What’s the big deal and why should you open a Wise Account in Nigeria? There are a lot of reasons, but the main reason/summary is to get the best exchange rate for your USD to Naira earnings.
Whether you want international business bank accounts (USD, GBP & EUR) for freelancing (working on Upwork or Fiverr), that is an account for freelancers to invoice like a local around the world, receive multiple currencies for free, or you want to become a self-employed international freelancer from Nigeria/Full-time Blogger, chances are you will get paid through PayPal or Payoneer.
If it has to do with PayPal, you’ll want to be aware of the fees and exchange rates charged by different financial institutions. For instance, if you wish to move your funds from PayPal to the UBA Prepaid Dollar Card, PayPal charges $5, and UBA charges about 1.3% again, meaning, your funds are tearing in parts.
If you are like our esteemed clients and me, you would want a service that allows a free transfer of your funds, right? If your answer is yes, then you will love the opportunity to open a USD, Pounds Sterling & Euro bank account on Wise.com and move your funds ALL FOR FREE from PayPal.
Also, while UBA bank does not encourage Dollar Prepaid Card users to move funds anymore from PayPal (firsthand confirmation at the bank), getting your dollar freelance funds out of the card can be a real issue.
In fact, I spent over 80 hours to figure out ways to do this, yet, no tangible solution than losing even more funds after the charges – unless – you want to use the funds and shop online.
The Good news: Currently, fnfSwap helps her Prepaid Card Clients/Users exchange their funds from the Dollar card swiftly at the best rate/Naira.
Therefore, if you’ve been using the UBA Dollar Prepaid Card to receive funds from PayPal, I would say, place it as a second choice & option while you go for Wise as the first option. Why?
With Wise, you get free funds movement from PayPal, zero user-to-user fees, and ultimately, you get a good USD to Naira exchange rate, more than the UBA Prepaid Card exchange rate.
Having known this, without further ado, let’s swiftly see how to open a wise account in Nigeria and obtain foreign bank accounts to receive your freelance earnings.
And as we advance, I will show you how to fund a Wise account from Nigeria, the Wise Money Transfer process, and even how you can verify it as I did.
What is Wise [Former TransferWise?
Contents hide
1 What is Wise [Former TransferWise?
2 Does Wise Work in Nigeria?
3 The Requirement to Create a Wise Account in Nigeria
4 What Happens if you provide a Wrong ID for Wise Verification?
5 Why We Now Have Wise Nigeria Account – Why Wise Banned Nigerians
6 How To Create a Wise Account in Nigeria
6.1 1. Visit the Wise.com Website
6.2 2. Select your account type; Personal or Business
6.3 3. Choose your Country of Primary Residence.
6.4 4. Verify your phone number with a code.
6.5 5. Verify your email address
6.6 6. Access your Wise Account Dashboard
6.7 Managing Wise Account after Set up
7 How to Fund Wise Account in Nigeria
7.1 TransferWise Account Verification Trigger
7.2 How To Verify Wise Account in Nigeria Summary
7.3 How to Add Wise USD Account Details to PayPal
7.5 How To Withdraw from Wise to Nigeria Bank Account
7.6 The Top Benefits of Wise Account
7.7 International Currencies Supported on TransferWise
7.7.1 FAQ
Wise (formally known as TransferWise) is a smart payment website or gateway with multi-currency accounts that make international money transfers cheap, fair, and simple for users.
For Nigerians, Wise is a payment option to receive digital and freelance funds from clients abroad and also move funds from PayPal for free, and lastly, get the best exchange rate value spend for your money in Naira.
The Big Question is,
Does Wise Work in Nigeria?
Yes, Wise.com works in Nigeria, although only FULLY verified Wise account owners can get international bank accounts in USD, GBP, and EUR to receive funds from clients abroad and also move funds from PayPal.
The Requirement to Create a Wise Account in Nigeria
- Must be at least 18 years old.
- A government-issued photo ID.
- A computer or smartphone connected to the internet.
- A phone number connected to your smartphone (for SMS text messages).
P.S – ID is for the verification stage. (International Passport as the first choice, Driver’s License and National ID as the second choice. NIN slip or Voter’s Card is usually declined.)
What Happens if you provide a Wrong ID for Wise Verification?
