Quick Answer: The headline "2.9%" is rarely what you keep. Receiving money into a US LLC from abroad stacks three costs: the processor fee (Stripe/PayPal ~2.9%+), a cross-border surcharge on foreign cards (~+1.5%), and a currency-conversion / withdrawal spread (~+1% to 4% depending on provider). Cards cost the most; bank rails cost the least — receiving USD into Mercury, Relay, or Wise (ACH) is free or near-free, while PayPal is the most expensive for cross-border. Below is what each charges, with links to every provider's pricing page. Figures are 2026 and change often — always confirm on the source page. Educational only, not financial advice.
Two founders charge a client the same $1,000 and keep wildly different amounts — because "getting paid" is not one fee, it is a stack. This guide separates the two ways money arrives (card/online processors vs bank rails), shows what each layer costs with a link to the source, and points you at the cheapest path. We do not run live test transactions; every number below is compiled from each provider's published pricing and dated, so verify on the linked page before you rely on it — these rates move.
Card & online processors (you charge a customer)
| Processor | US headline | Foreign card add-on | Currency conversion | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 2.9% + $0.30 | +1.5% | +1% | stripe.com/pricing |
| PayPal | ~2.99–3.49% + fixed | +~1.5% | ~3–4% spread | paypal.com |
So a US LLC taking a foreign card in a foreign currency on Stripe can pay 2.9% + 1.5% + 1% = ~5.4% + $0.30; PayPal's conversion spread pushes the cross-border total higher still (often 6%+). The fixed per-transaction fee also matters at small ticket sizes. These two stack their add-ons on top of the base rate — model the all-in number for your situation in the pricing calculator rather than assuming the headline rate.
Bank rails & payout services (a client or marketplace sends you money)
| Service | Receive USD | FX / withdrawal | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Free ACH & USD wires | Hold USD; FX via wire | mercury.com/pricing |
| Relay | Free incoming ACH & wires (Starter $0) | Hold USD | relayfi.com/pricing |
| Wise Business | Free via ACH; ~$6 per incoming wire | ~0.4%+ FX, varies by pair | wise.com/us/pricing |
| Payoneer | ~1% on marketplace payouts (Upwork/Fiverr) | ~0.5–3.5% conversion markup | payoneer.com/about/pricing |
The pattern is clear: holding USD in a US bank account (Mercury/Relay) and converting only when you withdraw — ideally through Wise's mid-market FX — is the cheapest route. Payoneer is convenient when your income comes from marketplaces that pay into it directly, but its conversion markup is the hidden cost. Card processors are unavoidable if you sell to consumers, but route the money to a low-cost bank, do not let PayPal auto-convert.
The approval reality (not just the price)
Cheapest-on-paper is useless if you cannot open the account. Reported and published policy as of 2026 (verify before applying):
- Mercury — per its eligibility page, as of 2025 it no longer accepts a registered-agent address and cannot support founders in certain countries; virtual-office addresses are frequently flagged.
- Stripe supports non-resident-owned US LLCs but expects a consistent business profile (EIN, US bank, real website) — see the delay-traps guide for the profile-mismatch holds that stall onboarding.
- Wise / Relay / Airwallex are the common fallbacks when a bank declines a non-resident setup.
This section aggregates each provider's stated policy and widely-reported applicant experience; it is not a BeginPulse test account. Confirm current eligibility on the provider's own page before applying.
How to price around the fees
You cannot avoid every fee, but you can price so they do not erase your margin. Work backward: price = cost ÷ (1 − total fee % − target margin %). Put your real processor + FX numbers into the pricing & profit calculator to get the price that still nets your target, then bill it with the free invoice generator. For the full non-resident setup, see the non-resident US LLC guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to get paid into a US LLC from abroad? Have clients pay by ACH or USD wire into Mercury or Relay (free to receive), hold the USD, and convert only when needed via Wise at the mid-market rate. Avoid letting PayPal or a card processor auto-convert.
Why is PayPal more expensive than Stripe for cross-border? Both add a cross-border surcharge, but PayPal's currency-conversion spread (~3–4%) is much wider than Stripe's 1%. On an international sale in a foreign currency, PayPal's all-in cost is typically the highest of the mainstream options.
Do these fees come out of my price or my cost? Out of the price — the customer pays $X, the processor takes its cut, and you receive the rest. That is why pricing forward from cost under-charges; price backward from cost and fees instead.
Are these rates current? They are compiled from each provider's pricing page as of 2026-06 and are summarized/rounded; processors change fees often and rates vary by country and product. Always confirm on the linked source before relying on a number.
Educational only, not financial advice. Every figure is sourced to the provider's pricing page above; where a rate varies or could not be pinned down it is shown as a range. Verify current pricing and eligibility on the provider's own site.