The short answer
In 2026, the cheapest way for a business outside the US to receive US dollars is to give clients US account details they can pay by ACH or RTP, instead of an international SWIFT wire. SWIFT wires can take 1 to 5 business days, and banks along the way may take fees, so the payment can arrive short.
Bancoli gives named USD account details in your business’s legal name, available on every plan, including Free, once verified. Clients can pay by ACH (1 to 3 days), by RTP, or by US domestic wire (1 to 2 days). Receiving an ACH or RTP payment costs $2 on Free, $1 on Plus and is free on Premium. Clients can also pay in USDC, USDi or USDT, the eligible stablecoins. Smart USD is not a deposit and is not FDIC-insured.
Other providers price this differently in 2026. Wise charges $6.11 to receive a USD wire, plus a one-time $31 for account details. Payoneer charges a fee when the receiving account is not in your local currency. Mercury charges nothing for USD ACH and wires, but only accepts companies formed in the US.
Ask for ACH or RTP, and avoid SWIFT
Your client says, “We’ll wire it.” That sounds simple. But an international wire often lands with less money than you invoiced.
The fix is easy. Give your client US account details. Then they can pay you the way they pay any US supplier. ACH and RTP are US payment networks. A US domestic wire also stays inside the US. None of them needs to cross borders the way a SWIFT wire does.
So the first rule is short. Ask for ACH or RTP first. Accept a US domestic wire if the client prefers a wire. Treat SWIFT as the last resort.
Why an international wire arrives short
A SWIFT wire can pass through one or more banks before it reaches you. Each of these banks can take a fee on the way. They are called intermediary or correspondent banks.
The sender also picks who pays the fees:
- SHA means the cost is shared. The sender pays their bank. You pay what the banks along the way take.
- OUR means the sender pays all the fees. It costs the sender more, and banks along the way can still take a fee.
Payoneer says on its own receiving accounts page that intermediary fees are “typically averaging 20-30 USD” per wire (payoneer.com/receiving-accounts, read Nov 2, 2026). On a $1,000 invoice, that is a real loss. And you only find out when the money lands.
For a full look at what banks charge, see our business FX fees guide.
Cost to receive USD by rail with Bancoli
Here is what each way of paying costs you to receive with Bancoli. The ACH and RTP fees come from bancoli.com/pricing.
| How your client pays | What it costs you to receive with Bancoli | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| ACH | $2 on Free, $1 on Plus, free on Premium, custom on Enterprise | 1 to 3 days |
| RTP | $2 on Free, $1 on Plus, free on Premium, custom on Enterprise | Not stated here |
| US domestic wire | See bancoli.com/pricing | 1 to 2 days |
| Stablecoins (USDC, USDi, USDT) | See bancoli.com/pricing | Depends on the network |
| Bancoli to Bancoli | Included on every plan (bancoli.com/pricing) | Not stated here |
| SWIFT wire | The one to avoid. Banks along the way may take fees | 1 to 5 business days |
Want to know how the rails differ? Our guide to ACH, RTP, US domestic wire or USDC explains each one in plain words.
What Wise, Payoneer, Airwallex, Mercury and Bancoli charge to receive
Each provider shows its own fees on its own pricing page. These are the numbers we read on Nov 1 and Nov 2, 2026. Check the page before you choose, because fees change.
| Provider | Receiving USD by ACH or other local transfer | Receiving a USD wire | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bancoli | $2 on Free, $1 on Plus, free on Premium | See bancoli.com/pricing | Named USD account details in your legal name on every plan, including Free, once verified |
| Wise | Free for domestic non-wire USD receipts | $6.11 per USD wire or SWIFT receipt | One-time $31 for account details |
| Airwallex | Domestic USD transfers over local networks are free | Receiving a US Fedwire costs $15 | International SWIFT sends cost $15 SHA to $25 OUR on all plans |
| Payoneer | Free through a local-currency receiving account | A fee applies when the receiving account is not in your local currency | See payoneer.com/pricing |
| Mercury | $0 for ACH, domestic wires and RTP | $0 for USD international wires | Only for companies formed in the US |
Sources: Wise, Airwallex fee schedule (updated Oct 19, 2026) and Airwallex pricing, Payoneer, Mercury. Compare in more detail: Bancoli vs Wise, Bancoli vs Payoneer, Bancoli vs Airwallex, Bancoli vs Mercury.
What to send your client
This is the part most guides skip. Copy this box into your invoice or your onboarding email.
Please pay us by ACH or RTP
Account name: [your business’s full legal name]
Bank name: [as shown in your Bancoli account details]
Routing number: [9 digits]
Account number: [your account number]
Account type: [as shown in your Bancoli account details]
Preferred: ACH or RTP. US domestic wire is fine too.
Please do not send an international SWIFT wire.
Three tips make this work:
- Use your full legal name. It must match the name on your account details.
- Send the details once, in writing, and ask the client to save you as a vendor.
- Put the details on every invoice so nobody has to ask.
With Bancoli, these details are in your business’s legal name, available on every plan, including Free, once verified.
If the client can only send SWIFT
Some clients outside the US can only send a SWIFT wire. If that happens, ask them to choose OUR, so they cover the fees. Then check what lands against your invoice. If the client also has a US bank account, ask them to pay from it by ACH.
If the client can pay in USDC
Some clients prefer to pay in stablecoins. With Bancoli, clients can pay in USDC, USDi or USDT, the eligible stablecoins. Payments arrive in your Smart USD Wallet. Read more in our guide to stablecoins and US bank details. Smart USD is not a deposit and is not FDIC-insured.
How long each rail takes
- ACH: 1 to 3 days.
- US domestic wire: 1 to 2 days.
- SWIFT wire: 1 to 5 business days, and it is the one to avoid.
RTP and stablecoin timing depends on the networks involved, so we do not promise a time here.
Sending money out instead of receiving it? See our guides to the best international wire transfer services and the best SWIFT alternatives.
FAQ
What is the cheapest way to receive USD from abroad in 2026?
Give your client US account details so they can pay by ACH or RTP instead of a SWIFT wire. With Bancoli, receiving an ACH or RTP payment costs $2 on Free, $1 on Plus and is free on Premium.
Why does a SWIFT wire arrive short?
A SWIFT wire can pass through banks along the way, and each one can take a fee. Payoneer says these fees are “typically averaging 20-30 USD” (payoneer.com/receiving-accounts, read Nov 2, 2026).
ACH vs wire: which is cheaper to receive?
ACH is usually cheaper. With Bancoli, an incoming ACH costs $2 on Free, $1 on Plus and is free on Premium. Wire fees vary by provider, so check each pricing page.
How long does each rail take?
ACH takes 1 to 3 days. A US domestic wire takes 1 to 2 days. A SWIFT wire can take 1 to 5 business days.
What should I send my client so they pay by ACH?
Send your legal business name, routing number and account number, and ask them to pay by ACH or RTP. With Bancoli, these details are in your business’s legal name, available on every plan, including Free, once verified.
Get your USD account details
Open a Smart USD Wallet and share your named USD account details with your clients. Smart USD is not a deposit and is not FDIC-insured. Bancoli works with an affiliated chartered bank. You control your funds. Bancoli does not own or control them.
More reading: How to accept international payments · International freelancers · ES: ACH, RTP, wire doméstico o USDC