NordVPN payment options explained

Since NordVPN is one of the biggest and most secure VPNs in the world, it’s no surprise that you have a lot of payment options available to you. Not only do you have access to most of the standard payment options that you can use for almost anything else (including iTunes and Google Play), but you can also use methods that are more secure and thus more private.

Let’s go through all the payment methods available to you one by one and see how they differ. On top of that, we will also give you tips and tricks on when to use a specific payment method and acquaint you with all the other services that NordVPN offers (such as their money-back guarantee).

PayPal – no longer available (for most)

PayPal has pretty much revolutionized the online payment landscape ever since it came on the scene. However, there are certain problems with it – the main being that you are ultimately using a platform that is controlled by a third party. This means that not only do you not have complete control over your transactions, but neither does the seller.

Due to this, a lot of companies have been moving away from PayPal. NordVPN has finally joined that list and has a page on their website that explains why.

Although this may seem like a hassle at first, the fact is that you have chosen NordVPN for the privacy that it offers. So, wouldn’t you also like to make sure that none of your payments can be traced back to you, either? With PayPal, there is no way you can do that.

To compensate for this, NordVPN offers Paddle as an intermediate in some countries. And most importantly, there are plenty of other payment options that are just as easy. Let’s take a look at them.

Credit, debit, and prepaid cards – convenient but unsafe

This NordVPN payment option is fairly simple and straightforward. Almost everyone has a credit card and can use it to purchase NordVPN. All you need to do is to enter your details, and the money will be transferred from your bank account to NordVPN.

The main problem with this payment method is that it’s incredibly easy to trace. You can negate this effect to a certain extent by using a prepaid card (it must have your name on it to work), but this method will never be truly private.

If you aren’t using NordVPN for the Privacy but rather for unblocking websites and services such as Netflix, then this payment method should be fine for you as you have nothing to hide.

While it all started in China, UnionPay is now a truly global service that works in 170+ countries, offering credit cards and online payments. Buying NordVPN with UnionPay looks much like the regular credit card purchase. All you have to do is enter your name, card number, and other credentials.

ACH – cheaper than wire transfer

You can also choose an Automated Clearing House, or ACH, to act as an intermediary between your bank and NordVPN. In this case, it’s Plaid. It allows you can select from thousands of banks and credit unions.

You should choose ACH in case the sum you’d need to pay for a regular wire transfer becomes too big. ACH is way cheaper but takes a bit longer than the usual credit card transaction because the requests are processed in batches. This means that it might take up to a few days while a regular wire transfer can happen in a matter of hours.

Another thing to know about the ACH transfers is that they can be canceled either by the seller or the buyer. So if the transfer wasn’t authorized or the amount is wrong, there’s a chance to get your money back.

AliPay for Chinese users

AliPay works with NordVPN as payment method. Since China blocks VPNs, only a select few VPNs with advanced obfuscated servers can penetrate their firewall. NordVPN is one of those services, and it tries to make payments convenient for its Chinese users by offering one of the most readily available payment methods in the country.

While AliPay is very convenient, it’s not entirely safe. Using an unauthorized VPN is illegal in China, so you need to be extra careful whenever you or paying for a VPN in China. With anything that is owned by a Chinese company, you can’t know just how much control the government has over these methods.

If you are currently living in China, there is only one payment method that is completely safe for you. In fact, we recommend using this method no matter where you live, and that is cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrencies – the best payment method for NordVPN

While we are not going to delve into the future or the value of cryptocurrencies as a whole, one thing that crypto can definitely be used for is making secure payments to anyone in the world.

NordVPN offers you a lot of different options when it comes to crypto. All of these are completely anonymous, and you can use the VPN without any worry of your payment being traced back to you. The cryptocurrencies that NordVPN currently accepts as payments are:

• Bitcoin (BTC)
• Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
• Litecoin (LTC)
• BitTorrent (BTT)
• Dash (DASH)
• Ethereum (ETH)
• Tronix (TRX)
• Monero (XMR)
• ZCash (ZEC)
• Ripple (XRP)

NordVPN uses CoinPayments as the platform for receiving their payments, which is quite well-known for its security. We did not find any complaints from users against the platform during our research, and thus this is the way we recommend you to use.

The biggest disadvantage of paying with the cryptocurrencies is the transaction time. It takes a while to process your crypto-payment. While you can start using NordVPN instantly if you paid with a credit card, it can take up to 24 hours in some instances for your coin to be accepted. However, that’s a small price to pay for the anonymity you get.

Cash payment in retail stores option

If you live in the US, Canada, or Germany, you can also buy NordVPN with cash in more than a dozen retail stores. These include Amazon, Staples, Walmart, and Target, among others. This NordVPN payment option is also almost completely secure, as there will be no record of a transaction taking place in your name.

Another great thing is that the price won’t be higher than buying from the official website. In fact, sometimes it might be even a bit cheaper. So, if you want to purchase NordVPN with cash, you can check out the full list of retail stores that sell this VPN.

Google Pay and Amazon Pay

The ever-expanding tech-giants now compete in the financial sector as well, offering payment options of their own.

However, while Google Pay supports multiple major credit card networks, such as Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amazon Pay allows you to use your Amazon account when buying from third-parties, such as NordVPn.

Which of these payment options is a better one to buy NordVPN? Well, it all depends on which one do you use (or plan to use) and find as a more convenient method. If you’re not a frequent visitor at the Amazon store, you will probably be happier with yet another Google service added to your list.

NordVPN’s money-back guarantee

One of the good things about NordVPN is that in case you are unsatisfied with the service, you will be able to request a refund within 30 days.

One important thing to remember here is that you must use a payment method through which you can actually get your money back. For example, there is no way for you to get your money back if you use a prepaid card to make the payment.

It is also for this reason that we recommend using cryptocurrency for your payments. Although you will, of course, have to deal with the risk of receiving less money, you will easily be able to get an anonymous refund in case you do not end up liking NordVPN.

Conclusion

You have access to a lot of NordVPN payment options when you are using provider. They range from convenience to security. We recommend you use cryptocurrency if your main reason for using NordVPN is to be more secure and have a private internet experience.

Cryptocurrency is the only payment method that is completely untraceable back to you. If you live in the US, then a cash payment may also work. However, one important thing to remember is that you can only subscribe to their yearly plan if you pay with cash.

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