Earn Money Online in Pakistan

How to Use Payoneer in Pakistan in 2016

2015-12-25T23:32:00.004-08:00

The new year is just around the corner, and a lot has changed in the world of Payoneer over the last twelve months. Over the last few months, they have unveiled a number of different ways to load your card - which we covered by this blog post on how to load your Payoneer card in Pakistan.

While nothing has changed on that end since that last blog post, plenty has changed since we published our incredibly popular guide on how to use Payoneer in Pakistan in 2015. Luckily, we have just the answer for you - an updated guide on how to use Payoneer in Pakistan in 2016!

WHAT IS PAYONEER?
Payoneer offers an incredible payment solution for those who receive money from Payoneer affiliates. Payoneer in Pakistan is a particularly beneficial option since the world's most popular payment option Paypal is not generally available in Pakistan.

Avid followers of this blog, if there are any, will already know that Payoneer is a payment solution company that issues Prepaid MasterCard Debit Cards to freelancers and other people receiving income from foreign countries.

Payoneer.com

Payoneer cards can be used in Pakistan. How it works is that you receive money through a number of Payoneer partners (including Freelancer.com, oDesk.com, Elance.com etc). Once the money is loaded onto your card

You can sign up for a Payoneer card in Pakistan by clicking here (free $25 bonus once you load $100 to your card)

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF USING PAYONEER?

Since Paypal is not available in Pakistan, Payoneer remains the most reliable way to receive money from clients abroad. Although at times you may feel like the fees are high, you are guaranteed on-time money (within 2 hours of loading if urgent load option is selected).

Source: Payoneer.com

You can withdraw money from select ATMs across Pakistan, or use the money at POS terminals at petrol pumps, shops, restaurants and other vendors. If you decide to go for Payoneer, you don't have to rely on local banks, which have a habit of charging hidden fees.

HOW DO YOU SIGN UP FOR PAYONEER IN PAKISTAN?

You can either sign up for Payoneer by clicking here (annual charge instead of monthly charge + $25 bonus once you load $100 to your card)

you can sign up directly through your Payoneer partner and pay a monthly fee and receive no bonus.

you can directly sign up on the Payoneer website.

WHAT ARE THE PAYONEER FEES?

Below is the fee table for the card if you decide to order from this site. If you decide to order it through a specific partner, check out the fees for that specific card when applying for it. Most cards have the same fee structure, except instead of an annual fee of $29.95, they have a monthly fee of $3 (totalling to $36 per year).

Payoneer in Pakistan Fee Chart (Source: Payoneer.com)

You can sign up for a Payoneer card in Pakistan by clicking here (free $25 bonus once you load $100 to your card)

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SHIP PAYONEER CARD TO PAKISTAN?

We did a survey and found that the average time it takes to ship Payoneer card to Pakistan is less than 25 calendar days. This means that if you select regular shipping option, you can get your card within the calendar month.

Image taken from smashingsoftwares.blogspot.com

A large number of people got their cards within 20 days, but for some exceptional cases, it took as many as 40 days..

If you need your card urgently, you can pay extra and have it couriered to you within three working days. However, in order to do this, you have to pay a hefty fee to have it couriered directly to you.

If you have been waiting for long for a Payoneer card (over three months), do contact Payoneer and ask them to send you a new one. Don't be impatient though - if you call for a new card and receive the one shipped to you first, that will be blocked and you won't be able to activate it.

HOW TO USE PAYONEER IN PAKISTAN IN 2015?

We have written in great detail about how to use Payoneer in Pakistan before, but since those posts are quite old now, we decided to write a new post about how to use Payoneer in Pakistan in 2016.

Once you apply for the Payoneer card here:

1. ACTIVATE YOUR PAYONEER IN PAKISTAN

Tear open the envelope you have received from Payoneer in the mail
Unpack the card and take out the activation instructions letter
Go to your PC
Go to www.payoneer.com
Click on Activate your card in the panel on the right
Enter your account details to login to your Payoneer online account (these are the same details you chose when you ordered the card). The username is your email address and the password is what you chose it to be..
Once you login, you will see a button you can click to activate your card. Click it!
Enter the 16 digit card number located on your card, and choose a 4 digit pin number.
Celebrate the activation of your card!

You can sign up for a Payoneer card in Pakistan by clicking here (free $25 bonus once you load $100 to your card)

2. USE YOUR PAYONEER IN PAKISTAN

Your Payoneer card can be used in thousands of locations across Pakistan
You can withdraw money from selected ATM machines all over Pakistan.
Keep reading for list of Payoneer ATMs in Pakistan
View this list of MasterCard ATMs in Pakistan. Make sure you look out for the MasterCard LOGO on the machine before you insert your card
Read on to see Payoneer ATM limit in Pakistan
Remember that all transactions in Pakistani ATM machines are done in Pakistani Rupees.
Remember: DO NOT CHECK ATM BALANCE FROM THE ATM but to check it online. Most machines in Pakistan do not support checking of balance of MasterCard cards, and your card could get stuck if you try.
You can also use your Payoneer MasterCard debit card at any shop, petrol pump or restaurant that accepts MasterCard payments. All big stores etc accept this method of payment.
You must enter in the AMOUNT IN RUPEES after converting the dollar amount that is in your card. You can only withdraw in rupees and not in dollars in Pakistan.

