Trusting a company you have never met in person with thousands of dollars is not easy. But because of a few reasons, we choose to trust the company and believe we are dealing with people who will deliver the services we have paid for.
In this article, I will not only talk about how to make safe and secure payments for your Uganda safari but also explain how you can get financial protection when dealing with Uganda tour companies.
Before I continue, I suggest you first read about the factors to consider when choosing a Uganda tour operator. That article includes a few trusted companies and also helps you know how to choose the best company based on price, trust, experience, and more. The rest of the information about making secure payments is shared below.
How to Make Safe and Secure Payments for a Safari
The first and most important step is to deal with a company that guarantees financial security. The article mentioned above has a list of such companies you can trust. Once you confirm a trusted company, you can go ahead and make payments using the methods listed below.
Common and Safe Payment Methods
I have listed some of the most used and safest payment methods, including their advantages and disadvantages:
Bank Transfer (EFT)
This is the safest way to pay for your safari. It is also called Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or wire transfer. Funds usually take 4 to 7 days to reach the company account.
Pros:
- Supported worldwide.
- Secure and reliable.
- Only registered companies can open a business bank account, so it confirms that the company is legal.
- All Ugandan tour operators support this method.
Cons:
- Charges are usually high, depending on the bank.
- If you send to a UGX (Ugandan Shillings) account instead of a USD account, your money is exchanged at a low rate.
- Always confirm with your tour operator that you are sending to a USD account.
Pesapal
Pesapal allows you to pay by credit card (VISA or Mastercard) through a form on the company’s website. You may also get an email with a confirmation link after payment.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Accepted by many tour operators in Uganda.
- Lower charges (about 3.5%).
Cons:
- System is not very stable.
- Some payments fail even with correct card details.
- Their customer service is poor.
- Always clear your browser cache and cookies before and after using Pesapal to avoid saving your card details.
PayPal
PayPal is not supported in Uganda. Ugandan accounts cannot receive money. However, some operators use PayPal accounts from other countries like Kenya.
Pros:
- Safe and trusted worldwide.
- Payments reflect immediately.
- Disputes can be filed and followed up easily.
Cons:
- Not supported in Uganda.
- Ugandan accounts can only send, not receive.
- Kenyan-verified accounts take effort to set up and verify.
- Unverified PayPal accounts have monthly limits under $1,000.
- Note: Only send money to verified PayPal accounts. Never use unverified accounts.
Credit Card (POS)
Some operators have Point of Sale (POS) machines to charge your card directly.
Pros:
- Fast and easy to process.
- Saves time compared to bank transfers.
Cons:
- Very few operators in Uganda have POS machines.
- Without Pesapal, credit card payments may be hard to process.
Payment Methods to Avoid
Avoid sending money through the following platforms:
- Personal bank accounts
- Western Union
- MoneyGram
- Skrill (MoneyBookers)
- Payza
- Cryptocurrencies
- PerfectMoney
Any other payment method not listed above
Most scammers use these unsafe platforms, so always be careful unless you fully trust the company.
Have you traveled to Uganda before? How did you pay and how long did it take for the money to reflect in the operator’s account? Feel free to share your experience with us.
Book your Uganda tours with these recommended Uganda tour companies for a well planned safari. Use the Voucher: UTBlog for up to 25% Discounts on Trips.
