Last updated 26 October 2026.
On the US fee pages, receiving a $2,000 payment from a UK client costs $89.80 through PayPal Goods and Services and $0 to $6.11 through Wise USD account details, before any conversion.
A client says “I’ll just PayPal you” and the invoice for $2,000 arrives as something less. Whether that gap is $6 or $90 depends on the rail, the currency and who converts it. This guide puts PayPal and Wise side by side for one job only: receiving a payment from a client in another country. It uses each company’s own published fee page, dated, and shows the arithmetic.
It is written for English-speaking freelancers and contractors in any country. Fees depend on where your account is registered; the worked numbers below use the US fee pages because both publish them in full. Fees change — open each page on the day. This is general information, not financial advice.
Other product names below are illustrative. Where a Wise link appears, Bankrolled may earn a commission if you sign up through it.
For the wider picture across platforms and four countries, see The payout fee stack: a $2,000 platform payment in four countries. This piece is the head-to-head. Choosing a rail in the first place is covered in Getting paid in one country while you live in another.
What does PayPal charge to receive money? What does Wise?
PayPal: a percentage on the way in, then a spread on conversion
PayPal’s US merchant fee page (last updated 1 October 2026) charges the receiver a percentage on commercial payments. “Send/Receive Money for Goods and Services” is 2.99%; PayPal Checkout is 3.49% plus a fixed fee (0.49 USD for USD payments). When the sender is registered in a different market, PayPal adds an additional 1.50% for international commercial transactions (PayPal US merchant fees).
If PayPal converts the currency, its exchange rate includes a currency conversion spread: 3.00% for most transactions, or 4.00% for some payment types, “or such other amount as may be disclosed to you during the transaction” (same page). PayPal says payments in another currency are converted to USD automatically unless you choose to hold them in one of the other currencies its business account supports (PayPal business resource).
Accounts outside the US have their own fee pages — for example the PayPal rest-of-world merchant fee schedule (28 September 2026). The structure is similar; the percentages differ.
Wise: free domestic receipts, a flat fee on wires, a visible conversion fee
Wise’s US pricing page lists receiving domestic (non-Swift, non-wire) payments, such as USD ACH, as free; receiving USD wire and Swift payments as a fixed 6.11 USD per payment; GBP Swift 2.16 GBP; EUR Swift 2.39 EUR. Converting money has a fee that “varies by currency”, from 0.23% (Wise US pricing). Wise’s help centre adds that correspondent banks may take their own fees from a Swift payment before it arrives (Wise Help).
Worked example: a $2,000 invoice
Illustrative example using the US fee pages above as checked on 26 October 2026. Your fees depend on your account’s country and the payment type. A US-registered freelancer invoices a UK client $2,000.
| Route | Fee to receive | You keep (before any conversion) |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal, Goods and Services, UK sender (2.99% + 1.50%) | $89.80 | $1,910.20 |
| PayPal Checkout, UK sender (3.49% + 1.50% + $0.49) | $100.29 | $1,899.71 |
| Wise USD account details, client pays by ACH from a US account | $0 | $2,000.00 |
| Wise USD account details, client sends a USD wire / Swift | $6.11 (plus any correspondent fee taken en route) | $1,993.89 or less |
Now suppose the client pays in GBP and you need dollars. With PayPal converting, the 3.00% spread on roughly $2,000 is about $60 more, sitting inside the rate rather than on a fee line. With Wise, the conversion fee varies by currency pair and is shown before you convert; check the quote on the day. If your costs are in another currency again, see USD day rate when your costs are in another currency.
When PayPal is the only option
- The client will only pay by PayPal or card. Some freelancers add the fee to the invoice in that case.
- Small, one-off jobs where the client’s convenience wins the work.
- Platform payouts that only offer PayPal as a withdrawal option.
For repeat clients and larger invoices, the gap in the table is largest. Changing payment details is a common moment for invoice fraud, which is covered in “We have changed our bank details”: how to check before you pay. If the client is in the US and you are not, Cleared amount on the invoice: USD ACH without a US bank covers getting an ACH payment to arrive in full.
Three things that decide what you receive
- Who pays which fee: whether the invoice says the amount due is the amount received.
- The invoice currency: whether it matches the currency you hold or spend, and which side does the conversion.
- The payment type — ACH, a domestic transfer, or Swift: On Wise the first two are free to receive; Swift is a flat fee plus whatever intermediaries take.
Where Wise fits
Wise fits the receiving and operating job: local account details for clients abroad, and a visible conversion fee. It is a payment and e-money account, not a bank deposit, so it is not where your emergency buffer lives — see Wise is the rail, not your emergency fund.
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FAQ
Is PayPal’s Friends and Family option cheaper for client work?
PayPal’s fee page prices payments for goods and services under the merchant fees above, and this guide assumes client work goes through that route. Check PayPal’s user agreement for your country before using any other option.
Is Wise or PayPal better for receiving money from clients abroad?
It depends on how the client can pay. The worked table above shows the gap for one $2,000 invoice on the US fee pages; redo it with your own amount, currency and account country.
Does Wise charge to receive a USD payment?
On the US pricing page, ACH and other domestic receipts are free and USD wire or Swift payments are 6.11 USD each. Correspondent banks may also deduct a fee before the money arrives.
I am not in the US. Do these numbers apply?
The structure does; the numbers may not. Open the PayPal fee page and Wise pricing page for your own country and redo the table with your invoice amount.
What this article is not
It is not a full review of either company and does not cover sending, cards, chargebacks or seller protection. It uses published fee pages only and does not invent an average exchange-rate margin. Figures were checked on 26 October 2026 and will change.
Sources
- PayPal US — Merchant fees (last updated 1 October 2026) (2.99% / 3.49% + fixed fee; 1.50% international; 3.00% / 4.00% conversion spread).
- PayPal US — How to accept foreign currency with your business account (automatic conversion; holding other currencies).
- PayPal — Rest-of-world merchant fees (28 September 2026), PDF.
- Wise US — Pricing (domestic receipts free; USD wire/Swift 6.11 USD; conversion from 0.23%).
- Wise Help — Fees and limits for receiving money (correspondent bank fees on Swift).
- Wise Help — Receiving money with USD account details.
- Bankrolled — The payout fee stack.
- Bankrolled — Cleared amount on the invoice: USD ACH without a US bank.
- Bankrolled — USD day rate when your costs are in another currency.
- Bankrolled — Wise is the rail, not your emergency fund.
- Bankrolled — Getting paid in one country while you live in another.
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