How to Get Paid by International Clients (Step-by-Step)
The cheapest way to get paid by a client abroad is to give them local bank details in their own currency, so they make a domestic payment instead of an international wire, and then convert the money yourself when it suits you. A multi-currency account that issues local receiving details (a US routing and account number, a euro IBAN, a UK sort code) makes this possible. Two things decide what you keep: the payment method the client uses to send, and who does the currency conversion.
This tutorial sets that up in six steps, with the receiving fees and conversion costs taken from providers' own pricing pages in October 2026 and a worked example on a USD 2,000 invoice.
Before You Begin
You will need a verified identity document (passport or national ID), a proof of address, and a clear idea of which currencies your clients pay in — for example USD, EUR, and GBP. If you trade through a company, have the registration documents ready too: business accounts are verified separately from personal ones.
Step 1 — Choose a Multi-Currency Account With Local Details
Pick a provider that issues receiving details in the currencies your clients actually use. Two examples, with figures from each provider's UK pricing page:
- Wise (UK pricing page): account details to receive in 22 currencies, free to get. Receiving domestic (non-SWIFT, non-wire) payments in AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, HUF, NZD, PHP, SGD and USD is free.
- Airwallex (UK pricing page): Global Accounts to collect and hold in 20+ currencies, with conversion at 0.5% above interbank rates for major currencies and 1% for others. Its entry plan is GBP 0 or GBP 19 a month, the GBP 0 applying if you deposit or hold at least GBP 10,000 a month.
Wise tends to suit individuals and freelancers; Airwallex is built for companies. Our guide to fintech for freelancers and small businesses compares the wider field, and best neobanks for freelancers adds the account side.
Step 2 — Activate Receiving Details for Each Currency
Once verified, switch on the receiving details for each currency you invoice in. Then check what each method costs to receive, because the same currency can be free or charged depending on how the client sends it. On Wise's UK pricing page, read on 16 October 2026:
| Currency | Ask the client to pay by | Fee to receive that way | Fee if they send by SWIFT or wire instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD | Domestic US transfer (ACH) | Free | 6.11 USD per payment |
| EUR | Domestic euro transfer (SEPA) | Free | 2.39 EUR per payment |
| GBP | Domestic UK transfer | Free | 2.16 GBP per payment |
What to look for:
Confirm the account name on your receiving details matches the name you invoice under. Some banks scrutinise payments where the payee name and account name differ, which can cause delays. Keeping them identical avoids the most common rejection.
Step 3 — Agree the Currency and Payment Method Up Front
Before the first invoice, agree in writing which currency you will be paid in and that the client will pay into your local details by a domestic transfer, not by international wire. Being paid in the client's own currency and converting it yourself is usually cheaper than letting their bank convert at its own rate, because you can see and compare your conversion cost.
Step 4 — Invoice With the Right Details
Put only the local details for the agreed currency on the invoice, along with the exact amount in that currency and a due date. Leaving other currencies' details off avoids a client paying the wrong account. If you invoice regularly, keep one template per currency. For what happens to the payment on the client's side, see international money transfers.
Step 5 — Receive, Hold, and Convert When It Suits You
The payment lands in the matching currency balance without forced conversion. You can hold it to pay costs in that currency, or convert when you choose.
Worked example: a USD 2,000 invoice, paid by a US client, for someone who spends euros. The ECB reference rate on 16 October 2026 was 1 EUR = 1.1253 USD, used here as a stand-in for the interbank rate.
- At the reference rate: 2,000 / 1.1253 = 1,777.30 EUR. This is the benchmark.
- Client pays by domestic US transfer into Wise USD details: receiving fee 0, so the full USD 2,000 arrives.
- Client pays by wire instead: 2,000 - 6.11 = USD 1,993.89 arrives, before any conversion.
- You convert USD 2,000 on Airwallex at 0.5% above interbank: 1,777.30 x 0.995 = 1,768.41 EUR, a cost of about 8.89 EUR.
- A bank converting with a 3% markup (a hypothetical figure for comparison, not a named bank's price): 1,777.30 x 0.97 = 1,723.98 EUR, a cost of about 53.32 EUR.
On this one invoice, who converts and at what markup is worth around 44 EUR, and the payment method chosen by the client is worth a further 6.11 USD. Over twelve monthly invoices, the conversion gap alone would be about 12 x 44 = 528 EUR.
What to look for:
Compare the total cost of converting — the exchange rate plus any fee — not just the advertised fee. A "low fee" with a marked-up rate can cost more than a transparent percentage on the real mid-market rate.
Step 6 — Reconcile and Set Aside Tax
After each payment, record it against the invoice and connect your account to your accounting software so bookkeeping stays clean. Just as importantly, move a percentage of every payment into a separate pot for income tax and, where relevant, VAT or sales tax — so the money you owe is never sitting in your spendable balance. This single habit prevents the year-end cash-flow crunch that catches many freelancers. Our sister site BankTopp covers core business banking, and once reserves build up, our sister site YieldNav covers investing, where capital is at risk.
If a client's bank refuses to send to your non-local IBAN, our guide on IBAN discrimination and what to say has the wording that usually resolves it.
Summary
Open an account with local receiving details, ask clients to pay by domestic transfer in their own currency, invoice with only the agreed details, convert on your own terms after comparing the markup, and ring-fence tax from every payment. For a side-by-side of the two providers used in this example, see Airwallex vs Wise for business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest way to receive money from a client abroad?
Give the client local receiving details in their currency so they pay by domestic transfer. On Wise's UK pricing, domestic payments in major currencies are free to receive, while SWIFT or wire payments carry a fee.
Should I invoice in my currency or the client's?
Usually the client's. If they pay in their own currency into your local details, you control the conversion and can compare its cost, instead of accepting their bank's rate.
How much does it cost to receive a USD wire into Wise?
Wise's UK pricing page lists 6.11 USD per USD wire or SWIFT payment received, against no fee for a domestic US payment.
Can I hold foreign currency instead of converting it?
Yes. Multi-currency accounts keep each currency in its own balance, so you can hold it for costs in that currency and convert later.
Written by Thomas Lovas Lokoy — researched and drafted with AI assistance from published sources; edited and published by NorwegianSpark SA | Last updated October 2026
Disclaimer: BestAiGlobalBank is an independent comparison site. We may earn commission when you open an account through our links. This does not affect our rankings. Always verify terms directly with the provider before applying.
By Thomas Lovas Lokoy — researched and drafted with AI assistance from published sources; edited and published by NorwegianSpark SA.
