Running an online coaching business, and being a solopreneur, means you have to be organised. I outsource some of my tasks, such as accounting, and sometimes I hire some help for social media. Now and then, I hire external experts to improve my website. But most of it, I do alone. I often get asked what systems I use, or apps, to keep on top of things. Today I will share how to receive international payment online, to get paid quickly from around the world for digital products, online services, bookings, and more.
What online payment systems to use as a creative entrepreneur?
Having clients all over the world, means I need to have more than just a local bank account. I live in Europe, but my clients pay me in US dollars, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars and British pounds. Using just my current account would mean hefty transaction fees and a lot of delay in getting paid. This is why I use other platforms to get paid easily and quickly. Here is what I use to get paid by my clients.
Online payment platforms that accept different currencies
Wise
Wise (formerly known as Transferwise) is an online bank that allows you to send and receive money in multiple currencies. This is useful when dealing with clients overseas, as well as family and friends who live abroad. There is no markup on exchange rates, and the transfers are usually done in minutes. You can request money in different currencies, by setting up a payment request and attaching invoices. It is very user-friendly! Sending fees depend on the currency but starts at 0,43%. Receiving money is free, unless it is USD wired, which costs you 4.14 USD per transaction. CHECK OUT WISE
Stripe
Stripe, like Paypal, is useful for setting up payment links and linking payments to items such as e-books, courses and other digital products. I also use it for selling single coaching sessions. You can design your own simple checkout page with instructions, logo and branding colours, and customers can pay by card, Apple Pay or Google pay. You can customise taxes (and include or exclude the Stripe fee in the final price), and can even set up recurring payments if you were selling memberships or subscriptions. Every month, you receive a payout, a tax report, and on the dashboard you see exactly what you have sold, and how much you have paid in fees. You’ll pay 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction to accept card payments online and 2.7% plus 5 cents to accept in-person payments with Stripe. It does not charge monthly or annual fees.
Paypal
Good old Paypal. When all else fails, there is always Paypal. Easy to use, but high in fees. I try to avoid this platform for that reason, but, at the same time, I sometimes have to resort to it because of payment issues with international clients. The standard fee at the time of writing this article is 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction.
Need help launching your small business?
Book a free 30-minute call to discuss your plans and see how I can help you manifest it.