Aral Balkan

Your choice of payment processors ultimately determines the number of people who can potentially purchase your product or service. Looking at the differences between PayPal and Google Checkout, I couldn't find a comparison of the countries each processor supported so I quickly whipped up my own using the data presented in the country list drop-downs that each processor presents on its sign up page.

Summary

PayPal supports substantially more countries than Google Checkout but it doesn't support a complete superset. If you want to reach the largest possible audience, you should implement both payment methods.

Details

Paypal supports 190 countries while Google Checkout supports just 142.

122 of those countries are the same (intersection).

By implementing both checkout methods, you can support a total of 210 countries (union).

These are the 68 countries that PayPal supports that Google Checkout does not (difference):

1. Andorra
2. Anguilla
3. Argentina
4. Aruba
5. Bhutan
6. Brazil
7. Burundi
8. Cayman Islands
9. Chad
10. China Worldwide
11. Comoros
12. Cook Islands
13. Democratic Republic of the Congo
14. Djibouti
15. Dominica
16. Eritrea
17. Ethiopia
18. Falkland Islands
19. Federated States of Micronesia
20. Fiji
21. French Guiana
22. French Polynesia
23. Gambia
24. Grenada
25. Guadeloupe
26. Guinea
27. Guinea Bissau
28. Guyana
29. Kiribati
30. Kyrgyzstan
31. Lesotho
32. Madagascar
33. Malawi
34. Marshall Islands
35. Martinique
36. Mauritania
37. Mayotte
38. Mongolia
39. Montserrat
40. Nauru
41. New Caledonia
42. Niger
43. Niue
44. Norfolk Island
45. Palau
46. Papua New Guinea
47. Pitcairn Islands
48. Republic of the Congo
49. Reunion
50. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
51. Samoa
52. Sierra Leone
53. Solomon Islands
54. Somalia
55. South Korea
56. St. Helena
57. St. Kitts and Nevis
58. St. Lucia
59. St. Pierre and Miquelon
60. Suriname
61. Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
62. Swaziland
63. São Tomé and Príncipe
64. Tonga
65. Turks and Caicos Islands
66. Tuvalu
67. Vanuatu
68. Wallis and Futuna Islands

And here are the 20 countries that Google Checkout supports that PayPal does not (difference):

1. Bangladesh
2. Belarus
3. British Indian Ocean Territory
4. Cameroon
5. Côte d'Ivoire
6. Equatorial Guinea
7. Georgia
8. Ghana
9. Haiti
10. Lebanon
11. Macedonia
12. Moldova
13. Monaco
14. Nigeria
15. Pakistan
16. Paraguay
17. Puerto Rico
18. Serbia and Montenegro
19. Uzbekistan
20. Zimbabwe

I hope you find this useful. Download the python script (paypal-google.py.zip, 4KB).

Comments

• First of all thank you for a such wonderfull topic, well i have to say it is difficult for me to say if i agree with you or not. I will read it for a second time and let you know what i think

  by Douala on 2008-07-06 00:04:27

• For small businesses that sell one of a kind items with concerns of chargebacks, do you have any insights to share that would suggest which may be better at protecting the sellers?

  by Rachel on 2008-08-09 17:07:58

• i love this very much at least i'm doubly sure i can start making some cool cash as a merchant. very helpful

  by Amaechi on 2008-06-13 16:48:33

• You just saved me a ton of time and answered 3 or 4 questions I had in one post. Awesome!

  by vanderwal on 2008-06-01 01:16:54

• Nice one! You have just saved a lots of new internet marketers the way out. Lots of thanks to that!

  by Biodun on 2008-06-13 17:52:25

• Cool! How good it would be if Google Checkout could accept PayPal as well :(.

  by Rashid on 2008-06-10 09:37:38

• Thanks... very good information.

  by jack on 2008-11-15 10:49:11

• @Rachel: I´d certainly prefer paypal, but it surely depends on where your main costumers come from. If you can narrow your clients down geographically the answer should be easy. Otherwise you just have to use both services or searching for another method. Anyway nice comparison.

  by Billigflug on 2008-09-30 10:05:22

• Google Checkout is now capable of supporting many of those countries. You should update your list!

  by John on 2009-05-25 17:24:26

• why google checkout doesn't support china?really big pity!

  by stone basins store on 2009-03-16 22:51:43

• I would like to point out that Paypal is not availble for businesses based in Andorra. I can confirm this as I currently operate a business in Andorra, however have to do it via a UK Paypal account as Paypal do not have a service in Andorra, I have discussed this in detail with Paylpal!!

  by Snowman on 2009-05-01 10:35:36

• Google check out doesn't let you open an account if you are not from USA or UK

  by Jenny on 2009-06-23 08:32:31

• I'm in Sri Lnaka, Paypal and google Google Checkout not support to sri lankan user's

  by D.D.T.S on 2009-10-18 09:57:00

• Google Checkout is much better because it supports my country. So PayPal sucks!

  by nemanja on 2009-08-04 13:25:29

• Can someone please direct me to a list of supported countries for Google Checkout? I can't find a list anywhere!

