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PayPal Friends and Family in Singapore: What You Need to Know
Searching for how to send money via PayPal Friends and Family in Singapore? Here's what you need to know: PayPal Friends and Family is not available in Singapore.
If you've heard about this feature from friends overseas or seen it mentioned online, you may be wondering why you can't find the option in your PayPal account. The short answer is that PayPal does not support Friends and Family payments for Singapore accounts¹.
In this guide, we'll explain what PayPal Friends and Family is, why it's not available in Singapore, what options you do have through PayPal. We'll also introduce the Wise account, a handy companion to make your money go further with low, transparent fees.
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What is PayPal Friends and Family?
PayPal Friends and Family (also called PayPal F&F) is a payment feature available in some countries that allows users to send personal payments with lower fees. It's designed for:
- Splitting bills with friends
- Repaying someone you owe
- Sending money as a gift
- Transferring funds to family members
In markets where it's available, Friends and Family payments typically have no fees for domestic transfers funded by bank account or PayPal balance. However, these payments don't include PayPal Buyer Protection.
PayPal Friends and Family vs Goods and Services
In countries where both options exist, the key differences are:
| Feature | Friends and Family | Goods and Services |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Personal payments | Purchases and business transactions |
| Fees | Lower or no fees | Seller pays a transaction fee |
| Buyer Protection | ❌ No protection | ✅ Eligible for PayPal Buyer Protection |
Why is PayPal Friends and Family not available in Singapore?
PayPal's Friends and Family feature is not supported for Singapore accounts. According to PayPal Singapore's official help centre:
"'Friends and Family' payments aren't supported in your PayPal account"
This means Singapore users:
- Cannot send Friends and Family payments
- Cannot receive Friends and Family payments
- Will not see the Friends and Family option in their account
PayPal has different features available in different markets based on local regulations and business decisions. Singapore is among the markets where this feature is not offered.
If you're searching for the Friends and Family tab in your PayPal account and can't find it, this is why – it's not a problem with your account; the feature simply isn't available in Singapore.
What payment options does PayPal offer in Singapore?
While Friends and Family isn't available, Singapore users can still use PayPal for:
Goods and Services payments
You can send payments for purchases and commercial transactions. The recipient (seller) pays a fee, and eligible transactions include PayPal Buyer Protection.
Receiving payments
If you sell goods or services, you can receive payments from buyers worldwide.
Online shopping
You can use PayPal to pay at thousands of online merchants.
PayPal fees in Singapore
For commercial transactions (Goods and Services), PayPal charges fees to the seller. Here's an overview of key costs²:
| Transaction Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Domestic commercial transactions | 3.9% + $0.50 SGD |
| International commercial transactions | 4.4% + fixed fee |
| Currency conversion | 4.0% above base exchange rate |
| Withdrawal to bank (over $200 SGD) | No fee |
| Withdrawal to bank (under $200 SGD) | $1.00 SGD |
PayPal exchange rates
Along with the fee, there’s also the exchange rate to consider when sending payments to friends or family in other countries. PayPal adds a mark-up of at least 4%² to the mid-market exchange rate when converting currency. This can make international payments more expensive, even if the initial upfront fee doesn’t seem very much.
You can compare PayPal's exchange rate against other providers and banks in Singapore from our exchange rate comparison tool.
How to send money to friends and family in Singapore
Since PayPal Friends and Family isn't available in Singapore, what are your options for sending personal payments? Here are the main alternatives:
PayNow (domestic transfers)
For sending money within Singapore, PayNow is a fast, free instant transfer system linked to your bank account. You can send money using the recipient's mobile number or NRIC.
Bank transfers
Traditional bank transfers work for both domestic and international payments, though international transfers through banks often come with high fees and poor exchange rates.
Wise (international transfers)
For sending money overseas to friends and family, Wise offers low fees and the mid-market exchange rate – making it a cost-effective alternative to PayPal for international personal payments. If your recipient also has a Wise account, you can send money to them instantly using their Wise tag – completely free of charge.
Need to send money abroad? Use Wise for quick transfers at the mid-market rate
Wise international money transfers can be set up online or within the Wise app with low fees from 0.26% and the mid-market rate, to over 140+ countries. There’s no markup added to the exchange rate that’s used to convert your currency, which makes it easier to see exactly what you're paying for a transfer, and what the recipient will get in the end. Just transfer the amount indicated in SGD and let Wise do the rest.
Track your transfers easily when you create a free Wise account, and manage, hold, and convert your money in SGD and 40+ other currencies. You'll get the same great rates, and be able to track your transfers all from one place. As a bonus, you can also get 8+ local account details to be able to receive money in SGD, USD, GBP, and more.
✍️ Sign up for a free account now
Sources:
Sources checked on 31.12.2025.
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
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