Source: Payoneer.com

You can sign up for a Payoneer card in Pakistan by clicking here (free $25 bonus once you load $100 to your card)

WHICH ATMS DOES PAYONEER IN PAKISTAN WORK?

All MasterCard ATMs. Currently, the following banks support MasterCard ATM transactions:

Bank Al Falah - no bank fee.
Muslim Commercial Bank - MCB charges Rs. 250 fee
Standard Chartered Bank - SCB charges Rs. 300 fee
Royal Bank of Scotland (Faysal Bank) - Unsure about fee but it is not very reliable
Citibank - Citibank only has a few branches and ATMs left in Pakistan

PLEASE NOTE THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF LAST YEAR, SAMBA BANK STOPPED SUPPORTING MASTERCARD TRANSACTIONS AND YOUR PAYONEER CARD WILL NO LONGER WORK AT SAMBA ATMs. INSTEAD, YOU CAN USE BANK AL FALAH, WHICH LIKE SAMBA IN THE PAST, CHARGES NO FEE OF ITS OWN.

Here is a list of MasterCard ATMs in Pakistan

WHAT IS THE PAYONEER IN PAKISTAN TRANSACTION LIMIT?

The per-transaction limit depends on the machine. Most MCB machines, all Samba and all SCB machines allow users to withdraw Rs. 20,000 per transaction.

There is no limit on the number of transactions but different Payoneer cards have withdrawal limits so you should check that out when ordering your card. Most cards have a daily withdrawal limit of USD 2,000 (meaning you can make around 10 transactions of PKR 20,000 per day).

You can sign up for a Payoneer card in Pakistan by clicking here (free $25 bonus once you load $100 to your card)

Feel free to leave questions, comments and suggestions below and as always, I will try to answer them as soon as possible.

Samba Bank no longer supports Payoneer - Bank Al Falah does

2015-11-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

Dear avid followers,

Unfortunately, I have not had much time to maintain this blog off late, and it seems many of the posts are outdated and contain incorrect information.

In my last post, I went on and on about how incredible Samba Bank is for Payoneer withdrawals in Pakistan.

For the longest time, they were the only bank that wasn't charging a fee for us Payoneer MasterCard debit card users.

Instead of charging a fee, they have decided to stop supporting MasterCard altogether, which means your card will get rejected and possibly eaten up if you try too many times.

The good news is that Bank Al Falah has some kind of agreement with MasterCard and most of their ATMs support Payoneer now - and they don't charge a bank fee either.

This means that if you withdraw money from a a Bank Al Falah ATM, you will just get charged 3% currency conversion fee and the standard Payoneer ATM withdrawal fee (which is $3.15 on most cards).

Which Bank Al Falah ATMs support Payoneer?

Good question. I have tried 5 different ATMs in Karachi South and Karachi Central and they all worked perfectly. Reading some information about how certain machines in other parts of the city and country are not accepting Payoneer, but I think this should sort itself out soon since Al Falah seems to have some kind of deal with MasterCard.

What is Payoneer, you ask?

Even better question, You deserve an award for reading an entire blog about something you're clueless about. That award could be $25!!!! How?

You can sign up for a Payoneer card in Pakistan by clicking here (free $25 bonus once you load $100 to your card)

As always, please feel free to leave a comment and I'll try to help you out with your Payoneer pareshaaniyan.

How to load Payoneer in Pakistan

2015-07-19T06:45:00.002-07:00

Payoneer issues MasterCard prepaid cards, which means that you can only use your card for purchases and ATM withdrawals if you actually have money loaded onto your card.

Many people order cards from Payoneer in Pakistan but they do not know how they can make use of the card, since a brand new card comes with $0 balance. There are various ways in which you can load money onto your Payoneer MasterCard in Pakistan.

You can sign up for a Payoneer card in Pakistan by clicking here (free $25 bonus once you load $100 to your card)

PAYONEER PARTNERS

The most common way to load money onto your Payoneer in Pakistan is by withdrawing funds from your account with a Payoneer partner. Unfortunately, there is no complete list of Payoneer partners anywhere on the internet. Most freelancing marketplaces and many other sites where you can earn money are Payoneer partners.

Credit: www.staragara.net

Credit: www.payoneer.com

How can you find out if a site is a Payoneer partner? Well, you can see withdrawal options on a particular website, or just simply google "name of site Payoneer" and see whether you can withdraw funds from there onto your Payoneer account.

Here is an older list of Payoneer partners. Please note that it may not be up-to-date.

Payoneer has over one thousand partners so I cannot compile a full list of Payoneer partners. You can see some of their current partners in the photos added to this blog.

You can sign up for a Payoneer card in Pakistan by clicking here (free $25 bonus once you load $100 to your card)

Once you have identified a Payoneer partner, you can load your Payoneer in Pakistan by simply withdrawing funds from your account with that Payoneer partner to your Payoneer account. For instance, if you have earned $100 on a project on Freelancer.com, you can select Withdraw and then choose Freelancer Debit Card (powered by Payoneer).

