🌍 International · Updated June 2026
Wise Fee Calculator —
Transfer & Conversion
See your exact Wise (formerly TransferWise) fees for sending, converting, and getting paid as a freelancer. Wise uses the real mid-market exchange rate — model your net amount and how much you save vs PayPal.
⚠️ Verified June 2026: Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate (the rate you see on Google) with no markup — you pay only a transparent fee, from ~0.55% on USD→EUR. Receiving locally (USD ACH, EUR SEPA, GBP FPS) is free; USD wires cost $6.11. One-time $31 setup for account details.
0.55%
USD→EUR transfer fee (bank-funded)
$0
Receive locally (ACH / SEPA / FPS)
$6.11
USD wire / SWIFT receiving fee
0%
FX markup · real mid-market rate
$
USD
Wise transfer fee (0.55%)USD→EUR · variable + small fixed, bank-funded
−$5.50
Card funding surchargePaying by card costs more than bank transfer
−$0.00
Total Wise fee
−$5.50
Wise fee
$5.50
Eff. rate 0.55%
Converted at mid-market
$994.50
Real rate applied — no markup
You send
$1,000.00
Total you pay
Wise charges the fee shown, then converts the remaining $994.50 at the real mid-market rate. A bank or PayPal would also hide an extra 3–4% inside the exchange rate — Wise does not.
How much you keep when a client pays you into your Wise account. Receiving in your local currency is free — only faster methods like USD wires carry a fixed fee.
$
USD
Local ACH / bank transferDomestic payment into your USD account details — free
−$0.00
Total receiving fee
−$0.00
Receiving fee
$0.00
Eff. rate 0.00%
You receive
$1,000.00
Into your Wise balance
Two one-off notes: opening account details to receive in 22 currencies costs a single $31 fee. If a client pays in a foreign currency via SWIFT (e.g. €2.39 EUR or £2.16 GBP fixed), you'll also pay a conversion fee to move it to USD — model that on the Send & Convert tab.
Compare what you actually keep when an overseas client pays you the same amount through Wise vs PayPal.
$
USD
Convert to your home currency
Client pays in a different currency
Wise
You receive
$2,000.00
Fee: $0.00 · free local receive, real mid-market rate
✓ Transparent fee, 0% FX markup
PayPal
You receive
$1,911.70
Fee: $88.30 · 4.4% + $0.30 cross-border
Plus 3–4% hidden in the exchange rate
You keep $88.30 more with Wise on this payment. PayPal's 4.4% + $0.30 cross-border fee applies even without conversion.
How Wise's Transparent Fee Works
Most international transfers hide their real cost inside a marked-up exchange rate. Wise does the opposite: it converts at the mid-market rate — the same rate you see on Google — and charges one visible fee on top. That makes Wise easy to model exactly, which is what this calculator does.
Mid-market rate
Converts at the real exchange rate with no markup. Banks and PayPal typically hide 3–5% here.
Transparent fee
A single upfront fee, shown before you confirm. From ~0.55% on USD→EUR when bank-funded.
Funding method
Paying by bank/ACH is cheapest. A debit card adds ~1%, a credit card ~2% on top.
Free to receive
Local payments (ACH, SEPA, FPS) arrive free. Only wires carry a fixed $6.11 fee.
Best vs worst case: receive a client's USD payment by ACH and you keep 100%. Convert $1,000 to EUR by bank transfer and you pay about $5.47 (0.55%). The worst case — paying by credit card into a higher-fee currency — is still only around 2.7%, and you always see the exact figure before confirming. There is no surprise buried in the exchange rate.
Because the fee blends a small fixed amount with a variable percentage, larger transfers cost a lower percentage and small ones a little more. Wise also discounts the rate on amounts over $25,000.
Wise Fee Reference — Send, Convert & Receive
All figures for a US (USD) Wise account, verified June 2026. Send fees are the effective rate on a $1,000 bank-funded transfer; Wise quotes the exact fee live before you confirm. Rates for non-US accounts vary — see wise.com/pricing.
| Action | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Send / convert USD→EUR | ~0.55% | $5.47 on $1,000, bank-funded |
| Send / convert USD→GBP | ~0.59% | $5.89 on $1,000 |
| Send / convert USD→CAD | ~0.58% | $5.75 on $1,000 |
| Send / convert USD→AUD | ~0.55% | $5.53 on $1,000 |
| Send / convert USD→INR | ~0.69% | $6.85 on $1,000 |
| Pay by debit card | +~1% | Added on top of the conversion fee |
| Pay by credit card | +~2% | Added on top of the conversion fee |
| Receive locally (ACH / SEPA / FPS) | Free | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, NZD, SGD, PHP, HUF |
| Receive USD wire / SWIFT | $6.11 | Fixed, per payment |
| Receive GBP via SWIFT | £2.16 | Fixed, per payment |
| Receive EUR via SWIFT | €2.39 | Fixed, per payment |
| Account details setup | $31 | One-time; unlocks 22 receiving currencies |
| Send USD as USD (SWIFT) | from $7.41 | + correspondent fees; e.g. CA $12.38, AU $13.10, IN $22.21 |
| Wise debit card | ~$9 | One-time; ATM free 2×/mo up to $100, then 1.75% + $1.50 |
Wise's published floor is "from 0.57%"; the effective rate on a $1,000 USD→EUR transfer measures slightly lower (~0.55%) because the small fixed component is spread across the amount. Treat the percentages above as close estimates and confirm the live quote for your exact amount, route, and funding method.
