Buying and selling in international markets poses particular challenges for small business owners. Cultural, linguistic, and political obstacles abound before you even send your first payment—managing international business payments adds a layer of complexity in the form of exchange fees and slower settlement speeds, which can be more unpredictable for your cash flow than domestic payments.
This guide covers a variety of international payment platforms and their strengths as a solution for small businesses.
What you need to know
- Expect to pay a mix of flat transfer fees, foreign exchange (FX) markups, and monthly subscription costs, depending on the platform.
- Most platforms settle international wire transfers in as fast as 24 hours, while international ACH or other payments may take 3–5 business days.
- The best option depends on your payment volume, which currencies you need to send, and whether you need a full banking suite or standalone payment tool.
What to look for in an international payments platform
When choosing an international payments solution, consider how the following will affect your business operations:
- Coverage: Payment platforms come in many forms. For international payments, choose a platform that supports local currencies in countries you operate in as well as countries you may expand to.
- Pricing: Some payment platforms charge monthly fees, but all charge variable or flat-rate foreign exchange markups and per-transaction fees. Compare rates and fees to see how your payment costs will add up at scale.
- Multi-currency accounts: A single account that can hold, send, and receive multiple currencies without converting them can be a competitive asset for businesses operating across international borders.
- Integration: To reduce manual work and human error, choose an international payments platform that syncs to your accounting software and business checking account.
Comparing international payment platforms
The platforms listed below offer different approaches to international payments. They include all-in-one business banking solutions and dedicated payment tools, fintechs and traditional banks. Compare them to see which is best suited to your business needs.
Bluevine
Bluevine is a fintech business banking suite that offers business checking accounts, business lines of credit, and international payments to vendors and suppliers.
For international payments, Bluevine customers can send payments in 15 currencies to 32 countries for up to $25 per payment plus a flat 1.5% FX markup for non-USD payments. Customers can also accept international payments in 39 currencies and receive funds in USD, for up to $15 per incoming international wire transfer.BVSUP-00146
Payments are integrated into a Bluevine Business Checking account, which can sync directly to Xero and QuickBooks Online.BVSUP-00056
Bluevine’s strengths as an international payments platform include:
- Transparent, tiered pricing
- Payments settle in as fast as 24 hours
- All-in-one business banking platform, integrated dashboard
- Send cross-border payments to 32 countries in 15 currencies: Flat fee (up to $25) + exchange rate (up to 1.5%)
- Receive cross-border payments in 39 major currencies: Flat fee (up to $15)
Did you know?
Bluevine Plus and Premier plan customers can save even more on international payment fees.
Plus plan:BVSUP-00132
$12 per incoming international wire
$20 + 1.25% per outgoing international wire
Premier plan:BVSUP-00117
$7.50 per incoming international wire
$12.50 + 1.0% per outgoing international wire
Wise
Wise has a dedicated international payment platform that offers cost-friendly exchange rates and supports payments in more than 40 currencies across 160 countries. Wise is not a banking platform, but they integrate with several business checking accounts, including Bluevine.
Strengths as an international payments platform:
- Cost-effective exchange rates
- Serves 160+ countries and 40+ currencies
- Payments settle in as fast as 24 hours
- Transparent pricing and no monthly fees
- Accounting integrations*
PayPal
In the United States, PayPal is one of the most popular third-party payment processors for e-commerce sales. Internationally, their payments are compatible with more than 200 countries. Their fee structure for international payments includes conversion and transaction fees, so bulk international payments can become expensive compared to other providers.
Strengths as an international payments platform:
- Customer familiarity reduces friction
- Serves 200+ countries
- Many ways to accept money
- Invoicing and recurring payment tools*
Stripe
Stripe is the underlying payment engine for thousands of online retail and service providers. Their platform can process payments in more than 230 countries using over 100 different currencies. Stripe is developer-friendly—its API allows for widespread compatibility and customization options, making it a great fit for companies building their own payment and checkout flows.
Strengths as an international payments platform:
- Complex and compatible API
- Serves 230+ countries and 100+ currencies
- Strong reporting and reconciliation
- Scalable*
Did you know?
Bluevine Business Checking offers built-in accounts receivable tools, including simple payment links powered by Stripe.BVSUP-00180
Easily add payment links to your invoices to let your customers choose their preferred payment method—plus, you can even accept payments in person using Tap to Pay with the Bluevine mobile app.BVSUP-00192
Airwallex
Airwallex is a business payments platform that processes payments in over 120 countries in 20+ currencies. They offer competitive rates on payments, but monthly fees can be high as their complex platform is geared toward large businesses with high international payment volumes, so it may not be cost effective for your small business.