PRIVATE LOAD

Private load is an easy way to load your card. All you need is credit card or debit card that can be used online. In order to use private load, visit load.payoneer.com and enter in your payment and card information. Your money can be loaded within 2 working days.

Please note that private load is not available on all Payoneer cards. If you order your card through certain Payoneer partners, you will need to regularly withdraw through those Partners for the private load feature to be enabled. However, if you order your card here, you can use the private load feature freely.

For more information about private loads, click here.

You can sign up for a Payoneer card in Pakistan by clicking here (free $25 bonus once you load $100 to your card)

CARD TO CARD LOAD
You can also receive money from another Payoneer card using Payoneer's Card to Card feature. This is another easy way to load money onto your card.

US/EU PAYMENT SERVICE
If you need to receive money from a company based in the United States or the European Union, you can receive it directly through your Payoneer card using Payoneer US / EU Payment Service. Payoneer charges a small fee for this service. More information can be found on their website.

I am always happy to help specific questions about how to load Payoneer in Pakistan, or any other questions related to Payoneer or freelancing that you might have. Please feel free to leave me a comment below and I will respond as soon as possible.

How to Use Payoneer in Pakistan in 2015

2015-01-03T01:14:00.001-08:00

Payoneer offers an incredible payment solution for those who receive money from Payoneer affiliates. Payoneer in Pakistan is a particularly beneficial option since the world's most popular payment option Paypal is not generally available in Pakistan.

However, for those who are using Payoneer for the first time, it can be fairly confusing at first. This article will discuss everything you need to know regarding how to use Payoneer in Pakistan.

WHAT IS PAYONEER?

Avid followers of this blog, if there are any, will already know that Payoneer is a payment solution company that issues Prepaid MasterCard Debit Cards to freelancers and other people receiving income from foreign countries.

Payoneer.com

Source: Payoneer.com

you can sign up directly through your Payoneer partner and pay a monthly fee and receive no bonus.

WHAT ARE THE PAYONEER FEES?

Below is the fee table for the card if you decide to order from this site. If you decide to order it through a specific partner, check out the fees for that specific card when applying for it. Most cards have the same fee structure, except instead of an annual fee of $29.95, they have a monthly fee of $3 (totalling to $36 per year).

Payoneer in Pakistan Fee Chart (Source: Payoneer.com)

You can sign up for a Payoneer card in Pakistan by clicking here (free $25 bonus once you load $100 to your card)

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SHIP PAYONEER CARD TO PAKISTAN?

We did a survey and found that the average time it takes to ship Payoneer card to Pakistan is less than 25 calender days. This means that if you select regular shipping option, you can get your card within the calender month.

Image taken from smashingsoftwares.blogspot.com

Tear open the envelope you have received from Payoneer in the mail
Unpack the card and take out the activation instructions letter
Go to your PC
Go to www.payoneer.com
Click on Activate your card in the panel on the right
Enter your account details to login to your Payoneer online account (these are the same details you chose when you ordered the card). The username is your email address and the password is what you chose it to be..
Once you login, you will see a button you can click to activate your card. Click it!
Enter the 16 digit card number located on your card, and choose a 4 digit pin number.
Celebrate the activation of your card!

You can sign up for a Payoneer card in Pakistan by clicking here (free $25 bonus once you load $100 to your card)

2. USE YOUR PAYONEER IN PAKISTAN

Your Payoneer card can be used in thousands of locations across Pakistan
You can withdraw money from selected ATM machines all over Pakistan.
Keep reading for list of Payoneer ATMs in Pakistan
View this list of MasterCard ATMs in Pakistan. Make sure you look out for the MasterCard LOGO on the machine before you insert your card
Read on to see Payoneer ATM limit in Pakistan
Remember that all transactions in Pakistani ATM machines are done in Pakistani Rupees.
Remember: DO NOT CHECK ATM BALANCE FROM THE ATM but to check it online. Most machines in Pakistan do not support checking of balance of MasterCard cards, and your card could get stuck if you try.
You can also use your Payoneer MasterCard debit card at any shop, petrol pump or restaurant that accepts MasterCard payments. All big stores etc accept this method of payment.
You must enter in the AMOUNT IN RUPEES after converting the dollar amount that is in your card. You can only withdraw in rupees and not in dollars in Pakistan.

Source: Payoneer.com

You can sign up for a Payoneer card in Pakistan by clicking here (free $25 bonus once you load $100 to your card)

WHICH ATMS DOES PAYONEER IN PAKISTAN WORK?

All MasterCard ATMs. Currently, the following banks support MasterCard ATM transactions:

Samba Bank - Samba Bank is the best option since the bank itself does not charge any fee
Muslim Commercial Bank - MCB charges Rs. 250 fee
Standard Chartered Bank - SCB charges Rs. 300 fee
Royal Bank of Scotland (Faysal Bank) - Unsure about fee but it is not very reliable
Citibank - Citibank only has a few branches and ATMs left in Pakistan

Here is a list of MasterCard ATMs in Pakistan

WHAT IS THE PAYONEER IN PAKISTAN TRANSACTION LIMIT?