Wise vs PayPal vs a Bank — What You Actually Keep
The headline fee is only half the story. PayPal and most banks advertise a low fee but recover far more through the exchange rate. Here is the all-in cost of receiving a $2,000 payment from an overseas client that needs converting to your home currency:
| Provider | All-in fee | You keep | Exchange rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wise | ~$11 (0.55%) | ~$1,989 | Mid-market — no markup |
| PayPal | ~$158 (4.4% + $0.30 + ~3.5% FX) | ~$1,842 | +3–4% markup |
| Typical bank | ~$15–40 wire + 2–4% FX | ~$1,900–1,950 | +2–4% markup |
On this single payment, Wise leaves you roughly $147 more than PayPal. Over a year of international invoices, the gap compounds quickly — which is why many freelancers bill clients to a Wise account and only use PayPal when a client insists. Bank and PayPal figures are typical industry ranges; Wise and PayPal headline rates are verified June 2026.
How Freelancers Get Paid Through Wise
Wise's biggest advantage for freelancers is on the receiving side — the part most fee calculators ignore. The workflow is simple:
Open account details
A one-time $31 unlocks local USD, EUR, GBP and 19 more account numbers.
Share them on invoices
Clients pay by local transfer (ACH/SEPA/FPS) for free — like a domestic payment to them.
Hold or convert
Keep balances in 40+ currencies and convert at the mid-market rate when it suits you.
Withdraw or spend
Move funds to your home bank or spend directly with the Wise debit card.
Tip: add your Wise local account details to your invoices so clients pay the free ACH/SEPA/FPS route rather than a $6.11 wire. Need an invoice? Use our freelance invoice template, then set aside tax on what you receive with the tax calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Wise's fee for freelancers?
Wise charges a transparent, upfront fee instead of marking up the exchange rate. For a US account paying by bank transfer, the fee starts around 0.55% — sending $1,000 USD→EUR costs about $5.47, and USD→GBP about $5.89. Paying by debit or credit card adds roughly 1–2% on top. Wise always converts at the real mid-market rate (the rate you see on Google), so there's no hidden margin like banks and PayPal apply.
How much does Wise charge to get paid by a client?
Receiving money is free when the client sends it locally — USD via ACH, EUR via SEPA, or GBP via Faster Payments — so you keep 100%. Faster methods carry a small fixed fee: a USD wire (SWIFT) costs $6.11, a GBP SWIFT payment £2.16, and a EUR SWIFT payment €2.39. Opening account details to receive in 22 currencies is a one-time $31. If a client pays in a different currency and you convert it, a conversion fee from ~0.55% also applies.
Is Wise cheaper than PayPal?
For international payments, almost always. PayPal charges 4.4% + $0.30 to receive a cross-border payment and adds another 3–4% inside the exchange rate when converting — roughly 7–8% all-in. Wise charges a transparent conversion fee from ~0.55% (or $0 to receive locally) at the real mid-market rate. On a $2,000 overseas payment needing conversion, you keep about $1,989 with Wise vs $1,842 with PayPal — a $147 difference. Model your amount on the Wise vs PayPal tab above.
Does Wise use the real exchange rate?
Yes. Wise converts at the mid-market exchange rate — the midpoint between buy and sell rates, the same number you see on Google or Reuters — with no markup. Its only charge is the visible fee shown before you confirm. This is the key difference from banks and PayPal, which advertise a low or "no" fee while hiding a 3–5% margin in a worse rate. With Wise, the fee you see is the total cost.
What is the $6.11 USD wire fee and how do I avoid it?
When someone sends you US dollars by wire transfer (SWIFT), Wise charges a fixed $6.11 to receive it, regardless of amount. Avoid it by asking clients to pay via ACH to your USD account details instead — ACH is free. Wire/SWIFT only makes sense when a client's bank can't send ACH, or for very large one-off payments where $6.11 is negligible. Note the sender's bank may charge its own wire fee, and correspondent banks can deduct intermediary fees on SWIFT routes.
Wise vs Payoneer — which is better for freelancers?
Both give you local account details to get paid by international clients and marketplaces. Wise's edge is the mid-market rate with a transparent ~0.5% conversion fee and free local receiving. Payoneer is often pre-integrated with marketplaces (Upwork, Fiverr, Amazon) but its conversion typically costs more above the rate and some withdrawals carry fees. If you invoice clients directly, Wise is usually cheaper; if your platform pays out to Payoneer by default, compare both on our payment fee hub.
Fee rates sourced from Wise's pricing and comparison pages (wise.com/us/pricing, wise.com/us/compare) and verified June 2026. Send-fee percentages are effective rates on a $1,000 bank-funded transfer; Wise quotes the exact fee in real time and prices vary by amount, route, and funding method. PayPal figures reflect its published 2026 cross-border rates. Always confirm at wise.com/pricing before building fees into contracts.