Two people on the same $5 an hour can take home different amounts, just because of how the money reaches them. The difference is rarely the advertised fee. It's mostly the exchange rate the provider gives you when it converts dollars into your currency.
The fees at a glance
Typical costs to receive US dollars and convert them to your currency, checked in October 2026.
| Method | Conversion cost | Per transfer | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payoneer | about 2% | free from most marketplaces | Works in almost every country |
| Wise | about 0.7% | free by ACH, $6.11 per incoming wire | Can't open accounts for residents of Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Ghana |
| Upwork or Deel to your bank | about 2% | about $1 | Only if your employer pays through the platform |
| Bank wire (SWIFT) | about 3% | $20 to $50, about $35 typical | Fixed fees hurt most on small, regular payments |
Every provider prices differently by country and amount. These are typical published figures, not quotes. Check your provider's own pricing page before you sign up.
What you keep each month
Full time at 40 hours a week, paid once a month, in US dollars after fees.
| Pay | Payoneer | Wise | Upwork or Deel | Bank wire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $4/hr ($693) | $679.47 | $688.48 | $678.47 | $637.53 |
| $5/hr ($867) | $849.33 | $860.60 | $848.33 | $805.67 |
| $8/hr ($1,387) | $1,358.93 | $1,376.96 | $1,357.93 | $1,310.07 |
| $10/hr ($1,733) | $1,698.67 | $1,721.20 | $1,697.67 | $1,646.33 |
The gap looks small per month, but at $10 an hour a bank wire costs about $75 more than Wise every month. That's about $898 a year.
How often you're paid matters
Percentage fees don't change with frequency. Fixed fees do: four wires a month cost four times as much. Here is $5 an hour full time ($867 a month) with different pay schedules.
| Paid | Payoneer | Wise | Upwork or Deel | Bank wire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $849.33 | $860.60 | $848.33 | $805.67 |
| Twice a month | $849.33 | $860.60 | $847.33 | $770.67 |
| Weekly | $849.33 | $860.60 | $845.33 | $700.67 |
If you're paid by bank wire, ask to be paid monthly. If you're paid weekly, use a provider with no fixed fee.
When Wise isn't available
Where Wise can open an account for you, it's usually the cheapest. In the Philippines, for example, it comes out ahead of Payoneer:
Where it can't, Payoneer is the usual choice. These are the routes people use most in each country:
| Country | Common route |
|---|---|
| Egypt | Payoneer to an Egyptian bank in EGP, then InstaPay between local banks |
| Philippines | Payoneer or Wise to a local bank; GCash can receive Payoneer withdrawals |
| Nigeria | Payoneer to a Nigerian bank in naira, or keep part in a USD domiciliary account |
| Kenya | Payoneer or Wise to a Kenyan bank, then on to M-Pesa |
| Pakistan | Payoneer to a local bank, or wires into a Freelancer Digital Account |
Check it for your own pay
The free pay calculator ranks every method for your rate, hours, currency and pay schedule, and lets you put in the exact fees your provider charges. For more on setting up, read how to get paid by a foreign employer, or, in Egypt, how to get paid in US dollars from Egypt.