The per-transaction limit depends on the machine. Most MCB machines, all Samba and all SCB machines allow users to withdraw Rs. 20,000 per transaction.

There is no limit on the number of transactions but different Payoneer cards have withdrawal limits so you should check that out when ordering your card.

You can sign up for a Payoneer card in Pakistan by clicking here (free $25 bonus once you load $100 to your card)

Feel free to leave questions, comments and suggestions below.

Get a MasterCard debit card in Pakistan

2013-03-19T02:17:00.001-07:00

If you need a MasterCard debit card to make any online purchase or to enjoy low transaction fees, the Payoneer MasterCard debit card is your best choice. Most banks in Pakistan offer Visa debit cards, so getting a MasterCard here is quite difficult.

Luckily, Payoneer now allows users to obtain cards though its website without any partners. If applicants request the card through an affiliate, not only is their application expedited, but they also get $25 FREE once they load their card with $100. Best of all, users who apply for their card from the below link can enjoy NO MONTHLY FEES and they just have to pay an annual fee of $29.95 (only if your card has a balance - it will never go into negative). There are NO ACTIVATION FEES if you register through the link below. You can use the Payoneer MasterCard debit card to get a BANK ACCOUNT IN AMERICA. This can be used to verify a Paypal account and USE PAYPAL IN PAKISTAN!

Click here to apply for a Payoneer card and get $25 absolutely free as soon as $100 is loaded onto your card

OR

Leave your email address in the comments section and I'll send you a personal invitation.

With a Payoneer MasterCard debit card, you can receive payments from clients all over the world through load.payoneer.com . You can also load your card using any Pakistani credit card or debit card, and then use the card to make purchase transactions all over the world.

The fee schedule for the card is as follows:

Annual card account maintenance $29.95 Per Card From available card balance each year
Card replacement $12.95 Per card One time - when issuing a replacement card
ATM Cash Withdrawals or Transactions ATM withdrawal $3.15 Per Trx When withdrawal is requested
Declined ATM withdrawal $1.00Per Trx When withdrawal request is declined
Purchase Transaction Free *Per Trx When card is used for purchases
ATM Balance inquiry** $1.00 Per Trx When inquiry is made

* When a transaction is made as a foreign transaction or is requested in a currency other than USD, charges of up to 3% may be assessed above all charges assessed by MasterCard for the transaction.

** Not available in Pakistan. Balance can be checked on the internet by logging into your account on www.payoneer.com

Click here to apply for a Payoneer card and get $25 absolutely free as soon as $100 is loaded onto your card

Any questions and queries are welcome. I strongly recommend you order the Payoneer card as soon as possible as there are no activation fees currently. I have been using Payoneer for over two years now and they are very safe and reliable. You can hook this card onto any Payoneer partner or use privately too.

Payoneer in Pakistan

2013-02-28T03:32:00.002-08:00

Do you often get frustrated that you cannot use Paypal in Pakistan? Do you feel there are no good alternatives to receive US dollar payments from clients all over the world? Well, you're completely wrong. Payoneer in Pakistan is a reliable alternative to Paypal. It has a wide range of benefits

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR PAYONEER CARD. ONCE YOU EARN $100 FROM ANY PAYONEER PARTNER OR PRIVATE LOAD, YOU WILL EARN $25 AUTOMATICALLY IF YOU REGISTER THROUGH THIS LINK.

Ordering a card through the link on this blog (above)

Luckily, Payoneer now allows users to obtain cards though its website without any partners. If applicants request the card through an affiliate, not only is their application expedited, but they also get $25 FREE once they load their card with $100. Best of all, users who apply for their card from the below link can enjoy NO MONTHLY FEES and they just have to pay an annual fee of $29.95 (only if your card has a balance - it will never go into negative). There are NO ACTIVATION FEES if you register through the link below. You can use the Payoneer MasterCard debit card to get a BANK ACCOUNT IN AMERICA. This can be used to verify a Paypal account and USE PAYPAL IN PAKISTAN!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR PAYONEER CARD WITHOUT A PARTNER. ONCE YOU EARN $100 FROM ANY PAYONEER PARTNER OR PRIVATE LOAD, YOU WILL EARN $25 AUTOMATICALLY IF YOU REGISTER THROUGH THIS LINK.

Ordering a card through a Partner

Payoneer gives Pakistanis the option of receiving money through a MasterCard debit card in Pakistan. The way it works is simply that you can order a Payoneer debit card through the links placed on this page. Once you have received and activated the card, you can receive payments from any Payoneer partner. You can then withdraw this money in Pakistani rupees by inserting your Payoneer Debit Card into select ATM machines in Pakistan.

Although the card does allow private loads, you need to receive your first payment from a Payoneer Partner. There are hundreds of Payoneer partners, including major freelance marketplaces such as oDesk and Freelancer. After receiving at least one payment from a partner, you can also directly load your MasterCard debit card yourself or ask your clients to load it directly through load.payoneer.com.