  by Jonny on 2009-07-28 18:04:10

• I am trying to set up google checkout for my website. I am in Puerto Rico and I am unable to do so. I see that you say Google does support Puerto Rico. What am I doing wrong? Thanks, Tim

  by Tim on 2009-09-29 22:02:07

• Thanks. You list is very handy since I'm considering each of the 2 to use. Any chance you can do a comparison of the systems them selves? Which is easier to use for the processor and buyer? Chris

  by Chris De La Rosa on 2009-08-04 19:38:14

• Sorry, I want to correct misconceptions.The 68 countries you listed are not supported by PayPal.People living in these countries cannot send money,withdraw nor receive money from anyone.Therefore, PayPal is useless in these countries. PayPal claims to support 190 countries but its a lie which they use for marketing purposes.PayPal only supports 45 countries: In these countries people can send money,receive money and withdraw to their local bank accounts.The only 45 countries supported by PayPal are. . Australia • Austria • Belgium • Canada • China • France • Germany • Hong Kong • Italy • Japan • Mexico • Netherlands • Poland • Singapore • Spain • Switzerland • United Kingdom • United States • Argentina • Brazil • Czech Republic • Denmark • Finland • French Guiana • Greece • Guadeloupe • Hungary • India • Indonesia • Ireland • Israel • Luxembourg • Malaysia • Martinique • New Zealand • Norway • Philippines • Portugal • Reunion • Slovakia • South Korea • Sweden • Taiwan • Thailand • Turkey If you want an internationally supported payment on your website,you must install 2Checkout.2Checkout accepts many payments such as credit cards,PayPal,check etc,so customers with PayPal will also buy from your website.Its only $50 to join 2Checkout.Other alternatives are Plimus or Moneybookers.Plimus is free to install and also accepts payments from PayPal and credit cards.Moneybookers supports more countries than any service - over 200 countries.

  by Derrick on 2009-10-23 20:02:42

• Nice and valuable info here For the previous comment, I dont think 2co is a good option They are such a paranoic people (no offenses), if the look any tiny problem in the first orders they just close your account.

  by Jon on 2009-10-24 06:11:54

• I find it interesting that Puerto Rico is listed as a country. That is laughable since it is a US Territory and is a part of the USA. Someone slept through that part in Geography Class!

  by Jean on 2009-11-24 15:03:39

• Hi Derrick, thank you for the info. If this is true, then it sounds like false advertising on PayPal's side. I wonder if anyone from PayPal would like to weigh in on this issue?

  by Aral on 2009-11-09 14:05:41

• Hello, Very good article. I will continue to pursue this article, as it is written is very interesting. Since we are interpreted very much on good information. Best regards :-)

  by Umzug München on 2010-02-23 23:55:47

• when paypal is coming to Pakistan!

  by umair on 2010-03-19 19:46:31

• Paypal only provides partial support for Cayman Islands and several of these.

  by April on 2010-03-21 18:06:46

• It's wrong because google checkout is not offering till now in PK I have checked after connecting google checkout steps. If it's true than would you please let me know how ?

  by Raza Al on 2010-03-15 02:40:13

• Dont understand :-)

  by Bild Geschenk on 2010-05-16 09:28:05

• Had been longing for this discrepancy of keeping us out of the global trade to go..... I do not know... how much long it will take.... In Bangladesh (with 150 million population), I specifically know, the government had contacted paypal but they did not respond positively.... If anyone from paypal should be contacted for the purpose.. please pass me the contact..so that we all can eliminate this barrier. Thanks

  by Nahid Ahmad on 2010-08-11 10:04:56

• Wow, an excellent comparison. it is what i was looking for.

  by Punjabi on 2010-07-20 07:20:00

• How surprising that I want to sell online but Both dont support in Pakistan...I guess I'm in a wrong country..:)

  by Ali R. Khan on 2010-09-04 21:18:09

• Google lists Puerto Rico as a choice in their merchant sign-up page, but it does not actually accept Puerto Rico when you try to submit the form. Instead it gives a validation error that PR is not a valid State code.

  by Ed Schultheiss on 2010-11-14 01:43:53

• I'm from hungary and tried paypal. So officially paypal supports hungary but I could'nt buy anything, they ripped money from my account, and I'm getting lots of spam ever since. My advice: DO NOT USE PAYPAL, use something else.

  by fromHungary on 2010-12-05 10:59:19

• paypal sucks no need paypal in bangladesh google checkout rocks

  by minhaz on 2011-08-29 23:59:51

• Hi, if anyone needs help to transfer money to paypal account or need to use a paypal account, i can be of assistance. email me at fan.focus(at)gmail(dot)com. I hope the blog owner will allow me to help those having trouble and who needs paypal.

  by fan on 2011-10-11 10:38:59

• If you are from RESTRICTED by PAYPAL country like : PAKISTAN, EGYPT, BANGLADESH,GEORGIA, CAMEROON, IRAN, IRAQ, SERBIA, MACEDONIA, NIGERIA, and others.YOU have a card (VISA, MASTERCARD) but you can't attach this card to PAYPAL ACCOUNT for verify that account. NOW we can HELP YOU.WE ATTACH TO PAYPAL ACCOUNTS YOUR CARDS(issued by a bank from non-listed paypal country), after that proces paypal account will be VERIFIED, With that account you will be able buy from online stores, send and receive money directly to / from your card account. If are interested contact me. My skype: cmirmd , ICQ: 640442124

  by cmirmd on 2012-07-18 20:22:25

• What exactly do you mean when you say Paypal supports more countries or paypal supports 190 countries. I live in a country where you simply cant add funds to your paypal account or withdraw money from it. So it begs the question, why you'd even need even need a paypal account in such a country. And the truth is there are like over a hundred other countries like mine out there which paypal doesnt support.

  by I am Sam on 2012-08-26 08:33:57