Best Way for Businesses to Receive International Payments in 2026

If you run a business with clients abroad, the money is rarely the problem. Winning the work, delivering it, sending the invoice, all of that goes fine. The frustration shows up in the gap between the client's payment and the money in your account. The transfer crawls through for days, and by the time it lands, it’s often eaten up by exorbitant fees.

For years, that was just the cost of doing business globally. Slow transfers and shrinking payments came with the territory, so most people stopped questioning them.

That's changed. There are faster, cheaper ways to get paid now, and more businesses are reaching for one in particular: stablecoins. This guide walks through each option, what it actually costs, how to set it up, and why so many businesses are making the switch.

Main ways businesses can receive international payments.

How you receive money on Raenest depends a lot on where your client is paying from. There are really three options.

If your client is in the US, the simplest route is to have them send US dollars directly to your US account using a local rail like ACH or FedNow. FedNow in particular settles in seconds, around the clock, and usually costs less than an international wire. 

🔗 New to it? We explain how it works in What Is FedNow? How It Works and Its Benefits.

If your client is in the UK or Europe, they can pay into your local GBP and EUR account details the same way, like a domestic transfer on their end.

For everyone else, and for any client who can't send a US or local payment, the two cross-border options are a SWIFT transfer or a stablecoin deposit. Those are the two most businesses with international clients to reach for, so they're what we'll compare next.

Receiving payments by SWIFT transfer

SWIFT is the classic bank-to-bank way of moving money across borders, and it still works perfectly well. On Raenest, receiving a SWIFT transfer typically costs your business a flat $16, and the money usually takes a few business days to arrive.

It's a solid choice in a few situations. If a client prefers a regular bank transfer or already has your details saved, SWIFT keeps things familiar. For a large one-off payment where both sides want the comfort of the traditional banking system, it does the job well. The trade-off is often speed and cost. A few business days is normal, and on a small payment, a flat $16 takes a bigger relative bite than it does on a large one. It's a good option, just not always the cheapest or fastest one you have.

🔗ICYMI: We published a free detailed guide on how the US banking system works.

Receiving payments in stablecoins (USDC and USDT)

Stablecoins are the cheaper, faster route. USDC and USDT are types of digital dollars that maintain a stable value, so either is always worth one US dollar. That's what makes them useful for getting paid, rather than the price swings people associate with crypto. With Raenest, a client sends your business USDC or USDT, and it’s instantly converted to USD at 1:1. The fee is a flat $1, regardless of the payment amount.

Your clients have flexibility, too. They can pay in Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, Polygon, Tron, or Solana, whichever network is easiest and cheapest for them. Whatever they choose, it turns into USD the same way once it reaches you. They don't need to be crypto experts to do it, and neither do you.

SWIFT vs stablecoins: which is best for your business?

For cross-border payments, stablecoins are usually the best option because they cost less to receive and funds arrive in minutes rather than days. Say a client is paying you $10,000. By SWIFT, that's a flat $16 and a few days' wait. In USDC or USDT, that's a flat $1 and the money's usually there in minutes, even on a weekend.

One thing to keep in mind: if your client is in the US, a FedNow payment to your US account details can be just as instant and often cheaper, so stablecoins aren't the only fast option. Their real strength is being fast and cheap for clients anywhere in the world, which a US-only rail can't match.

Why are more businesses choosing stablecoins?

Mostly because it's quicker to get their money and cheaper to receive it. If stablecoins still sound new to you, they're not anymore. At a major payments event this year, around 23% of businesses said they already use stablecoins for international payments or plan to soon, and names like Visa and Stripe now run on the same technology.

There's also a practical reason businesses in our region like them: they're cost-effective. When you earn in dollars and get paid in a steady digital dollar, you're not exposed to the swings of your local currency between invoice and payday. You get paid faster, you keep more, and you skip the wait. For a business managing cash flow month to month, that combination is hard to ignore.

What you need to open a Raenest Business account

Before you can receive payments, you need to open a Raenest business account. It's a quick process, and you'll typically need three things ready.

The first is your business registration. That means your Certificate of Incorporation, your status report, and your Tax Identification Number, which for Nigerian businesses are your CAC documents. 

The second is proof of a digital presence, such as a company website or a professional social media page. The third is verification for your directors, including their identity details and proof of address.

Have those on hand, and the setup is straightforward. Once your documents are checked, you will have access to the full account, including your USD, GBP, and EUR details, as well as the tools to start receiving payments.

How to set up your stablecoin account on Raenest

Once your business is verified, creating your stablecoin account takes a few minutes through the app or dashboard. Here's how:

1. Open the Raenest app or sign in to your Raenest dashboard

2. Open the Accounts tab from your main menu

3. Select your USD account. Tap the USD account you want to use.

4. From the options, choose Create Stablecoin account, then pick USDC or USDT.

5. Fill out a short set of questions about your business and the work you do.

6. Once you submit and you're approved, your own USDC and USDT wallet addresses are generated instantly.

Put your money to work the moment it lands.

Once the funds are in as USD, the rest of your operations can run from the same account. You can spend directly on virtual USD cards for software, ads, and other business costs, with limits you set per card. You can hold balances in USD, GBP, and EUR, and you can pay your own team and suppliers across over 70 countries straight from your account.

Want your business to get paid faster and keep more of what it earns? Open a Raenest Business account and start receiving in stablecoins today.

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Frequently asked questions

What's the cheapest way for a business to receive international payments on Raenest? 

A stablecoin deposit. It costs a flat $1 to receive, compared with a typical flat $16 for a SWIFT transfer, and it converts to USD at a 1:1 rate.

Can my business receive USDT and USDC?

 Yes. Raenest supports both USDC and USDT, and both convert to USD upon arrival.

Which networks can my client use to pay me? 

Five: Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, Polygon, Tron, and Solana. Your client picks whichever works for them.

How long does a stablecoin payment take to arrive?

 Usually minutes, including evenings and weekends. A SWIFT transfer takes a few business days.

Can my business hold USDC or USDT on Raenest? 

No, and you don't need to. Stablecoins convert to USD the moment they land, so your business holds dollars and skips any price swings.

Are stablecoin payments safe? 

Yes. USDC and USDT are pegged to the US dollar, and on Raenest, they convert to USD instantly, so you're never sitting on something whose value is moving. Your client sends to your wallet address, much like any other transfer.

Do my clients need to understand crypto to pay me? 

No. They send to your wallet address from wherever they hold their stablecoins, just as they'd send any payment. Plenty of businesses already pay this way.

Is FedNow faster than receiving stablecoins? 

For US clients, often yes. FedNow settles in seconds, while stablecoin deposits usually arrive in minutes. But FedNow only works for payments from US banks connected to the network, so stablecoins remain the fast option for clients anywhere else in the world.

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