You can only withdraw money from select ATMs in Pakistan with the MasterCard logo. All Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB), Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) and Citibank ATMs accept the Payoneer Card in Pakistan. ATM machines that used to belong to RBS also accept Payoneer cards.

Monthly cost is normally $3.00 (1-2 transactions) and $1.00 (3+ transactions). Each time you withdraw money from a Pakistani ATM, it will charge you a flat fee of $2.15 per transaction plus 3% of the amount you are withdrawing. If you accidentally try withdrawing more money than you have, it will charge you $0.90 as a failed transaction cost. These costs are fixed for most Payoneer Partners.

However, there are certain costs that vary significantly depending on the partner you get your card from. If you order your card through certain vendors (such as Freelancer), you do not need to pay the activation fee. However, this is a limited time offer and it may have expired. It is best to order your card from the link below because you will get a $25 cash back, covering the cost of your activation fee. The fee for loading funds on your card may vary depending on your partner.

When you enter your Payoneer Card into any ATM machine, enter your PIN select Current Account. Never check your balance from the ATM. Login to your account on www.payoneer.com to check your balance in USD.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR PAYONEER CARD. ONCE YOU EARN $100 FROM ANY PAYONEER PARTNER OR PRIVATE LOAD, YOU WILL EARN $25 AUTOMATICALLY IF YOU REGISTER THROUGH THIS LINK.

*Some partners only allow you to use their card to receive payments from them (such as Elance). However, most partners will send funds to a Payoneer card that was not issued by them.

*If you have any questions, leave a comment below and I will try my best to answer it as soon as possible.

Starting out as an online freelancer - Part 1

2012-02-20T03:20:00.000-08:00

This series is aimed towards those who are trying to get into the wonderful world where one can work from his or her own home!

Guys, winning your first project is the most difficult job you'll ever get in this field.The entire online freelance community works on a crucial system of ratings. All major online marketplaces have rating systems which employers use to judge potential workers.

A person new to the world of freelancing is without a single rating, and so starting out can be very difficult. Few employers are willing to trust workers who have done no jobs on that marketplace previously.

But don't worry, we'll constantly update you with the latest tips and techniques to landing jobs, and hopefully guide you through the process. Feel free to communicate with us by leaving your comments below this post.

Part 1 of this series deals with setting up accounts on the most ideally suited freelancing marketplaces to those starting up!

STEP 1:REGISTRATION

We have done a lot of research over the past couple of weeks on the easiest websites for online freelancers to begin their work. Taking into account various factors including the long term prospects of these websites, we realized that freelancers have the highest chance of getting jobs on two websites:

We recommend you register on this site as well as this one both at once, so that you can save time filling their profiles (a lot of profile requirements are similar so you can just fill them simultaneously).

Once you create accounts on both the websites, choose your payment methods etc. oDesk requires you take a readiness test before you can post a reasonable number bids at one time so make sure you do this after reading up on how the site works..

Fill in your areas of expertise, resume*, etc on both the websites and put up a photo to give your profile a less robotic look. Portfolios are very important to show any past experience you may have, so if you have any proof of work you may have done in the past that could be relevant to any projects you might bid on, upload it!

Vworker has Expert Guarantee tests that you should complete, whereas oDesk also has certification tests. There are a number of tests available, so you should just do tests in areas in which you believe you are an expert. A great score could result in you gaining more credibility as a worker, so make sure you take tests which you think you can score well in.

Once this is all done, you will have two solid looking profiles set up and you will be all ready to get to the most important part - BIDDING!

Stay tuned for part 2 to find out the best bidding strategies for when you are completely new to the game!

Please feel free to leave a comment if any part of this is unclear or if you have any further questions. Thank you.

We would recommend you also like our Facebook page which can be accessed by clicking here since we frequently publish Success Tips which are absolutely essential to follow if you want to land your first project and complete it successfully.

Best Freelancing Websites for Pakistanis - PART 3 - Elance

2012-02-14T23:29:00.000-08:00

Source: www.elance.com

There are a number of payment methods for Pakistani contractors.

Wire Transfer (PKR) is offered by Elance. It is a direct bank transfer from their accounts to your local PKR bank account in Pakistan. Most major banks in Pakistan are supported by Elance, and while there is no list of supported banks published on their website, you can try out your bank details after making an account on Elance. Each Elance account is entitled to one free local currency wire transfer every month, after which each additional withdrawal costs $5.00. Since Elance converts the funds before transferring them, the currency conversion cost is avoided.

Wire Transfer (USD) is also offered for non-US countries. It is a bank transfer from Elance to your bank account (local PKR or local USD) in Pakistan. However, Elance does not offer any free USD wire transfers to account holders, and each withdrawal amounts to $25 in fees. Also, local PKR bank accounts often charge a hefty fee to convert the USD amount into PKR so this is not advisable, specially if you do not have a local USD account.

Payoneer [FOR more information about Payoneer, please click here: How to use Payoneer MasterCard Debit Cards in Pakistan.] is reliable and quick but it can end up being quite expensive. They issue a prepaid MasterCard debit card to people who can then use it to make electronic purchases at any place that accepts MasterCard, or withdraw it at ATM machines which accept MasterCard (in Pakistan, these include Standard Chartered Bank, Faysal Bank* and Muslim Commercial Bank).

