How to get paid by international brands (currencies, fees and payment methods)

A brand in another country wants to work with you. Great. Then the questions start. Do you quote in your currency or theirs? Should they wire it or use PayPal? Why did 2,000 USD arrive as 1,912? And what's this tax form they're asking you to sign?

Cross-border payments aren't complicated once you understand where the money leaks out. This guide covers the currency decision, the main payment methods, where fees hide, the paperwork you may be asked for and what to put on the invoice.

It's general information. Payment providers change their fees and features often, so check current pricing before you choose, and talk to an accountant about tax questions, especially withholding or VAT. Amounts here are written like "1,000 USD" so the currency is always clear.

Where money disappears in a cross-border payment

When a brand in one country pays you in another, money can be lost in up to four places:

Where	What happens
Sending fee	The brand's bank or platform charges to send. Sometimes passed on to you
Currency conversion	Someone converts their currency to yours, usually at a rate worse than the real market rate. The difference is called the spread or markup
Intermediary banks	International wires can pass through one or more banks in the middle, and each can take a fee
Receiving fee	Your bank or platform charges to receive an international payment

The currency spread is the one people miss, because it doesn't show up as a line item. If the market rate is 1 EUR = 1.10 USD and you're converted at 1.07, you've paid a fee of almost 3% without ever seeing the word "fee."

To spot it, compare the rate you got against the mid-market rate (the rate you see on a search engine or financial news site) for the same day.

Step 1: Decide which currency to invoice in

You have two choices: your currency, or theirs.

Invoice in your currency

Fee: 2,000 USD

• You know exactly what you'll receive (apart from fees).
• The brand takes the exchange rate risk. If their currency weakens, they pay more.
• Easier to compare with your rate card and your other deals.

Invoice in their currency

Fee: 1,850 EUR

• Easier for the brand. Some finance teams can only pay in their own currency, and this removes a step.
• You take the exchange rate risk. If the rate moves between agreeing the deal and getting paid (often 30 to 90 days), you may get less than you planned.
• Works well if you have a way to hold that currency without converting it straight away.

What many creators do

A common approach:

• Quote in your own currency by default.
• Agree to their currency if they ask, but set the price with a small cushion for exchange rate movement and fees, or agree that payment arrives "net of fees" (see below).
• Write the currency on everything. "2,000" with no currency is how disputes happen. Use the three-letter code: USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD.

Step 2: Choose how they'll pay you

International bank wire (SWIFT)

The traditional route. The brand sends from their bank to yours using your bank's details and a SWIFT/BIC code.

• Good for: large payments, brands whose finance departments only do bank transfers
• Watch out for: sending fees, intermediary fees, receiving fees and your bank's conversion rate, which can add up to a noticeable chunk on smaller payments
• Speed: usually a few business days, sometimes longer

Wires have a fee instruction the sender chooses:

Code	Who pays the fees
OUR	The sender pays all fees. You should receive the full amount (intermediaries sometimes still take a cut)
SHA	Shared. The sender pays their bank's fee, you pay yours and any intermediary fees
BEN	You, the beneficiary, pay all fees, deducted from the amount

If you want the full fee to arrive, ask for OUR on your invoice. Not every brand will agree, but many will if you ask upfront.

Multi-currency accounts

Several providers offer accounts that give you local bank details in other countries (for example, a European IBAN or a UK sort code and account number) and let you hold several currencies.

• Good for: creators who get paid in a few different currencies regularly
• How it helps: the brand pays you like a local, domestic transfer, which is usually cheaper and faster than a wire, and you choose when to convert
• Watch out for: conversion fees (often lower than banks, but not zero), account fees on some plans, and checking that the provider is regulated where you live

PayPal

Familiar to almost every brand, and fast.

• Good for: small and medium payments, brands that already use it, situations where speed matters
• Watch out for: receiving fees on business payments, plus a currency conversion markup if PayPal converts for you. On a large payment, those percentages add up
• Tip: check your settings for how incoming foreign currency is handled. You may be able to hold the currency or withdraw it in a way that avoids PayPal's own conversion

Card payments through an invoice link

Some invoicing tools let a brand pay your invoice by card through a processor such as Stripe.

• Good for: smaller brands that prefer paying by card, getting paid quickly
• Watch out for: card processing fees plus an extra fee for international cards and currency conversion. Fine for convenience, expensive on large amounts

Payment platforms used by agencies and networks

Larger agencies and influencer platforms sometimes pay all creators through their own payout system. You usually don't get to choose, but you can read their fee schedule and payout currencies before you accept.

