General methods: getting paid from international clients
This guide applies broadly, whatever your country. Use it alongside the country-specific pages.
1. Bank wire (SWIFT)
The universal fallback. Any client can send to any bank, but:
- Speed: 1–5 business days.
- Cost: sending fee plus possible intermediary-bank fees that shrink the amount you receive.
- Tip: ask the client to cover intermediary fees (“OUR” charges), and give complete, correct bank details including SWIFT/BIC.
2. Digital payment accounts (Wise, Payoneer, and similar)
- Wise: multi-currency account with mid-market FX and local receiving details in several currencies — excellent where supported.
- Payoneer: widely accepted on marketplaces, offers a card; check fees for your withdrawal method.
- Tip: confirm the service supports both your country and your client’s payment method before relying on it.
3. USDT / stablecoins
- Why: minutes to settle, low fees on TRC20/BEP20, dollar-stable value — strong where local USD banking is slow or restricted.
- How: get a wallet, share the correct-network address, confirm receipt on-chain, cash out via an exchange or P2P.
- Care: the network must match (TRC20 / ERC20 / BEP20), copy-paste addresses, test large payments first. See the USDT Payments Handbook.
4. PayPal and card processors
- Why: familiar and widely accepted.
- Watch for: higher percentage fees (painful on small invoices), FX spreads, and occasional holds. Best for clients who insist on it.
5. Payment accounts that combine collection + payout
Some accounts let you collect client payments and then withdraw to a bank or a USDT wallet on your terms — useful if you want one place to manage everything. PayrollFlow works this way (USD/EUR in; USDT on TRC20/ERC20/BEP20 or local bank out, with a review step before each payout).
Comparing costs the right way
Look at the net amount that lands, not the headline fee. Add up:
- Sending/transfer fee
- FX spread (often the biggest hidden cost)
- Network fee (for crypto — keep it low with TRC20/BEP20)
- Withdrawal/cash-out fee
Records & tax
Whatever the method, keep the invoice, the reference or transaction hash, the date, and the amount in your local currency. Report income per your local rules. (Not tax advice.)
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