If you provide an identification document that is not listed/approved for the Wise account verification process, it won’t just get rejected but you stand a chance to lose your account. So, cut yourself some slack and provide only any of the following IDs:
- Your Passport Photograph [Int’l Passport]
- Your National ID [non-NIN]
- Your Driver’s License
P.S – no go provide Voter’s Card or NIN ooooo. If you do, see your fate below.
Here’s a sample of a rejected ID provided by one user.
Below is when Wise Terminated his account after some few minutes into the rejection.
Note – although Wise is friendlier and simpler to use than PayPal, I tell you what? Kindly follow the instructions given to be on the safe side, else, when your account is deactivated, you have almost zero chance of getting your account reactivated. 🙄
Black 🖤 Update about Wise in Nigeria
Why We Now Have Wise Nigeria Account – Why Wise Banned Nigerians
Have you ever opened an account with PayPal and discovered that you can’t receive funds? If not, then, Damilola, one of our clients came to us today asking why it was so. See below.
And do you know the answer? Here it is.
It is because she opened a PayPal account using the Global PayPal URL – which automatically redirects and enables her to open a Nigerian PayPal account.
The same thing now applies to Wise.
We now have Wise Nigeria – thanks to our Nigerian brothers who are always abusing, misusing, and rubbishing FinTech platforms like PayPal, Payday, Wise, and the like.
See the height of it.
Can you imagine that a Nigerian would sit down and open 10 wise accounts at a blow?
Can you beat the nonsense?
Now, if you are upset, then tell me why Wise won’t ban Nigeria.
Because of Nigerians Abuses:
💡 3 years ago, Wise stopped allowing Nigerians to move funds from Wise to Domiciliary Accounts.
💡 2 years ago, to last year, they stopped allowing us to fund Wise with Bank cards. Meaning, a third party would have to trigger your account for funding.
💡 Early this year, they banned and further limited Nigerians from using the platform – which means, a third-party can no more help fund your account and has therefore, resulted in what is known as a Nigerian Wise Account. See how it looks below.
Compare the above to the one below.
<< Check out the video of “The New Nigeria Wise“>>
With a Nigerian Wise account, you cannot generate USD, UK, CANADIAN etc. Bank Accounts, and you can’t receive funds from clients abroad.
So, if you are a freelancer, it means, you can’t be paid via email, or bank account, and can’t receive money on Wise – that is the situation of Wise account in Nigeria. Thanks to Nigerians always looking for shortcuts.
What is the way forward? I mean, does it mean, you should give up?
#1. Well, you MAY GIVE UP – if you can’t invest resources to get what you need.
#2. If YOU CAN, then read on as I will detail all the steps and video proofs for you to get a fully functional WISE ACCOUNT that:
- Can be found on the Wise Contact list,
- Verify & fund,
- Generate Bank Accounts, and receive funds,
- Receive funds via email address.
How to get a Working Wise Account in Nigeria
Listen, I DID NOT want to open this out because it takes GREAT Efforts to make a Wise account workable in Nigeria.
But oftentimes digital entrepreneurs come to my DM and I keep sending them away – I said, it was time to unravel this to only “True Freelancers”.
With so much groaning from Freelancers, I had to spend all night on Google and YouTube to see if there was an available video.
Turns out, people do not even want to put out the info.
But I said no. I will be the difference.
I went to work – invested Time, Money, and Connections to get the results.
↓
Watch the video below to see how I transformed a now-defunct Nigeria Wise account into an Int’l Wise.
↓
Note – with a Nigeria Wise account – you CANNOT receive freelance payments from your clients abroad, nor use email to get funds.
And lest I forget, I can NEVER attempt to put this out, else, in less than 2 months, Wise will completely ban us because of further abuse by Nigerians.
So, in order to guard and allow other Nigerians to use Wise in the future, I have made the “Guide to creating a Functional Wise account EXCLUSIVE”.
How?
I want only “True Freelancers” to get a Wise account. Else, back off.
Therefore, the cost to get a functional Wise is below. Very cheap for any successful freelancer.
But first, see the 5 steps.
Step 1. Open a Wise account – which is a Nigerian Wise Account.
The guide to Step 1 is below – on how to create a Wise account.