Strengths as an international payments platform:
- Low exchange rates
- Local currency accounts
- Payments settle in as fast as 24 hours
- Designed for spending at scale
- All-in-one business banking platform*
Melio
Melio is a dedicated bill pay tool that supports international wire transfers in 15 currencies. Their fee is a flat $20 per payment, plus an exchange rate, and they sync with QuickBooks and Xero. The Melio platform does not offer banking, so you’ll need a separate business checking account to make it work for your business.
Strengths as an international payments platform:
- Specialized bill pay platform
- Flat fees ($20) + competitive exchange rates
- Accounting integrations*
Payoneer
Payoneer is a truly global payment platform popular with freelancers and e-commerce platforms. It supports payments in over 150 countries and offers local-currency accounts. The pricing structure is tiered, and FX markups are higher than those of most competitors.
Strengths as an international payments platform:
- Integrations with Amazon, Walmart, and other platforms
- Send payments in 150+ currencies
- Local currency accounts
- Multi-currency receiving
- Mass payout rails*
Tipalti
Tipalti is a platform built for mid-market businesses with high international payment volume. It can process payments in 120 currencies spanning 196 countries. Their system also includes built-in tax compliance features, supplier onboarding tools, and dedicated account management for enterprise customers. Plans start at $99/month for basic features.
Strengths as an international payments platform:
- Scales to thousands of payees
- Strong compliance controls
- Accounting integrations
- Dedicated account managers for enterprise customers*
Brex
Brex is a financial platform that offers business credit cards and expense management, which includes international payments to over 200 countries in more than 60 currencies. Their payments are a part of their business banking account, which makes them a viable fit for small businesses looking to scale into international markets.
Strengths as an international payments platform:
- Serves 200+ countries in 60+ currencies
- Integrated business banking platform*
Ramp
Ramp is a small business financial platform with corporate card, bill pay, accounting, and expense management features. International payments cost $20 through Ramp’s multi-currency wallets.
Strengths as an international payments platform:
- Flat fee ($20)
- Multi-currency wallets*
Traditional banks
Traditional banks such as Bank of America, Chase, and Wells Fargo offer international wire transfers through their business checking accounts. These can cost roughly $25 to $50 per transaction, and FX markups are typically higher than those of other options on this list.
Financial technology companies tend to have lower fees and higher APY than traditional banks, because of their lower overhead costs. In fact, Bluevine offers 18 the national average APY on business checking balances, which helps small businesses make the most of their money.BVSUP-00007
When it comes to international payments, traditional banks’ strengths include:
- Full banking services
- Increased regulatory oversight
- In-person customer support*
*All competitor information accurate as of May 2026.
Sending flat-rate international payments with Bluevine
Bluevine is among the best business bank accounts for international payments, a feature of the Bluevine Business Checking account, which is designed specifically for small businesses.
As mentioned above, Bluevine charges a flat fee of up to $25 per outgoing international payment, plus a 1.5% FX markup for non-USD transactions. For incoming international wires, a flat fee of up to $15 per transaction applies. Payments typically settle in as fast as 24 hours, can be sent to 32 countries in 15 currencies, and can be received in 39 currencies.BVSUP-00146
Empower your small business with up to 3.0% APY,BVSUP-00147 FDIC protection up to $3 million through Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC and our program banks,BVSUP-00108 and no monthly fees for the Standard plan.
International payments FAQs
Though it’s subjective, Bluevine is often considered the best international payments platform for small businesses because of its integrated suite of banking products, including business checking, payments, and lending. Bluevine covers a wide range of countries and major currencies, and transactions typically clear in as fast as 24 hours.
International payment fees typically include a combination of the following:
– Transfer fee: A flat charge per international payment ($20–$50)
– FX markup: A percentage rate added to non-USD payments (1%–3%)
– Receiving fees: A flat fee to accept an international wire transfer ($10–25)
– Monthly or annual fee: A fee charged to maintain your account
With Bluevine, you can expect:BVSUP-00146
– Incoming international wires: Flat fee of up to $15 per transaction
– Outgoing international wires: Flat fee of up to $25 per transaction + up to 1.5% (for non-USD payments)
– No monthly fees for Standard plan, with a $30/month waivable fee for Plus and $95/month waivable fee for PremierBVSUP-00153
Dedicated multi-currency accounts allow businesses to hold, receive, and send funds in different currencies without converting immediately. Standard business checking accounts, like Bluevine Business Checking, require you to convert received funds to USD.
Traditional banks are reliable for sending international payments, though their fees are typically higher than those of financial technology companies due to higher overhead costs and stricter regulations. Traditional banks may also have slower settlement times if you choose to send payments using methods other than international wire.
Settlement speed varies by platform and payment method. Traditional banks and financial technology platforms that support international wires—such as Bluevine—will typically settle cross-border payments in as fast as 24 hours.