Payoneer charges $24.99 as a one time activation fee that Pakistanis must pay, as opposed to a $9.99 fee for some other countries.

Source: www.elance.com

While Elance provides free withdrawals to your Payoneer account, Payoneer charges $2 to load it ($5 if you want to load it instantly). Otherwise it can take a few business days. Payoneer also has a monthly fee of $3 ($1 if you have more than three transactions, either through ATM or purchasing from shops etc in the previous month) but this is not deducted from your account if you do not have sufficient money there during the course of the month; i.e. your Payoneer account can never become negative. Besides this, there is a $2.15 fee for each ATM withdrawal you make. To top it all off, you get a poor exchange rate in Pakistan. The exchange rate is Rs.90/$ but our banks only give Rs. 87/$. This amount can build up if you are withdrawing a lot of money. Remember that Elance has a $20 minimum withdrawal limit for Payoneer users.

FOR more information about Payoneer, please click here: How to use Payoneer MasterCard Debit Cards in Pakistan.

Skrill, more commonly known as Moneybookers, charges EUR1.80 per withdrawal. Moreover, a rate of 1.99% has been applied for currency converssion by Skrill.

Moneybookers had a fantastic reputation amongst Pakistani contractors until recently, when there were widespread complaints of additional fees, delays and missing money with their services over the past couple of months. Skrill has undergone several internal changes, which have reduced its credibility in the eyes of many Pakistani contractors.

*only those branches of Faysal Bank that were once owned by Royal Bank of Scotland accept MasterCard. Look for the MasterCard logo on the machine. DO NOT insert your card in machine that does not accept MasterCard

FOR more information about Payoneer, please click here: How to use Payoneer MasterCard Debit Cards in Pakistan

Using Payoneer in Pakistan

2012-02-14T04:40:00.000-08:00

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS POST IS OUTDATED. PLEASE SEE MORE RECENT POSTS ON THIS BLOG FOR UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT USING PAYONEER IN PAKISTAN.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR PAYONEER CARD. IF YOU USE THIS LINK TO ORDER YOUR PAYONEER CARD, YOU WILL GET $25 FREE AFTER RECEIVING YOUR FIRST $100. YOU CAN USE PRIVATE LOADS INSTANTLY WITH THIS PAYONEER CARD, UNLIKE ANY OTHER PAYONEER CARD

Did you FINALLY just receive your Payoneer MasterCard in the mail? Once you are done with the initial excitement of owning a MasterCard debit card, run through the following guide to make sure you know exactly how to use the Payoneer card in Pakistan.

Step 1:
Open the envelope

Rip open the envelope you have received from Payoneer
Unpack the card
Switch on your personal computer

Step 2:
Activate your card

Go to www.payoneer.com
Click on Activate your card in the panel on the right
Enter your account details to login to your Payoneer online account (these are the same details you chose when you ordered the card). The username is your email address.
Once you login, you will see a button you can click to activate your card. Click it!
Enter the 16 digit card number located on your card, and choose a 4 digit pin number.
Celebrate the activation of your card!

Step 3:
Use your card

Your Payoneer card can be used in thousands of locations across Pakistan
You can withdraw money from selected ATM machines all over Pakistan. Your card will only work at ATM machines that support MasterCard. In Pakistan, these include MUSLIM COMMERCIAL BANK, CITIBANK and FAYSAL BANK.
You can see a list of ATMs near you that support MasterCard by visiting the link below.
Make sure you look out for the MasterCard logo on the machine before you insert your card
Remember that Payoneer's daily spending limit varies depending on which vendor you got your card through. Odesk cards have a daily ATM withdrawal limit of $2,500 but this does NOT mean you can withdraw this amount. Local ATM machines have varying daily withdrawal limits. Consult the bank associated with any ATM machine you are withdrawing from before making large transactions.
Remember that all transactions in Pakistani ATM machines are done in Pakistani Rupees.
Remember not to check your balance from the machine, but to check it online. Most machines in Pakistan do not support checking of balance of MasterCard cards, and your card could get eaten up.
You can also use your Payoneer MasterCard debit card at any shop, petrol pump or restaurant that accepts MasterCard payments. All big stores etc accept this method of payment.

A summary of Payoneer fees:

$24.99 - one time card activation fee.(some Payoneer partners are charging the regular fee of $9.99 for Pakistani clients now)
slow load fee (different for every partner. Many partners have subsidized this fee completely)
instant load fee (different for every partner)
$2.15 - ATM machine withdrawal fee per transaction
$ 1-3 - Payoneer monthly fee (depending on number of transactions made in the previous month)
3%* - Currency Exchange fee

DISCLAIMER: Withdrawing more money than you have on your account can result in your card being eaten by the machine. Make sure you calculate a modest exchange rate, taking into account all fees etc. Failed transactions due to insufficient balance are also charged a small fee.

