Landing an international client is a huge milestone for any freelancer or agency. But when it comes time to bill them, a whole new set of questions arises: What currency do I use? How do they pay me? Am I going to lose 5% to wire fees?
1. Choosing the Currency
You have two options when billing across borders:
- Bill in your local currency: This protects you from exchange rate fluctuations. If you are in the UK and bill £5,000, you get £5,000. The client's bank handles the conversion.
- Bill in the client's currency: This is a better client experience, especially for US clients who hate dealing with foreign currencies. If you are in Canada billing a US client, billing in USD makes their accounting easier.
Best Practice: Default to USD for global clients, or the client's local currency if you want to offer a premium experience. Just be sure to pad your rate by 2-3% to account for potential exchange rate dips between the invoice date and payment date.
2. Getting Paid (Without Massive Fees)
Traditional international bank wires (SWIFT) are terrible. They often cost $30-$50 per transfer and take 3-5 days to clear.
Instead, use modern global banking networks:
- Wise (formerly TransferWise): You can open local bank accounts in USD, EUR, GBP, etc. You put those local account details on your invoice, the client does a free local transfer, and you convert it at the real exchange rate.
- Stripe / Credit Cards: Easy for the client, but you will eat a ~3% fee plus international conversion fees.
3. Invoice Formatting for International Clients
Make sure your invoice clearly states the currency code (e.g., USD, EUR, AUD) next to every total. A simple "$" is dangerous, as it could mean US Dollars, Canadian Dollars, or Australian Dollars.
If you are subject to VAT (Value Added Tax) or GST, ensure you follow the reverse-charge rules for international B2B services, which usually means you apply a 0% tax rate but must include a specific legal note on the invoice.
Invoicease supports dozens of global currencies, allowing you to instantly switch an invoice from USD to EUR with a single click, making international billing effortless.