- What PayPal's own country list shows for Bangladesh
- A code on the fee page, but no Bangladesh rows
- Xoom is the PayPal service that does name Bangladesh
- Bank deposits and bKash wallets
- Why Xoom isn't the same as getting paid for work
- What Bangladesh Bank says about foreign payment providers
- The taka and what to ask your bank
- How other South Asian countries compare
- What I'd do before telling a client PayPal will work
- Frequently asked questions
PayPal's own list of countries doesn't name Bangladesh in its Asia section, and I couldn't find a Bangladesh page with receiving or withdrawal rules. PayPal's Xoom service does send money into Bangladesh by cash pickup, bank deposit or mobile wallet, but that isn't the same as getting paid for client work.
Bangladesh is the country where I'd be most careful about what you read on PayPal. Plenty of pages claim it works, and plenty claim it doesn't, and few quote anything official. So I've stuck to what PayPal's own pages show, what its Xoom service says about Bangladesh, and one Bangladesh Bank circular. Where those pages go quiet, I'll say so rather than fill the gap.
What PayPal's own country list shows for Bangladesh
PayPal publishes a list of countries and currencies. Its Asia section names countries including Malaysia and Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh doesn't appear in that Asia list. I read the full page for the word and it isn't there.
That isn't PayPal announcing a ban on Bangladesh, and I won't suggest otherwise. It's the absence of a listing, and for a freelancer it's the most important fact on the page. Before you promise a client PayPal, look for the same list and check it yourself.
A code on the fee page, but no Bangladesh rows
PayPal's fee page carries a market code table, and Bangladesh (BD) is in it. Then the picture gets thin. PayPal's Asia Pacific conversion group names Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Tonga, and it doesn't name Bangladesh.
I couldn't find a Bangladesh page of the kind PayPal publishes for Malaysia or Sri Lanka. So there's no Bangladesh-specific withdrawal fee, partner bank or receiving rule for me to quote. A page that quoted one would be inventing it.
Xoom is the PayPal service that does name Bangladesh
Xoom is a PayPal service, and its Bangladesh page is a send-money page. It says you can send money to Bangladesh with cash pickup, bank deposits or mobile wallets. That's the direction of travel: money going into Bangladesh from senders abroad, for friends and family.
Xoom lists selected sending countries including the US, Canada, the UK, the EEA and Australia, with the currencies shown as dollars, Canadian dollars, pounds and euros to Bangladeshi taka. It also says available currencies and payment options may vary depending on your location.
| What I checked | What the official pages show for Bangladesh |
|---|---|
| PayPal's Asia country list | Bangladesh isn't named |
| PayPal fee page market code table | Bangladesh (BD) is listed |
| Asia Pacific conversion group | Bangladesh isn't named |
| Xoom delivery options | Cash pickup, bank deposits and mobile wallets |
| Xoom bank deposits | Typically within minutes to all banks in Bangladesh |
| Xoom fee transparency | Exact fee and amount shown before you send |
Bank deposits and bKash wallets
Xoom says bank deposits typically arrive within minutes to all banks in Bangladesh, and it names Dutch-Bangla Bank and Sonali Bank Ltd among them. It also says you can transfer money directly to bKash mobile wallets.
The page doesn't list a fee in numbers. It says it will show the exact fee and the amount the recipient will receive before you send, and that fees and limitations apply. If a relative abroad wants to send you money this way, that's the screen to check.
Why Xoom isn't the same as getting paid for work
This is where people get confused. A remittance service lets someone abroad send money to you. It isn't the same thing as a freelancer's account that receives payments from clients and lets you withdraw to a local bank. Xoom's page describes sending to friends and family, so don't assume it solves a client-payment problem.
What Bangladesh Bank says about foreign payment providers
Bangladesh Bank's FE Circular No. 34 in 2022 is the clearest official document I found on the general idea. It allowed licensed mobile financial service providers to repatriate wage earners' remittance in association with internationally recognised online payment gateway service providers, banks, digital wallets, card schemes or aggregators abroad.
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The Taka value is credited to the wage earner's mobile financial service account. That covers wage earners' remittances, not a freelancer receiving PayPal payments, so please don't read more into it than it says. It does show the central bank's rules treat foreign payment providers as something that needs formal arrangements.
The taka and what to ask your bank
The Bangladeshi taka has the code BDT, it's divided into 100 poisha, and it's issued by Bangladesh Bank. If a payment is converted, ask your bank what rate it applies and what it charges for incoming foreign transfers.
Because PayPal's pages don't spell out a receiving route for Bangladesh, your bank is the person to ask what it accepts. I'd also ask a local accountant about tax and reporting, because I can't advise on that.
How other South Asian countries compare
If you want to see what an official PayPal route looks like where one exists, PayPal's local partner bank setup in Sri Lanka is the closest example in the region. How PayPal works for people in India and PayPal's position for Pakistan show two other neighbours, each with its own rules.
What I'd do before telling a client PayPal will work
- Check PayPal's country list yourself and see whether Bangladesh is named before you quote it to a client.
- Ask the client what other ways they can pay, and match them to what your bank accepts.
- If someone abroad wants to send you family money, look at what Xoom shows for fees and delivery before they send.
- Keep records of every payment and ask a local accountant about tax. I can't advise on that.
I know that's less satisfying than a yes or a no. But PayPal's own pages don't give a Bangladesh receiving route that I can quote, and I'd rather tell you that than guess.
Frequently asked questions
Is PayPal available in Bangladesh?
PayPal's list of countries and currencies doesn't name Bangladesh in its Asia section, and I couldn't find a Bangladesh page with receiving or withdrawal rules. Check PayPal's own list before you rely on it.
Can I send money to Bangladesh with PayPal?
PayPal's Xoom service says you can send money to Bangladesh with cash pickup, bank deposits or mobile wallets, from selected countries including the US, Canada, the UK, the EEA and Australia.
How fast do Xoom bank deposits reach Bangladesh?
Xoom says bank deposits typically arrive within minutes to all banks in Bangladesh. It shows the exact fee and amount before you send, and says fees and limitations apply.
Does Xoom pay to bKash?
Xoom says you can transfer money directly to bKash mobile wallets.
What is the Bangladeshi taka divided into?
The taka has the code BDT and is divided into 100 poisha. It's issued by Bangladesh Bank.
