Every dollar counts
Keep more of every cross-border invoice
Many payment methods advertise “low fees” but hide costs in poor exchange rates. Measure what actually lands: transfer fee plus conversion spread. Then build a path that keeps more of each invoice without slowing US clients down.
- Compare total cost: fees + FX spread + time
- Spot intermediary banks that quietly stack charges
- Receive USD first, then convert on your timeline
- Price invoices with predictable, visible costs
How SwiftFi helps
Conversion account → everyday ACH → your choice
Path through this guide
- 01Hidden costs
- 02True total
- 03Cut the stack
- 04Act on it
01 · Hidden costs
“Low fee” is not the same as low cost
Headline fees are easy to advertise. The money you lose usually sits in the exchange rate and the banks between you and your client. Until you measure what actually lands, you are negotiating blind.
Outgoing fee
What the client’s bank or platform charges to send.
Intermediary hops
Correspondent banks skim a little on each handoff.
Incoming fee
Your bank charges to receive a foreign wire.
FX markup
The quiet one: a worse rate than mid-market, often larger than the fee line.
02 · True total
Compare what lands, not what was advertised
Run the same invoice through two rails and write down the arrival amount. The gap is your real fee, even when nobody labeled it that way.
- Same invoice amount, same send currency, same day
- Ask what lands in your account after every fee and conversion
- Note the mid-market rate at send time vs what you received
- Include wait time: a “cheap” wire that takes 5 days still costs you
03 · Cut the stack
Keep more without trading away reliability
The durable move is not chasing the cheapest advertised fee. It is shortening the path from US client to usable funds, then choosing when conversion happens.
Receive in USD first
US clients pay everyday ACH to conversion-account details. You avoid a forced local-currency conversion at receipt.
Fewer intermediaries
Every extra bank in the chain adds delay and a chance to take margin. Shorter paths keep more of the invoice.
Convert on your timeline
Hold dollar value as stablecoin when that fits, or off-ramp when you need local cash. Conversion becomes a choice, not a default.
Price with the full picture
Build visible fees into proposals. Clients accept clear costs more easily than surprise deductions after “payment sent.”
04 · Act on it
Open a conversion account and stop guessing
Clients keep everyday ACH. You get US payment details, a clear ledger, and a choice after funds arrive: hold stablecoin for lower fees and faster settlement, or off-ramp to local rails.
SwiftFi pricing: 3% total fee, 0% currency conversion fee, same business day wallet availability when you settle to stablecoin.
- For freelancers
- Invoice in USD, receive with everyday ACH, keep more of each milestone.
- For agencies
- Predictable cost on US client retainers without surprise FX on every invoice.
- Next read
- Conversion accounts explained
Common questions
Why do “low fee” payments still cost so much?+
Visible fees are only part of the cost. FX markups and intermediary banks often take more than the advertised transfer fee.
How do I compare providers fairly?+
Send the same invoice amount on the same day and compare what lands after every fee and conversion. Include settlement time in the comparison.
How does SwiftFi reduce total cost?+
Clients pay ACH to your conversion account. You avoid forced FX at receipt, see clear fees, and can hold stablecoin or off-ramp when you choose.
Related guides
Borderless payments
Open a SwiftFi conversion account for US ACH details, then settle cross-border with stablecoin infrastructure for faster payouts and lower fees.
Conversion accounts
Conversion accounts give you US banking details so clients pay with everyday ACH. Then hold stablecoin for lower fees and faster payments, or off-ramp if you prefer not to.
Pay freelancers in USD
Paying freelancers in USD can improve predictability and reduce forced FX conversions. Learn how USD invoicing, virtual accounts, and modern settlement rails make it easier.