Five Ways to Pay for a VPN Anonymously

VPNs help protect your online privacy by encrypting your internet traffic and masking your IP address. However, paying for a VPN service with traditional payment methods compromises your anonymity, as they require personal information that can be traced back to you. Thankfully, there are some ways you can secure your payment information with certain VPNs and specific methods that we will discuss in this article. Let’s get started!

What is a VPN?

You probably already knew this, but A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is created to ensure privacy for users as they search the internet. It creates a private connection between a device and the server and routes traffic through an encrypted tunnel to a remote server in a different country or region. With this server acting as a middleman between your device and the original server, your IP address is masked and more difficult to trace to your device.

It’s a great way to remain private on the internet and a bonus is that you can also access content that would otherwise be withheld from you without a trace… But next up you need to worry about the VPNs knowing your identity.

When we refer to paying for a VPN anonymously, we mean that when you make a payment or process a transaction with a VPN service, your personal information, like your name, address, credit card details, and any other specific information, will not be linked to the transaction. This will ensure that your VPN service will not be able to record any of your private information, and your online activity will remain private.

It’s not always the VPNs fault, some governments and ISPs monitor online activity and can track individuals using their payment information. Some governments force VPNs to track logs

Why You Should Pay for a VPN Anonymously

OpSec on the Darknet is an essential standard that any Tor or I2P users needs to get a full grasp on. In every way possible, you need to remove your identity from your online activities. We’ve seen it time and time again as more are arrested due to failed OpSec steps. Paying for VPNs anonymously is the start. It keeps your transactions private and your personal information secure. So if you are a person that values your privacy or you are doing something that requires privacy, then paying anonymously is for you. Here are several reasons why you should pay for a VPN anonymously:

• Basic Darknet OpSec: Paying for a VPN anonymously is an essential step to Operations Security.
• Bypass Restrictions: we know that the basic use of a VPN allows us to access restrictions placed on certain content for different websites. This is an overall benefit of a VPN; however, if you pair this with paying for your VPN anonymously, you will add to your online privacy.
• Avoid Online tracking: ISPs, governments, and other companies might attempt to monitor your online activity. By using an anonymous payment on a VPN, you make it nearly impossible for them to do so.
• Maintain security: Paying for a VPN anonymously can also help to maintain your security by preventing hackers and other malicious actors from accessing your personal information.
• Prevent tracking: Some websites and online services may use tracking cookies to monitor your online activity and display targeted ads. You can prevent tracking and keep your online activity private by using a VPN.
• Protect your privacy: By paying for a VPN anonymously, you can protect your privacy and ensure that your online activity is not linked to your personal information.

Overall, paying for a VPN anonymously can help you maintain your privacy and security while using the internet. It is an important step to take if you want to protect your online activity from surveillance and tracking.

When You Shouldn’t Pay for a VPN Anonymously

While there are some great benefits to paying for a VPN anonymously, there are also some downsides that you may want to consider before purchasing one. Here are the downsides to paying for a VPN anonymously:

• You might find it difficult to contact customer support if your purchase has a problem. They won’t know who you are, and you might struggle to validate your identity.
• You also might miss the opportunities when a VPN offers long-term subscriptions with discounted rates.
• Many VPNs don’t offer anonymous payment methods meaning you have less of a selection.
• Paying anonymously may result in a slower payment processing time, as the VPN provider may need to manually verify your payment. Though the delay would be minor.
• If you are not concerned about your privacy and don’t mind your personal information being linked to your VPN subscription, there may be no need to pay anonymously.

With that said, it’s important to remember that a VPN is already aimed at providing you with a certain level of privacy. Whether you feel you need more or not depends on you.

Which VPNs Allow You to Pay Anonymously?

It’s vital that you find a good VPN that will allow you to use a payment method that will allow you to remain anonymous. Here are a few good VPNs that support anonymous payment methods:

• NordVPN: NordVPN accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies, as well as prepaid cards, such as Paysafecard.
• ExpressVPN: ExpressVPN accepts Bitcoin, other cryptocurrencies, and prepaid cards, such as Paysafecard.
• Private Internet Access (PIA): PIA accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies, as well as gift cards from major retailers, such as Amazon and Walmart.
• CyberGhost VPN: CyberGhost VPN accepts Bitcoin and gift cards from major retailers, such as Best Buy and Walmart.
• Mullvad VPN: Mullvad VPN is a privacy-focused VPN that allows you to pay anonymously with cash by mail, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and other cryptocurrencies.
• ProtonVPN: ProtonVPN accepts Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and gift cards from major retailers, such as Amazon and Best Buy.
• Surfshark: Surfshark accepts Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and gift cards from major retailers, such as Walmart and Target.