Step 2. Transform from a Nigerian Wise Account to an International Wise Account
Without transforming your account from Nigeria to Intl Wise account, unfortunately, you can’t use Wise. See how I did it below. I had to use external factors to make this possible.
↓
Watch the video below to see how to get an Intl Wise – ready to start receiving freelance payments.
Step 3. Trigger it for Funding and Provision of ID
After step 2, I will trigger your Wise account for FREE – to allow ID verification.
That is, when triggered, you will get an email & prompt to provide your ID.
↓
This will be done FREE.
Step 4. Fund your Wise account successfully
Lastly, I will guide you to easily fund your Wise account with 100% functionality. When funded, the last step.
Below is a sample done for a client – a freelancer like you.
↓
[Showing in USD $]
Below is a sample done for a client – a freelancer like you.
↓
[Showing in Naira]
After helping you achieve this, here is the next step.
#1. Copy Account details.
#2. Start receiving funds using your Wise Email or Request.
↓
Step 5. Generate Bank accounts and use
At this point, you can generate any Wise Bank Account you want – be it a USA, UK, Canadian, or Australian Wise accounts. All are included.
And you can start receiving funds via Wise Email.
See what it will be like.
Want to get a Fully Operational Wise Account for your Freelance Business? If yes, then get it below.
Note – this is exclusively to Digital Marketers.
I have packaged this in a one-and-one program called “Aftermath Wise Account Launch – AWAL”.
Cost Breakdown:
#1. Transform from a Nigerian Wise Account to an International Wise Account – ₦20,000
#2. Account Trigger for Funding and Provision of ID – ₦5,000
#3. Fund your Wise account Successfully – ₦12,000
#4. Generate Int’l Bank accounts and Receive funds – ₦15,000
Total – ₦52,000
Cost for “True Freelancers” = ₦25,000
Note 1 – this program won’t be opened to you if you cannot prove you, are a digital marketer. We will ask for your profile. So, if you want to get the account and abuse it, back off already.
Opened to only True Freelancers.
Note 2 – the money you pay for this program is not inclusive of account funding – funding will be done by you. And of course, you can reuse the money afterward.
Want it now? Get started Below.
Get an Operational Wise Account – ₦25,000 | Click here to ask questions
Back to our normal article – getting a new Nigerian Wise account.
To create a Wise account and verify successfully, you need a valid email address, phone number, Government-issued identity card (Int’l Passport, National ID, Driver’s license) and $20 Funding.
Follow the steps below to create an international bank accounts on Wise.com
1. Visit the Wise.com Website
Go to https://www.wise.com from a browser on your computer or phone.
When you click the link above, you’ll land on the same page as shown below.
- Click or tap on “Open Account” or hit “Register” on the top right.
- You’ll be asked to enter your email account.
2. Select your account type; Personal or Business
Choose the kind of account would you like to open; Personal or Business. CHOOSE PERSONAL.
“Business Wise Account” is not available to Nigerians for now. So, choose “Personal”.
3. Choose your Country of Primary Residence.
Automatically, you will see Nigeria, if not, use the knob and scroll down to select your country.
4. Verify your phone number with a code.
- A verification code will be sent to the provided phone number. Go ahead and confirm the verification code sent to your phone. Then click on Continue.
- You will get a success message saying; you’re registered on Wise.
We are done with the account opening process. You will land on your dashboard. Ignore that for now and let’s go to the next step.
5. Verify your email address
- Open your email account and click on Verify Email Addressin the email you received from Wise.com. This email will be fromWise <[emailprotected]>
- Clicking on the “Confirm your email link” will take you back to Wise.com where you will get a prompt that your email is verified. Click on “Continue”.
6. Access your Wise Account Dashboard
When you click on “Continue” after email verification, you will now be logged into the new Wise.com account.
Congratulations. That is how to create a new TransferWise account in Nigeria
Yet to get started? Click here to go to Wise.com and sign up.
We are done with the account opening process, let’s see how to use the account like a pro.
At this point, if you have any questions, chat with me here.
Managing Wise Account after Set up
Kindly note that you can only manage your Wise after being fully operational – and not a Nigerian Wise account.
When fully set up, you will see Balances (Account Details) in USD, GBP and etc.
