how to get paid in USD when you're not in the US
This took me way too long to figure out so I'm saving you the research. When you work for a US company from abroad, getting paid in USD without losing 5% to fees and bad exchange rates is a real problem
Wise – this is what I use for most things. Multi-currency account, you get USD account details that look like a US bank to your employer. Conversion fees are around 0.4-0.7% with the real exchange rate, not the markup banks charge. You can hold USD and convert when the rate looks good. For most people this is the answer
Payoneer – been around forever. Works well if you're getting paid through platforms like Upwork or Fiverr. Fees are higher than Wise – up to 2% – and the exchange rates aren't as competitive. I used it for a year before switching
Deel – more of a contractor/payroll platform than a payment method. Your employer signs up with Deel, pays them, and Deel pays you. Handles compliance and tax forms. Good if your employer sets it up. Less useful if they've never heard of it
Direct wire transfer – your employer sends USD to your local bank. Simple but expensive. My bank charged $35 per incoming international transfer plus a 2-3% conversion markup. Over a year that added up to almost $1,000 in fees alone
US LLC + US bank – if you run your own business you can set up a US LLC (Wyoming or Delaware, about $100/year) and open a Mercury or Relay account. Gives you a real US bank account. More setup work but zero international transfer fees. Worth it if you're invoicing $3K+ per month
Crypto (USDC/USDT) – some employers and clients are open to this. No middleman, near-instant, minimal fees. The catch is tax reporting gets complicated and it's not exactly mainstream with corporate finance departments
My setup: Wise for primary income, Deel for one client whose company uses it. Wise conversion timing alone has saved me probably $800 this year vs just auto-converting everything on receipt