Quick comparison

Method	Usually best for	Main cost to watch
Bank wire	Large one-off payments	Fixed fees plus bank exchange rate
Multi-currency account	Regular foreign payments	Conversion fee when you convert
PayPal	Speed, small payments	Percentage fees plus conversion markup
Card via invoice link	Convenience	Card and international fees

The right choice depends on payment size. A fixed 30 USD wire fee is nothing on 10,000 USD and painful on 300 USD. A percentage fee is the opposite.

Step 3: Agree on who pays the fees

Fees are a negotiable term, like the payment deadline. Put it in the contract and on the invoice.

Wording you can adapt:

All fees are to be paid in USD and received in full. Bank and transfer fees charged by the sending bank are the responsibility of the client. Please use fee option OUR for international wires.

Or, more gently:

The fee is 2,000 USD, payable in full. Please cover any transfer or conversion fees on your side so the full amount arrives.

If they won't cover fees, you have two options: accept the cost as part of doing business with them, or build it into the price. On a deal where fees might be 3% to 5%, adding that to your quote is reasonable.

Step 4: Expect the paperwork

International brands often have their own supplier onboarding. Ask early, because missing forms are one of the main reasons international payments run late.

If you're a US creator paid by a foreign brand

You may be asked for:

• Your legal name and address (or business name if you have one)
• Bank details for the payment method you've chosen
• A tax residency confirmation or tax ID, depending on their country

Income from foreign brands is still income for US tax purposes. Report it in your own currency (US dollars), using a reasonable exchange rate. Ask your accountant which rate method to use and stay consistent.

If you're outside the US and paid by a US brand

US companies commonly ask non-US individuals for Form W-8BEN (or W-8BEN-E for a business). It certifies you're not a US person for tax purposes, and it may let you claim a reduced withholding rate under a tax treaty between your country and the US, depending on the type of income.

Without it, a US company may withhold tax from your payment by default. Fill it out carefully, and ask an accountant in your country if you're unsure which treaty article applies to you.

VAT and sales taxes

In some places, cross-border services between businesses fall under rules where the buyer accounts for VAT rather than the seller (often called a reverse charge). Whether and how this applies to you depends on where you and the brand are based and whether you're registered for VAT. This is very much an accountant question. The key thing is to know it exists so it doesn't surprise you.

Step 5: Put the right details on the invoice

An international invoice needs everything a domestic one does, plus a few extras:

• Your full legal name or business name, and address
• The brand's full legal company name and address (exactly as their finance team wants it)
• Invoice number and date
• Currency, clearly stated on every amount (2,000 USD, not $2,000, which could mean several different dollars)
• Line items matching the contract
• Payment terms and due date
• Payment details: account holder name, bank name, account number or IBAN, SWIFT/BIC, and your bank's address if required
• Fee instruction (for example, "Please send via SWIFT with charges OUR")
• Their PO number or reference, if they gave you one
• VAT or tax ID numbers, if either of you has one and it applies

Double-check bank details before you send. A typo in an IBAN or SWIFT code can send a payment into weeks of bouncing back and forth.

Step 6: Keep good records

For every international payment, save:

• The invoice
• The amount and currency invoiced
• The amount and currency received
• The date received
• The exchange rate used, if it was converted
• Any fees taken

That's the record your accountant needs to report the income correctly. It also tells you, over time, which payment methods and which brands actually cost you the least.

Common mistakes

Writing "$" without a currency code. Several countries use dollars. Always write USD, CAD, AUD and so on.

Not asking who pays fees. Silence usually means you do.

Letting the brand's bank convert for you. Ask whether you can receive in the original currency and convert yourself at a better rate.

Missing supplier forms. Ask "Is there anything your finance team needs from me to set me up as a supplier?" the day the deal is agreed.

Assuming a foreign brand means no US tax. Income is income, wherever it comes from.

The short version

• Money leaks in four places: sending fees, conversion spread, intermediary banks and receiving fees.
• Invoice in your own currency by default, always with the currency code.
• Match the payment method to the payment size: wires for large amounts, multi-currency accounts for regular foreign income, PayPal or card for small and fast.
• Agree who pays fees in the contract. Ask for OUR on wires.
• Expect supplier forms (W-8BEN for non-US creators paid by US brands) and ask an accountant about tax and VAT.

If you use Vantr for invoices, set your invoice currency per deal and record what actually arrived, so your earnings show what you received rather than what you hoped to.