If you work for American clients from Nigeria, Kenya, India, Pakistan, the Philippines or anywhere else outside the United States, you already know the problem. A wire takes days, passes through intermediary banks, and arrives short. Payment apps charge a percentage and hold your money. The root cause is always the same: you are receiving a US payment on a non-US account.
The three ways a US payment can reach you
- SWIFT wire: the payer's bank sends dollars to your bank abroad, often through one or more correspondent banks. Each of them may take a fee, and the transfer can take several days.
- Payment platforms: convenient, but they charge a percentage, convert at their own rate and sometimes freeze funds.
- ACH to a US account: the payer sends dollars within the United States, as a local payment. No correspondent bank, no conversion unless you decide.
The third option is only available if you have a US account with routing and account number. That is what a US dollar account gives you, even if you live abroad.
How it works in practice
You open your US dollar account online, after identity verification. In the app you find your routing number and account number. You put them on your invoice, or in the payout settings of the platform you work with. From then on, your American clients pay you exactly as they pay a local supplier, through ACH. For large or urgent amounts they can use Fedwire, the same-day US wire.
What happens to the money
The dollars arrive on your account and stay in dollars. You decide if and when to convert to euro or sterling, or to keep a dollar balance for your own US expenses. The balance is held in full reserve and remains available at all times.
Who this is for
- Freelancers and agencies invoicing US clients.
- Online sellers receiving marketplace payouts in dollars.
- Exporters and service companies with US customers.
- Anyone paid regularly from the United States who wants to stop losing money in transit.
Accounts are opened after identity verification and are subject to our compliance policy: some countries and activities are excluded.