- Account Details Section
This is where you will get your international bank accounts – that is the USD – Dollar, GBP – Pounds Sterling and EUR – Euro.
First off, Wise makes it compulsory to deposit about $20 before your account is active.
Like we said, we will work with you to see that you get this done.
To start with,
- Enable contacts to receive Funds via email and Phone number.
The essence of this is to make yourself found on Wise by your funder or sender. To do this, go to settings and click on “Contacts on Wise”.
Go ahead and turn the Email and Phone Number buttons on.
This is how it will look after turning them on.
With this, it means, I can easily see you and fund your account.
TransferWise Account Verification Trigger
As already outlined that your account has to be funded, but before that, your account needs to be triggered for funding – this will prompt Wise to send an email asking you to provide your ID – that’s even before the main funding requirement of $20.
In other words, the account needs to be ignited for funding [without real funding yet] cause you need to provide your documents before being approved for the $20 funding.
After the Trigger:
After your account is triggered for funding, here is what Wise will say. “Your recipient needs to finish setting up their account first. We’ve sent them an email reminder”.
Below is [a case study of 1 day ago] – an account we triggered for Oluwatosin and funded after document submission.
After we trigger your Wise account, you will receive an email to upload your documents as shown below.
When you get the email, click on the prompt and provide your ID and take a photo as you will be instructed.
If/When your submission is approved by TransferWise, you’ll get the response below.
And when you log into your Wise account, below is what your account will look like.
Cost of the Trigger
It costs ₦5,000 only to trigger your account from our end.
However, if you are funding the Wise account with us, it is FREE.
Want to trigger your account? Click here & communicate.
[If you don’t still grab this part, you can ask me questions – see our chat link on the Contact Page].
- Verify your Identity
At this point, go to your email, click on the link sent and provide your ID. At times a copy of a bank statement or utility bill may be required to further validate your ID.
The good thing about the Identity verification is that it usually takes a few minutes. But sometimes it can take up to 3 working days.
By experience, the preferred verification document on Wise is “International Passport. The second choice is “Driver’s License or National ID”. NIN slip/Voter’s Card is completely out of selection.
P.S: I highly recommend you start processing an International Passport/Driver’s License if you don’t have one. Why? – you need it as a freelancer or digital hustler legitimately working online.
As I was saying, immediately after your account is funded, you will get an option to select your Identity type.
- Take a Photo of yourself
Wise will ask you to take a head photo shot of yourself to verify what the image as on your ID.
From here, your account will be approved and you get your USD account details. Simple.
Want to get a Fully Operational Wise Account for your Freelance Business? If yes, then get it below.
Note – this is exclusively to Digital Marketers.
I have packaged this in a one-and-one program called “Aftermath Wise Account Launch – AWAL”.
Cost Breakdown:
#1. Transform from a Nigerian Wise Account to an International Wise Account – ₦20,000
#2. Account Trigger for Funding and Provision of ID – ₦5,000
#3. Fund your Wise account Successfully – ₦12,000
#4. Generate Int’l Bank accounts and Receive funds – ₦15,000
Total – ₦52,000
Cost for “True Freelancers” = ₦25,000
Note 1 – this program won’t be opened to you if you cannot prove you, are a digital marketer. We will ask for your profile. So, if you want to get the account and abuse it, back off already.
Opened to only True Freelancers.
Note 2 – the money you pay for this program is not inclusive of account funding – funding will be done by you. And of course, you can reuse the money afterward.
Want it now? Get started Below.
Get an Operational Wise Account – ₦25,000 | Click here to ask questions
How To Verify Wise Account in Nigeria Summary
To verify your TransferWise account, you will have to, first of all, submit your ID like International Passport or Driver’s License, and when approved, you fund the account with $20 only, and your Wise account will be fully verified.
That is all.
Want to fund your account? Click here to get started.
How to Add Wise USD Account Details to PayPal
- Log into your Wise accounts
The login code will be sent to your phone, just copy and enter them to log into your account.
- Go to your USD Balance
Select USD and your account number will display.
(Let the selection be “Inside USD”) – see below.
- Log into your PayPal account
Go to “Pay & Get Paid. Then select Banks & Cards.
