How to Receive Amazon Payments in Kenya: Why Co-operative Bank Works for USA But Not Other Marketplaces
Many Amazon sellers in Kenya (and across Africa) face the same frustrating situation: you can get paid by Amazon USA into your local bank, but when it comes to Amazon UK, Germany, France, or other marketplaces, the money never arrives. If you’re stuck here, you’re not alone. Let’s break down why this happens — and most importantly, how you can solve it.
1. Why Amazon USA Payments Work With Co-operative Bank
Co-operative Bank of Kenya (and other local banks) allow you to receive international SWIFT transfers.
Amazon USA (Amazon.com) is flexible: it allows sellers outside the US to add international bank accounts, and it sends payouts via wire transfer (SWIFT). That’s why if you enter your Co-op Bank savings account with the correct SWIFT code (KCOOKENA) and your account details, you can get paid.
But there’s a catch: Co-op Bank will convert the funds into Kenya Shillings unless you hold a domiciliary USD account. If you want to avoid heavy currency conversion fees, opening a foreign currency account is wise.
2. Why Amazon UK/EU Doesn’t Work
Here’s the problem: Amazon UK and EU marketplaces (like Germany, France, Italy, Spain) don’t use SWIFT to pay sellers. Instead, they require that sellers have local bank accounts in those regions, typically with:
- IBAN (International Bank Account Number) for Europe
- Sort Code and Account Number for the UK
Unfortunately, your Co-op Bank savings account in Kenya does not have an IBAN or UK sort code. It only has an account number plus SWIFT code. That’s why Amazon UK/EU rejects it.
3. The Global Solution: Payment Providers
This is where international payout services come in. Companies like:
- Payoneer
- WorldFirst
- Wise Business (TransferWise)
- PingPong Payments
- Hyperwallet
These services act as your global bank accounts. When you sign up, you get:
- A UK account number and sort code (GBP)
- A European IBAN (EUR)
- A US account (ACH details) (USD)
- Sometimes even accounts in CAD, AUD, JPY
You then add these accounts into Amazon Seller Central for each marketplace. For example:
- Add the UK account to your Amazon UK seller account
- Add the EUR account to your Amazon Germany seller account
Amazon thinks it’s paying a “local” bank account — which it is, except it’s a virtual account linked to your payment provider.
From there, you can withdraw the money to your Co-op Bank Kenya savings account in KES or USD.
4. Why This Matters for Sellers in Kenya
Without this setup, you’ll forever be limited to Amazon USA. That means missing out on huge markets in Europe, the UK, and Asia.
By using a global payment provider, you can:
- Receive money from all Amazon marketplaces worldwide
- Avoid rejection of your bank details
- Get better exchange rates than traditional bank conversions
- Withdraw directly into your Co-op Bank account when you’re ready
5. Step-By-Step Guide (Simplified)
- Open an account with Payoneer or WorldFirst (free for most sellers).
- Verify your identity (passport/ID + tax information).
- Get your virtual bank details (GBP, EUR, USD, etc.).
- Log into Amazon Seller Central → go to Banking → add new deposit method.
- Paste in your UK/EU virtual account details.
- Amazon pays into that account.
- Withdraw funds from Payoneer/WorldFirst into your Co-op Bank Kenya account.
6. Final Thoughts
If you’re an Amazon seller in Kenya, you’re not locked out of UK and European payouts — you just need to bridge the gap. Co-op Bank savings accounts can receive SWIFT wires, which works perfectly for Amazon USA, but for the UK/EU you need a global payment partner like Payoneer or WorldFirst.
This simple shift has helped millions of small sellers worldwide expand from selling only in the USA to becoming truly global sellers. If you’ve been stranded and unable to get paid, now you know the path forward.
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