How to reduce cross-border payment cost with cryptocurrency

Why traditional payments are expensive for businesses

There are big costs to using card networks, banks, and correspondent intermediaries. Monetary or otherwise, these drawbacks add up fast when you sell internationally. Here’s what you need to think about:

• Bank and processor fees (2-7% + extras). Per-transaction percentages, cross-border surcharges, currency markups, wire fees, and minimums can add up on smaller invoices. Statement fees and compliance surcharges often appear after the fact.
• Settlement delays (1-5 business days). Funds are pushed through all sorts of card schemes and correspondent banks before hitting your account. Slow settlement ties up working capital, complicates payouts, and increases the chance that FX rates move against you.
• High cross-border and FX conversion costs. International wires and SWIFT rely on multiple intermediaries. Each touchpoint can add handling fees and spread on the exchange rate. Reconciliation becomes a manual chore across currencies and banking jurisdictions.
• Chargeback risk and operational overhead. Disputes, reversals, and fraud monitoring drain finance and support teams. You pay not only the chargeback fee but also the time and tooling to manage case evidence and dispute windows.

Ultimately, many are stuck with higher payment processing costs, longer cash cycles, and unpredictable fees, especially for cross-border transactions. If your growth depends on global customers or distributed suppliers, the legacy stack can become a structural tax on every sale.

How crypto reduces costs

Cryptocurrency payments replace a chain of intermediaries with a direct value transfer between sender and recipient. Fewer middlemen means fewer fees, faster access to funds, and less operational risk.

No intermediaries → minimal fees

Traditional cross-border payments route through acquiring banks, card networks, and correspondent banks – each taking a cut. On-chain transfers are peer-to-peer, so network fees are typically a fraction of card and wire costs.

For businesses, that translates into lower transaction fees with crypto and more predictable unit economics at scale.

Instant (or near-instant) settlement → no costs from delays

Waiting 1-5 business days for settlement locks up working capital and can trigger FX slippage. Crypto payments confirm in minutes or seconds, so you accept crypto payments for business and access funds almost immediately.

Faster settlement shortens cash cycles, improves liquidity planning, and reduces the soft costs of chasing confirmations.

Direct global transfers → cheaper than SWIFT

International wires often touch multiple correspondent banks, adding fees and widening FX spreads.

On-chain payments are direct global transfers without the SWIFT detour, making them cheaper than SWIFT and bank transfers for many corridors – especially where banking is fragmented or high-risk surcharges apply.

Finality by design → no chargebacks

Blockchains are built on irreversible settlement. That eliminates card chargeback exposure and the administrative overhead of dispute management.

The result: fewer financial losses and less time spent on evidence gathering, representments, and fraud tooling.

Operational clarity → simpler reconciliation

Every transfer has a transparent transaction ID (TXID), making payment tracking and reconciliation more straightforward across markets and currencies.

When paired with a crypto payment gateway that supports automatic fiat conversion and robust reporting, finance teams gain clean, audit-ready records.

Compliance-ready flows

Modern gateways integrate AML/KYC compliance, sanctions screening, and transaction monitoring so you can meet policy requirements while benefiting from no-intermediaries transactions.

With compliant infra, businesses keep the efficiency of crypto while staying aligned with internal controls and regulatory expectations.

Taken together, crypto payments help reduce payment processing fees, compress settlement times, and lower the structural cost of cross-border payments – without sacrificing control or compliance.

CoinsPaid = Minimum costs for your business

When you use CoinsPaid as your crypto processing provider, you get many additional benefits.

1. Ready-made plugins (WordPress, Shopify, Magento)

Skip custom builds and go live fast. Our plugins let you add a crypto payment option in your existing checkout with a few clicks, so you start reducing payment processing fees without a long development cycle. Fewer implementation hours = lower upfront cost, faster payback.

2. API integration for custom solutions

If you run bespoke carts, invoicing, or B2B portals, the REST API slots into your stack cleanly. Build flexible flows and keep full control over your payment process. You reduce operational friction while maintaining enterprise standards.

3. Automatic fiat conversion (USD/EUR)

Accept crypto at checkout; receive fiat to your balance. Conversion happens automatically, removing day-to-day volatility risk and simplifying accounting in your base currency. You capture lower network fees and instant settlement, while finance books revenue in USD/EUR.

4. 40+ fiat currencies, 20+ cryptocurrencies

Let customers pay in the coins they hold while you settle in the currency you use. Support for major crypto assets and a wide fiat range minimizes FX conversions, trims cross-border costs, and increases conversion rates in new markets.

5. Transparent fees, no hidden charges

Clear pricing and itemized statements make your unit economics predictable. No surprise cross-border surcharges, scheme fees, or padded FX spreads, just straightforward costs that scale with volume.

6. Full compliance: AML/KYC and on-chain monitoring

Automated screening and transaction monitoring are built into the flow. You meet internal risk policies and regulatory expectations while benefiting from no-intermediaries transactions, helping your compliance team sleep at night and accelerating merchant onboarding.

7. Mass payouts for employees and partners

Run batch disbursements to contractors, affiliates, or suppliers in minutes – globally. Cut SWIFT fees and delays, keep payout costs low, and give recipients the choice of crypto or fiat via automatic conversion. Finance teams get structured exports for easy reconciliation. Mass payouts.

Bank transfers vs. cryptocurrency payments

Businesses that save the most with crypto

1. eCommerce (international customers)

Lower cross-border fees and faster settlement improve margins on overseas orders. Customers pay in crypto; you can auto-convert to USD/EUR, reduce cart friction, and cut chargeback exposure. More

2. SaaS (subscriptions and recurring)

Accept global payments without card declines or scheme surcharges. Stablecoin billing reduces FX costs; instant confirmations shorten cash cycles and reduce payment processing fees on small, frequent charges. More

3. iGaming (deposits and withdrawals)

Near-real-time deposits and payouts, fewer intermediaries, and no chargebacks. Crypto payments lower unit costs at scale and support compliant AML/KYC and on-chain monitoring.

4. Digital services (freelancers and contractors)

Run mass payouts to global talent in minutes. Skip SWIFT fees and long settlement windows; recipients can hold crypto or receive automatic fiat conversion.

5. Marketplaces (global vendors)

Streamline multi-currency settlements with transparent on-chain tracking (TXIDs). Direct transfers and optional fiat conversion help reduce reconciliation overhead and make cross-border payments cheaper than traditional bank transfers.

FAQ – Reducing cross-border payment costs