What are the safest ways to buy a VPN Anonymously?

There are several ways that you can use to safely buy VPN anonymously.

Methods include:

• Virtual credit card
• cash
• anonymous email address
• Cryptocurrency
• VPN retail boxes
• Google Pay
• prepaid gift card.

However, not all VPNs offer the option to pay with the above methods. Therefore, let’s take a look at VPNs that support anonymous payments.

How to Pay for a VPN Anonymously

We briefly mentioned a few methods above that could help you anonymously pay for your VPN; now, let’s discuss them in more detail.

VPN retail boxes 

A VPN retail box is one way to buy a VPN anonymously. These retail boxes typically contain a prepaid VPN subscription card or voucher that you can purchase in person from various retail stores. This is how you can buy a retail VPN box:

1. Find a retail store that sells VPN retail boxes and purchase one. You might find stores like tech retailers, online marketplaces, or electronic stores that will sell them. Ensure you have checked that the retail box you purchase supports the VPN you want to use.
2. Open the retail box and follow the instructions to activate the VPN subscription. This usually involves visiting a website or using an app to input the activation code or voucher.
3. Once the subscription is activated, download the VPN client software or app the VPN service provides. Install it on your device(s) and follow the instructions to configure and connect to the VPN servers.

Using a VPN retail box, you can maintain anonymity by paying in cash at the retail store or using anonymous payment methods like prepaid gift cards. It eliminates the need for sharing personal information associated with online payments and provides a convenient offline option for acquiring VPN services.

Google Pay

Using Google Pay can be challenging to pay anonymously because Google generally requires your personal information to set up a Google account. However, there is a way around this if you create a new account and use a virtual prepaid card. Let’s take a look at how to do this. 

1. Create a new Google account not directly linked to your details. Use a different name for the account, and avoid adding any recovery information linked to you. 
2. Get a virtual prepaid card, and ensure it doesn’t require personal information. A good example of such a card is from privacy.com.
3. Add your prepaid card to Google Pay. Follow the instructions given by Google to link your card to Google Pay.
4. Use that prepaid card to purchase your VPN.

Following these steps will help you reduce the amount of information the VPN service can access. However, the attention to detail, Google or your VPN might still be able to track your transaction details.  

Use a Prepaid debit card.

You can pair a prepaid debit card with Google Pay or other online payment options. You also have the option to use the card directly. To get an anonymous virtual prepaid debit card, you will need to go to one of the following sites that provide them:

• Privacy.com provides virtual cards that can be used for online purchases. They offer privacy and security features, allowing you to create and manage virtual cards without sharing personal information.
• Revolut is a financial platform that offers virtual prepaid cards. While they may require some verification during the account creation process, they generally do not require extensive personal information for card issuance.
• Payoneer is a global payment service that provides virtual prepaid Mastercards. While they may require identity verification, virtual cards can be used for online payments without revealing personal information.
• Entropay is a virtual prepaid card provider that allows you to create virtual Visa cards. They offer an anonymous payment solution for online transactions without the need to provide personal details.

Cryptocurrency

You are also able to use cryptocurrency as a payment method. Most popular VPNs, such as NordVPN, support crypto as a payment method. Here’s how you can use cryptocurrency to pay:

1. Choose a VPN that supports cryptocurrency as a form of payment. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Private Internet Access are some great choices.
2. Purchase Cryptocurrency on a reputable exchange. Currencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin are widely supported currencies.
3. On your VPN service, select the cryptocurrency payment method. Follow the instructions to link your crypto wallet to the VPN. You might have to send money directly to the VPN crypto wallet to make the payment.
4. Confirm the payment and activate your VPN. 

Disposable virtual credit card

A disposable virtual credit card is also a great way of purchasing a VPN anonymously. These credit cards are made for one-time or limited-time transactions. This virtual credit card has a unique number that deactivates when its time limit is reached. Here are a few sites that you can get a disposable virtual card from:

• Privacy.com: Offers virtual credit cards with spending limits and easy generation.
• Blur by Abine: Provides “Masked Cards” for online purchases and additional privacy features.
• Revolut Disposable Virtual Cards: Offers disposable virtual cards through their digital banking platform.
• EntroPay: Allows the creation of virtual Visa cards for online transactions.
• Neteller: Provides virtual prepaid Mastercards for online purchases.

Review each provider’s terms, fees, and availability based on location.

Final Thoughts

In today’s world, privacy is very important. If you value your privacy and want to do all you can to ensure that your transactions and online activity are difficult to track, then use the methods above to help you purchase a VPN anonymously.