International payment platform for freelancers in Digital Banking and Payments Platforms | Parse

When getting paid from the UK without getting crushed by traditional SWIFT wire fees and terrible exchange rates , multi-currency fintech platforms are your best bet. Instead of a traditional international wire, your UK client can pay via local UK Faster Payments (sort code and account number), which feels domestic to them and is practically free.

Top platforms for receiving these payments seamlessly as a freelancer:

Wise (formerly TransferWise): Widely considered the gold standard for freelancers . You can set up a Wise Business Account or personal account to get local UK account details (sort code & account number). Your client pays in British Pounds (GBP) locally, and Wise uses the real mid-market exchange rate with very low, transparent conversion fees if you want to pull it into your local currency.
Revolut Business: Offers multi-currency accounts with local IBANs and account details. It's fast, integrates well with modern digital workflows, and allows you to hold, exchange, or spend GBP and other currencies easily.
Payoneer: Good if your client also prefers paying via a platform they already use, or if you work through global marketplaces. It gives you a receiving account in the UK (and other regions), though withdrawal and currency conversion fees can end up a bit higher than Wise.
PayPal / Stripe: Familiar and easy for clients, but usually come with steep transaction percentages (often around 3% to 4% or more when cross-border currency conversion is involved). Use these only if the client insists and covers the extra cost.

To help narrow down the best choice, tell me:

What country are you located in (where will you ultimately withdraw the money)?
Is this a one-off payment or an ongoing retainer?

Sources cited in this answer5

Yes. For a US-based freelancer getting paid by a UK client, my first choice would be Wise Business. It is specifically designed for this situation and can avoid the expensive SWIFT/wire route.

My recommendation: Wise Business

Wise Business lets you get GBP account details, so your UK client can pay you through the UK’s domestic banking system rather than sending an international wire. Wise says domestic payments in supported currencies, including GBP, are free to receive; you can then convert GBP to USD at Wise's exchange rate.

For a US Wise Business account, the current pricing shows:

Receiving GBP via local/domestic payment: $0
Receiving a GBP SWIFT payment: £2.16
Currency conversion: from 0.23%, depending on the currencies/transaction
One-time fee for account details: $31

So the key is: have your client pay your GBP local account details, not your SWIFT details.

Other options

Service	My take	Typical issue
Wise Business	⭐ Best overall	Small conversion fee; one-time setup for account details
Payoneer	Good alternative	UK bank-account payments can cost 1%; other methods can be more expensive

What I'd do

If this is a recurring client, I'd set up Wise Business, activate GBP account details, and put those details on your invoice. Your client essentially makes a normal UK GBP bank transfer, and you can keep the GBP or convert it to USD.

Example: If your client owes you £2,000, I'd much rather have them send £2,000 to your Wise GBP account than have their bank initiate a £2,000 international SWIFT transfer to your US bank. The latter can involve fees from both banks and intermediary banks.

If you tell me roughly how much the client will pay you (e.g. £500, £2,000, £10,000) and whether it's a one-off or recurring, I can compare the actual costs of Wise vs Payoneer vs PayPal for that amount.

International payment platform for freelancers

Which brands AI mentions

Questions and answers

See where your brand stands in this ranking

What I'd do in your situation

Sources cited in this answer7

Sources cited in this answer5

My recommendation: Wise Business

Other options

What I'd do

Sources cited in this answer6

Which brands AI mentions

Questions and answers

Other topics in Digital Banking and Payments Platforms

See where your brand stands in this ranking

What I'd do in your situation

Sources cited in this answer7

Sources cited in this answer5

My recommendation: Wise Business

Other options

What I'd do

Sources cited in this answer6