- Link new Bank
Click on Add a New Bank Account
Copy your details and add as provided on Wise.com
When done, select Personal or Business. And lastly, click on “Agree and Link Bank”.
- Confirm PayPal Deposits
Now, two small deposits will be sent to your Wise account where you will come back to enter them on PayPal to confirm your account.
See the deposit amount sample below on my Wise account.
Kindly note that it might take up to 2 days or 48 hours before you receive these deposits on your Wise. So, don’t worry if you don’t see them immediately or after 24 hours.
- Enter the EXACT Deposits on PayPal
Now, copy the figures on your Wise account and enter them in the spaces provided in your PayPal account. See below.
[Those are the 2 small deposits on Wise.]
- Status Confirmation
Account status will turn to “Confirmed”.
You will see a circled green tick.
- PayPal Confirmation via email
Immediately after you do this, your Wise to PayPal will be confirmed and PayPal will send you the prompt via your email. You will get “Your PayPal account is Verified and your sending limits were removed”.
That is how to link and add Wise USD Account Details to PayPal.
From here we can move funds from PayPal to WISE- all for free.
How to Withdraw & Move Funds from PayPal to Wise
Just as you move your funds from PayPal to UBA Prepaid Dollar Card, the same thing applies. But instead of selecting Card, you will select Bank – that is the Wise Bank Account we just added.
To move funds to Wise:
- Click on Transfer Funds
- Select Bank
- Confirm the amount and click Continue.
That is all.
How To Withdraw from Wise to Nigeria Bank Account
To withdraw & exchange your Wise funds to Naira Bank Account is simple.
That is, just as I moved the funds to fund your account, you will move the funds to fnfSwap and get Naira at a good rate.
Follow the steps below to do that.
- Go to the USD account section on Wise.
- Click on the “SEND” button.
- Enter the amount you want to send or exchange. When done, click on Continue.
- Enter the fnfSwap Wise Email Address.
Enter our email address in the space provided.
P.S – we will give you an email address to enter.
- Review details of your transfer to the recipient.
As you can see, it is all FREE on Wise transfers.
Finally, click on “confirm and Send” and fnfSwap will receive the funds.
- Get Funded instantly in Naira with money sent to your Naira account.
As per fnfSwap culture, you will get Naira funds instantly at a high rate – based on the current exchange rate.
That is all.
Get started.
The Top Benefits of Wise Account
- You get high Dollar to Naira exchange rates.
- Low fees to move money, and zero fees if you are transferring to another Wise user.
- There is high security and account validation on Wise.
- You get multiple international currency accounts all for free.
- You can send funds using an email address, or phone number of from your contact.
International Currencies Supported on TransferWise
You can add moneyto your Wise account in 21 currencies which include: AUD, BGN, BRL, CAD, CHF, CZK, DKK, EUR, GBP, HRK, HUF, JPY, MYR*, NOK, NZD, PLN, RON, SEK, SGD, TRY and USD.
- AUD from any bank account in Australia
- CAD from any bank account in Canada
- EUR from any bank account in the world that’s denominated in EUR
- GBP from any bank account in the UK, or by SWIFT
- NZD from any bank account in New Zealand
- MYR from any bank account in Malaysia (only available for personal accounts
- PLN from any bank account in Poland (we’ve had to stop users from getting PLN account details for now while we make improvements; if you have them already, you can keep using them as normal)
- SGD from any bank account in Singapore
- USD from any bank account in the US, or by SWIFT from certain countries
- RON from any bank account in Romania (only available if you’re a resident in the EEA, Switzerland, the US, Canada, Australia, or Japan)
- HUF from any bank account in Hungary
- TRY from any bank account in Turkey.
Info on Wise (Formerly TransferWise) Funds
FAQ
To fund your Wise account, contact a merchant or loved one that has Wise funds up to $20, give the person your email address, and pay the local currency equivalent, when the payment is confirmed, your account will be funded.
fnfSwap helps her clients fund Wise accounts. Click here to fund your Wise.
The best way to set up a Wise account to receive money is to verify your account via email address, complete the profile verification, fund, and provide your ID for approval. When approved, you are ready to transact on Wise without issues.
Wise account verification takes from 30 minutes to 24 hours after submission and acknowledgment by the Wise team.