* The currency exchange fee is quite uncertain. Many people believe it is 3% of the dollar exchange rate per dollar.i.e. if the rate is Rs. 100/$, for every dollar you withdraw, you will get 97 rupees. However, these days most ATM machines tend to give between $92-93. You get better rates by swiping your Payoneer card.

If you have any questions relating to Payoneer services in Pakistan, please don't hesitate to leave a comment or find our Facebook page and I will try my best to help you out.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR PAYONEER CARD. IF YOU USE THIS LINK TO ORDER YOUR PAYONEER CARD, YOU WILL GET $25 FREE AFTER RECEIVING YOUR FIRST $100. YOU CAN USE PRIVATE LOADS INSTANTLY WITH THIS PAYONEER CARD, UNLIKE ANY OTHER PAYONEER CARD

EZ Rupee Online Facebook Page Up

2012-02-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

Our Facebook page is up and running! Make sure you like it to receive updates about the latest posts as well as to be a part of a conversation with other people in your fields.

The page can be found here.

Happy freelancing!

Best Freelancing Websites for Pakistanis - PART 2 - oDesk

2012-02-10T01:17:00.000-08:00

ODESK

oDesk is amongst the leading online freelancing marketplaces on the internet today. It boasts hosting the more online work than anywhere else on the web, with over 1 million jobs posted and contractors earning more than $220 million in 2011 alone.

oDesk is completely free to join, and it is free to apply for projects as well. However, oDesk users must go through several stages of verification before they can post unlimited bids at one time. New users who do not take any verification tests can only send out two job applications at a time.

oDesk takes its Pakistani community very seriously. They have several payment options that are well suited to Pakistanis. Besides this, they have a dedicated sub-forum for Pakistani employers and contractors to discuss their issues and exchange ideas.

There are a number of payment methods for Pakistani contractors.

Wire Transfer (PKR) is a relatively new payment method introduced by oDesk. It is a direct bank transfer from oDesk to your local PKR bank account in Pakistan. At the moment, only 11 banks are eligible for this transfer. According to the oDesk website, these include:

Habib Bank Ltd.

National Bank of Pakistan

United Bank Ltd.

MCB Bank Ltd.

Allied Bank Ltd.

Bank al Falah Ltd.

Habib Metropolitan Bank Ltd.

Bank of Punjab Ltd.

KASB Bank Ltd.

JS bank Ltd.

Dubai Islamic Bank Ltd.

oDesk charges a flat rate of $4.99 per withdrawal, and they offer the first Wire Transfer to Pakistanis for free. The exchange rates they offer are also competitive, and local bank charges are minimized because all transactions are occurring in PKR. The exact time it takes for the wire transfer to be completed is uncertain, but many people believe time maximum time a transfer can take is approximately ten business days.

Payoneer is reliable and quick but it can end up being quite expensive. They issue a prepaid MasterCard debit card to people who can then use it to make electronic purchases at any place that accepts MasterCard, or withdraw it at ATM machines which accept MasterCard (in Pakistan, these include Standard Chartered Bank, Faysal Bank* and Muslim Commercial Bank).
Payoneer charges $24.99 as a one time activation fee that Pakistanis must pay, as opposed to a $9.99 fee for some other countries.

Source: www.payoneer.com

oDesk charges $2.00 for each payment you make to your Payoneer card, and Payoneer charges $2 to load it ($5 if you want to load it instantly). Otherwise it can take a few business days. Payoneer also has a monthly fee of $3 ($1 if you have more than three transactions, either through ATM or purchasing from shops etc in the previous month) but this is not deducted from your account if you do not have sufficient money there during the course of the month; i.e. your Payoneer account can never become negative. Besides this, there is a $2.15 fee for each ATM withdrawal you make. To top it all off, you get a poor exchange rate in Pakistan. The exchange rate is Rs.90/$ but our banks only give Rs. 87/$. This amount can build up if you are withdrawing a lot of money.

Skrill, more commonly known as Moneybookers, transfers money to your Skrill account for $1.00, whereas Skrill charges EUR1.80 per withdrawal. Moreover, a rate of 1.99% has been applied for currency converssion by Skrill.

Moneybookers had a fantastic reputation amongst Pakistani contractors until recently, when there were widespread complaints of additional fees, delays and missing money with their services over the past couple of months. Skrill has undergone several internal changes, which have reduced its credibility in the eyes of many Pakistani contractors.

*only those branches of Faysal Bank that were once owned by Royal Bank of Scotland accept MasterCard. Look for the MasterCard logo on the machine. DO NOT insert your card in machine that does not accept MasterCard

Best Freelancing Websites for Pakistanis - PART 1 - VWORKER

2012-02-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

While there are a lot of reviews comparing various freelancing websites, few do it from the perspective of a Pakistani. I have taken the time out to do a little bit of research to identify which website is most suitable for us, in terms of cost and payment methods.

There are a number of freelancing websites out there that allow Pakistani workers to work on projects and then get paid on them. However, a lot of Pakistanis have problems receiving payments from abroad because we cannot have a Paypal account in Pakistan and relying on the postal system to receive checks via snail mail is not a preferred option.

