Accepting International Payments
Getting paid by overseas customers is the easy part. Getting paid without handing a chunk to currency conversion takes a little setup. This guide walks through the four ways to accept payments from abroad, what each really costs, and the mix that fits your business.
When a customer abroad pays you, the money usually gets converted somewhere along the way — and whoever does the converting takes a slice of the rate. The trick to accepting international payments is deciding where and when that conversion happens, so it's you choosing a low margin rather than a bank or platform imposing a wide one on arrival.
The most effective move for most businesses is to receive as a local — with account details in your customers' own currencies — so payments land without conversion and you convert on your terms later. Below, the four methods and where each fits.
The four ways to get paid
Most businesses combine two of these. The right mix depends on how your customers prefer to pay.
Local receiving accounts
Multi-currency account
- You get real local details (US routing number, UK sort code, IBAN) so customers pay you domestically.
- No inbound international wire and no forced conversion — you hold the currency and convert when you choose.
- Lowest all-in cost for regular B2B and cross-border invoicing.
- You still convert eventually; compare the account’s FX margin for when you do.
Payment gateways & cards
Online checkout
- Let customers pay by card or wallet at online checkout, in their own currency.
- Fast to set up and familiar to buyers, with strong fraud tools.
- Best for e-commerce and one-off online sales.
- Card processing fees plus a currency-conversion markup can stack up; read the FX terms, not just the headline rate.
Marketplaces
Amazon, Etsy, Upwork, app stores
- The platform collects from the buyer and pays you out — no checkout of your own to build.
- Pairs neatly with a local receiving account to take payouts in your currency cheaply.
- You’re bound by the platform’s payout currencies, schedule and its own conversion rate if you don’t route to a local account.
Direct bank wire (SWIFT)
Your business bank
- Universally understood and fine for occasional large B2B invoices.
- No new account to open if the customer will send a wire.
- Typically the most expensive to receive: a wide conversion margin, lifting/receiving fees, and correspondent-bank deductions.
What to compare
Five things decide how much of each payment you actually keep.
Local details in your customers’ currencies
The single biggest lever. If you can receive as a local in the currencies your customers pay in, you skip an inbound conversion entirely. Match the account’s receiving currencies to where your customers actually are.
Receiving fees
Some methods are free to receive in a local currency but charge for non-local or card-funded payments. Check the fee for the exact way each customer will pay you.
FX on conversion
Whatever route the money takes, you convert eventually. A low, transparent margin at that point matters more than a flashy inbound feature. Measure it against the mid-market rate.
Payout speed & reliability
How quickly does money become usable — same day, or a multi-day wire? For cash flow, predictable timing can outweigh a marginal cost difference.
Integrations & invoicing
Links to your accounting, invoicing or store platform turn getting paid into a reconciled entry rather than a manual chase. Weigh this at volume.
The right setup by business type
Freelancers & contractors. A multi-currency account with local details (Wise Business, Payoneer) so clients and platforms pay you as a local — then convert cheaply when you withdraw.
Marketplace sellers. Route marketplace payouts (Amazon, Etsy) into a local receiving account in the sale currency to avoid the platform’s conversion; WorldFirst and Payoneer specialise here.
Online stores & SaaS. A payment gateway (Stripe, PayPal, Airwallex) for checkout, settling into a multi-currency account so you hold revenue and convert on your terms.
B2B exporters. Local receiving accounts for regular invoicing in customer currencies, with a bank wire reserved for occasional very large one-off payments.
Accepting payments — FAQ
What’s the cheapest way to get paid from abroad?
For most businesses, giving customers local account details through a multi-currency account is cheapest, because the payment arrives as a domestic transfer with no inbound international wire and no forced conversion — you hold the currency and convert only when you choose, at a low margin. Card gateways are convenient for online sales but layer a processing fee and an FX markup, and a plain bank wire is usually the most expensive to receive once conversion and receiving fees are counted.
How do I let a customer pay me in their own currency?
Open a multi-currency account that offers local receiving details in that currency — for example a US routing and account number, a euro IBAN, or a UK sort code in your business name. You give those details to the customer, who pays domestically in their country. It arrives in that currency with no conversion on the way in, and you choose whether and when to switch it into your home currency. For online sales, a gateway can also present prices in the buyer’s currency.
What hidden costs come with accepting international payments?
Three to watch. First, inbound conversion: if the money is auto-converted on arrival — by your bank or a marketplace — you rarely get the mid-market rate. Second, receiving or "lifting" fees on incoming wires, sometimes on both ends plus any correspondent bank in between. Third, on card gateways, a currency-conversion markup stacked on top of the processing fee. Reading each method’s FX terms, not just its headline fee, is what protects your margin.
Do I need a payment gateway or a multi-currency account?
Often both, doing different jobs. A payment gateway (Stripe, PayPal, Airwallex) collects card and wallet payments at online checkout; a multi-currency account holds the resulting balances and lets you convert and pay out cheaply. Many businesses settle their gateway into a multi-currency account to get the best of each — smooth checkout for customers, low-margin control over the money afterwards. A freelancer paid by bank transfer or marketplace may need only the account.
Is it safe to receive money into these accounts?
Yes, when the provider is regulated where it operates and safeguards customer funds separately from its own — the same standards that apply to sending. The established multi-currency accounts and major gateways meet those bars. As always, treat the incoming details as business-critical: make sure customers have your correct account information from a trusted source, since fraudsters sometimes try to substitute their own details on invoices.