I work in growth at NovoEX, so I'm biased. But this post is mostly about the problem, not the pitch.
If you freelance or contract for clients in other countries, you know the pattern. The work ships on Friday, the invoice goes out, and then the money takes a long and expensive trip before it lands.
Here is where it usually gets stuck.
1. The client pays in a currency your bank doesn't really want.
A European client wants to pay by SEPA in EUR. A UK client prefers GBP. A US client sends USD by wire. If your account only speaks one of those, every payment gets converted somewhere along the way, and you rarely see the rate up front.
2. Intermediary banks.
International wires can pass through one or more correspondent banks. Each one can take a fee, and each one adds time.
3. Holding value between payments.
A lot of developers now keep part of their income in stablecoins like USDT or USDC. Moving between a bank account and a crypto wallet usually means a second platform, a second set of fees and a second verification process.
What helps
- Have an account number in the currency your client already uses. If they can pay you like a local supplier (SEPA for EUR, local rails for GBP, Fedwire for USD), the payment is simpler for them and faster for you.
- Keep fiat and crypto close together, so you are not bouncing between apps every time you want to move between them.
- Ask clients which rail they prefer before the first invoice. It saves a week of back and forth later.
Where NovoEX fits
NovoEX gives you an Instant IBAN in your own name: EUR IBAN for SEPA, GBP and USD by SWIFT, and USD by Fedwire, in the same account where you can move between fiat and crypto. KYC is required. Virtual cards are coming soon.
If that sounds useful, you can open an account here: https://novoex.io/register?ref=A896549E
I'm curious how others handle this. Which rail do your clients use most, and where does your money get stuck?
Albert Perez, NovoEX
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