To move funds to a Wise account, all you need to do is send the funds from another Wise account via email address. And if you are moving funds outside of Wise, then you need to use the US, UK or the Euro generated accounts to send funds to a Wise account.
When once your account is verified, you will get an email notification from Wise, the virtual accounts generated with their account numbers, and then, you will be asked to click and view the account details thereof.
No, Wise does not require a Bank account for it to work in Nigeria. With your email address, funding, and verification, you are good to go.
Bartercard was the only card that worked for TransferWise funding, but that was disabled some time ago. Currently, there is not a notable card that works, except trying cards that are not issued in Nigeria.
Like we said, for now, Wise Card is not available to Nigerians. Therefore, you cannot get it. Nonetheless, you can drop your email on the waiting list for notification when available in Nigeria.
Yes, the WISE App work in Nigeria, and anywhere else in the world.
No, you cannot send Naira anymore to a Wise account as it was disabled after the 2021 CBN Policy.
You can use your Wise email Address or Bank Accounts to receive money into the account. All you need to do is copy the email address or Bank Account to the sender or the source of the incoming funds.
No, you can’t. Dollar funds can only go into a Dollar account. The only way is to get the UBA Naira Prepaid Card and link to PayPal, move the funds in Dollars and it will be automatically converted to Naira.
Yes, Wise is available in Nigeria. However, you will need to verify your account with your ID and initial funding before you can fully use it.
Yes, it is. As a freelancer, Wise gives you the top 3 popular international accounts for free – USD, EUR and GBP.
You can easily see your Wise Account by going to the Account section. Alternatively, if you are using a PC, check your middle left and you will find the Virtual bank accounts.
You can easily see your IBAN under the Virtual Bank account details.
First off, you need to know that Wise is not a Bank account, so, it is not advisable to keep a lot of money there. I would advise you to keep at most $50-$150 on your Wise account.
The answer is yes. You can withdraw from Wise to your Bank account, sell to an exchanger, or send to family and friends.
You can add money to Wise using your Credit Card if you are outside Nigeria. You can also have another user transfer funds to you, and lastly, you can receive money via your Virtual Wise Bank accounts.
No, NIN is not accepted, exception of International Passport and Drivers License.
It takes 30 minutes – 1 hour if you are using an international passport and can take 1-3 days with other documents.
No, you don’t. Wise is open and available to all Nigerian IP addresses no matter your location.
First off, you can get your account statement on Wise. To download the document, go to the balance:
- Select More → Statements
- Choose the type of statement you’d like
- Choose PDF or CSV format. Only CSV statements can be uploaded to your accounting software
- Click on Download
- You may need to enter your Wise password to confirm the download.
There are many reasons for the Wise deactivation of accounts. One of them is transferring money or funding an account that was banned but re-activated on Wise. Others include receiving suspicious funds or other factors against their Terms and Conditions.
Yes, it can be used. I am using it, our clients are, and you can as well. All you need to do is to open your account here on Wise, select account type – personal (as Business is not available to Nigerians), and finally, verify it and start using it.
Yes, Wise is safe. However, we recommend you do not keep more than $150 in your Wise account, and if possible, withdraw your funds after some hours or days of arrival to your TransferWise account.
Want to get a Fully Operational Wise Account for your Freelance Business? If yes, then get it below.
Note – this is exclusively to Digital Marketers.
I have packaged this in a one-and-one program called “Aftermath Wise Account Launch – AWAL”.
Cost Breakdown:
#1. Transform from a Nigerian Wise Account to an International Wise Account – ₦20,000
#2. Account Trigger for Funding and Provision of ID – ₦5,000
#3. Fund your Wise account Successfully – ₦12,000
#4. Generate Int’l Bank accounts and Receive funds – ₦15,000
Total – ₦52,000
Cost for “True Freelancers” = ₦25,000
Note 1 – this program won’t be opened to you if you cannot prove you, are a digital marketer. We will ask for your profile. So, if you want to get the account and abuse it, back off already.
Opened to only True Freelancers.
Note 2 – the money you pay for this program is not inclusive of account funding – funding will be done by you. And of course, you can reuse the money afterward.
Want it now? Get started Below.
Get an Operational Wise Account – ₦25,000 | Click here to ask questions
