be it the PS3 , PSP or a PS Vita and you live outside of the U.S., you can save substantially by buying your games digitally from the U.S. PlayStation store, since physical copies of them tend to be way more expensive outside of the U.S. Many gamers know this and choose to buy their games digitally, but the problem is that to add funds to your PlayStation store wallet, you have to buy prepaid cards from third parties, which tend to add between 10 to 20 percent to their original cost. Thankfully, Sony implemented a way to fund your PlayStation store wallet via Paypal not too long ago, although this funding method is limited to U.S. gamers only. Or is it? Read along to learn how to create a U.S. PlayStation Network account and how you too can use your Paypal account to add funds to it and save some money in the process. Ready? Let’s get started.
Getting Your Accounts Ready
First, head to the Sony Entertainment Network (SEN) website and create a U.S. PlayStation Network (PSN) account by clicking on the Create Account link at the top right of the window. Make sure to select United States as your ‘Country/Region’. Then check for a confirmation email and you should be set. We are assuming you already have a Paypal account from another country or that you don’t have one at all. In any case, the next step is to create a Paypal account for the U.S., which is a bit trickier. Start by heading to Paypal’s website and click on the Sign Up button. You will then be asked to fill in your name, email address and other personal data. The important thing here is to use a consistent U.S. address and phone number. This means that the address you choose has to be a real one and that the phone number has to match the State you list as you address. There are plenty of sources on the web where you can get this information, just Google around. This is very important, since the U.S. SEN website will not accept funding from a Paypal account that does not have a U.S. address. Usually, after you submit this information, Paypal will ask you to link your bank account, your credit card or a debit card to your Paypal account. This is not mandatory (in fact, whether you link a card or an account, they will also need to be from the U.S., which will make things even more difficult for you). But as you can see from the screenshot below, this is not necessary at all.
Adding Credit From Your Paypal Account to Your U.S. PlayStation Network Account
Once your accounts are ready, it is time to fund your PSN account. For that, first get some funds into your newly created U.S. Paypal account. Then log into your PSN account on the Sony Entertainment Network website. Once there, hover your pointer over your username and then click on the Add Wallet Funds option. You will be taken to another page within the SEN site. There, on the Account tab, select the Wallet option on the left. Here you will see the option to add funds to your PSN wallet using Paypal. Click on it. On the next screen, you will be given the choice to add funds on fixed amounts ($5, $10, $25, $50 and such). Select one, click Continue and you will be taken to a Paypal authorization page. Just log in with your credentials (from the U.S. Paypal account where you have funds), authorize the payment and you will be taken back to the SEN website where you will see a message telling you that your transaction was successful. Cool Tip: Personally, I find it pretty useful to have a Paypal account exclusively dedicated to PSN purchases. I just do large transfers to it once in a while and then I micromanage all my PSN-related small transactions on it without having to mix information with my main Paypal account. You are done! You now have funds in your PSN wallet to buy games and other PlayStation media. All with a safe method and without having to pay any extra money to third parties. Enjoy!