This series will talk about the pros and cons of the major online freelancing marketplaces from our perspective. We will start with:

VWORKER

Previously known as Rent-a-Coder, Vworker is one of the fastest growing online freelancing marketplaces out there. This website is free to sign up for, and you can place as many bids as you want. They have a lot of fantastic employers, many of whom are also Pakistani.

The interface is simple and easy to use, and the number of features is impressive. There are a number of types of projects you can bid on, ranging from outsourcing, to crowd-sourcing, to trial-sourcing.

The payment methods open to Pakistanis are quite limited.

Western Union is very expensive - Vworker takes $10 to process international payments and Western Union then deducts a whopping 15% as fees! To sum it up, if you earn $110 on a job, you pay $10 to Vworker when you are withdrawing the money, and then $15 to Western Union. You will be left with only $90.

However, Western Union has certain advantages, particularly for Pakistanis. We get a good exchange rate at Western Union offices. Moreover, there are hundreds of Western Union branches all over the country and you merely have to give them a copy of your CNIC card as well as your payment number (which Vworker issues) and you get the cash in PKR.

Snail Mail Check is very unreliable. The Vworker website reads:

(This method is NOT recommended to workers in Pakistan or minor Indian cities, as the mail system tends to be less reliable in these cases.)

Vworker charges $10 to send a check through snail mail. I believe local banks also charge a significant fee to deposit a foreign currency check into a PKR bank account, although I cannot verify this as I have never received my payments using this method.

Payoneer is reliable and quick but it can end up being quite expensive. They issue a prepaid MasterCard debit card to people who can then use it to make electronic purchases at any place that accepts MasterCard, or withdraw it at ATM machines which accept MasterCard (in Pakistan, these include Standard Chartered Bank, Faysal Bank* and Muslim Commercial Bank).
Payoneer charges $24.99 as a one time activation fee that Pakistanis must pay, as opposed to a $9.99 fee for some other countries.The Vworker site reads:

Warning: To prevent identity theft, money laundering and terrorist financing, government regulations require Payoneer to perform additional due diligence on customers in certain countries. This process (enhanced KYC) requires a scanned copy of your ID and an additional activation fee of $24.95. Enhanced KYC is required in Angola, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Sao Tome and Principe, Turkmenistan, Albania, Belarus, Bosnia Herzegovina, Côte D’Ivoire, Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon, Liberia, Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Somalia, and Zimbabwe.

Source: www.payoneer.com

Vworker charges $5.00 for each payment you make to your Payoneer card, and Payoneer charges $2 to load it ($5 if you want to load it instantly. Otherwise it can take a few business days). Payoneer also has a monthly fee of $3 ($1 if you have more than three transactions, either through ATM or purchasing from shops etc in the previous month) but this is not deducted from your account if you do not have sufficient money there during the course of the month; i.e. your Payoneer account can never become negative. Besides this, there is a $2.15 fee for each ATM withdrawal you make. To top it all off, you get a poor exchange rate in Pakistan. The exchange rate is Rs.90/$ but our banks only give Rs. 87/$. This amount can build up if you are withdrawing a lot of money.

While the fees may sound like a lot, Payoneer is not only quick but reliable. I have been using them for a long period of time now and I have never had any issues with them.

Payoneer also offers another option to workers on Vworker. Their international bank transfer service can transfer money to most banks in Pakistan. The base fee for this in Pakistan is $14.95 ($5 Vworker fee + $9.95 Payoneer fee). Along with this, you are charged for currency conversation by Payoneer if your bank account is not in USD.

Skrill, more commonly known as Moneybookers, is the latest addition by Vworker on the special request of various Pakistani contractors. Vworker transfers money to your Skrill account for $2.00, whereas Skrill charges EUR1.80 per withdrawal. Moreover, a rate of 1.99% has been applied for currency converssion by Skrill.

Moneybookers had a fantastic reputation amongst Pakistani contractors until, coincidentally, Vworker began offering their withdrawal services. There have been complaints of additional fees, delays and missing money with their services over the past couple of months.

*only those branches of Faysal Bank that were once owned by Royal Bank of Scotland accept MasterCard. Look for the MasterCard logo on the machine. DO NOT insert your card in machine that does not accept MasterCard

Welcome to EZ Rupee Online!

2012-02-09T04:31:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Welcome to EZ Rupee Online, a blog dedicated to people who want to make a part time or a full time living on the internet. While there is no shortage of resources available on the internet for people who want to learn how to start earning money on the internet, there is a massive amount of information that remains unverified or even downright untrue.

Here at EZ Rupee Online, I am going to do my best to get as many of you into the great world of online freelancing as possible. While this blog aims to serve as a resource to primarily Pakistanis, people from other countries are also welcome to ask general questions and join the conversation.

I have been working as an online freelancer for a year now part time. While I am a full time student, the extra income I have earned over the past few years services has helped me out tremendously, at a time when our economy has not been producing too many jobs.

I only talk about PROVEN ways to make money. There are a lot of scams out there, and I know a lot of people who have been victims of them.

If you ever have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below. I will do my utmost to get back to you as quickly as possible.