% conversion, 60,000 ₫ bank withdrawal).
Full change history (7)
- Company.PayPal was spun off from eBay and relisted on Nasdaq as PYPL.
- Company.PayPal acquired Braintree and with it Venmo (Wikipedia gives the year 2013 only).
- Company.eBay acquired PayPal for about 1.5 billion USD after its NASDAQ IPO.
- Company.Confinity merged with X.com; the company was renamed PayPal in June 2001.
About the author
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