I’m writing this from Lusaka, Zambia. I have a US bank account with a routing number and account number. I receive payments from American clients like I’m sitting in California. I transfer money to my local Zambian bank instantly. No complicated paperwork, no flying to America, no waiting weeks for approval.
This changed everything about how I do business internationally.
For years, I lost money on terrible exchange rates and waited days for international transfers. Banks charged me fees I couldn’t even understand. Clients hesitated to work with me because paying someone in Africa seemed complicated. I was leaving money on the table because getting paid was too much hassle.
Then I discovered Wise and their US account feature. Not sponsored, not an affiliate pitch, just telling you what actually works because I wish someone had told me years ago.
What This Actually Is
Wise gives you real bank account details for multiple countries. Not virtual accounts that kind of work. Real routing numbers and account numbers that companies and platforms recognize as legitimate bank accounts.
You can get US bank account details (routing and account number). UK bank account details (sort code and account number). European IBAN for EUR. Australian BSB and account number for AUD. Canadian transit and account number for CAD. Plus details for receiving payments in Chinese Yuan, Japanese Yen, Singapore Dollars, and most other major currencies.
This means you can receive payments from clients worldwide in their local currency. American clients pay you like you have a US bank account. European clients pay you like you’re in Europe. British clients pay you like you’re in the UK. No international transfer fees on their end. No explaining how to pay someone overseas.
The account details are real. When a US client asks where to send payment, you give them your Wise US routing and account number. They process it like any domestic transfer. When a European client needs to pay you, you give them your EUR IBAN. Same easy process.
Why This Matters If You Work Online
Every online business eventually hits the international payment problem. You land a client in the US, UK, or Europe. They want to pay you. Suddenly you’re explaining wire transfer codes, dealing with correspondent banks, losing 5% to fees and exchange rates, and waiting a week for money to clear.
Or worse, platforms won’t even work with you. Stripe requires a US bank account for many features and countries. Payment processors ask for local bank details you don’t have. Clients hesitate because paying internationally seems complicated and expensive for them.
Multiple currency accounts through Wise solve all of this. Platforms see you as having local bank accounts in their supported countries. Clients pay you like you’re local to them. Money moves fast. Fees are transparent and actually reasonable.
I’ve used this for seven years. Received thousands of US dollars through it from various sources. Freelancer payments, direct client transfers, platform payouts from Upwork and Fiverr, various project payments, everything. Zero issues with deposits. Zero complications explaining to clients how to pay me.
How to Actually Set This Up
The process takes maybe 20 minutes if you have your documents ready. I’ll walk you through exactly what to expect so you’re not figuring it out as you go.
Before you start, sign up through this link to get started with Wise: Get a Wise Account in minutes here!
Using that link supports this website at no extra cost to you, and you’ll get the same features and pricing as signing up directly.
Step One: Create Your Wise Account
Once you click the signup link, you’ll be asked for your email and to create a password. That’s it for the initial step. Standard account creation. They’ll send a verification email, click the link, and your account is active.
No credit check. No minimum balance requirement. No monthly fees just for having the account open. This is important because traditional banks often require you to maintain minimums or pay monthly charges. Wise doesn’t do that.
Step Two: Verify Your Identity
This is where people worry but it’s straightforward. Wise needs to verify you’re a real person to comply with financial regulations. You’ll need a government-issued ID. Passport works everywhere. National ID card works in most countries. Driver’s license works for some countries.
Upload a photo of your ID through the app or website. They use automated verification that usually approves you in minutes. Sometimes they ask for a selfie holding your ID. Awkward but quick. The whole verification process took me about 5 minutes.
Some people get asked for proof of address. Bank statement, utility bill, anything official with your name and address. If you’re asked for this, upload it. They just want to confirm you are who you say you are.
Step Three: Open Your USD Account
Once verified, you’ll see the main Wise dashboard. Look for the option to add a currency. Click USD for US Dollars. This creates your US dollar balance in your Wise account.
Wise will then generate your US bank account details. This takes about 2 minutes. You’ll get a routing number and account number. These are your real US banking details that you’ll use to receive money.
Write these down somewhere safe. You’ll be giving them to clients, platforms, and anyone who needs to pay you. The routing number will be provided and your account number is unique to you.
Step Four: Activate Your Account
Here’s a step most guides don’t mention clearly. Your bank account details exist but you need to activate them by receiving money first. Wise requires this to fully enable the account for receiving external payments.
The easiest way is to wait for your first legitimate payment from a client or platform. Once that first payment arrives, your account is fully activated and ready for all future payments.
If you’re setting this up before you have a client paying you, you can activate it by sending yourself a small amount. Transfer $20 or $50 from your local bank to your Wise account using whatever deposit method Wise offers in your country, then convert it to the currency account you want to activate (USD, EUR, GBP, etc.). This activates that currency account.
Once activated, you can start giving out your bank account details to receive payments. The account works immediately for all incoming transfers.
What You Can Actually Do With This Account
This is where it gets practical. Having US bank account details opens doors that were closed before.
Receive Stripe Payments: Stripe requires a US bank account for many features. If you’re running an online business, freelancing, or selling digital products, Stripe is often the best payment processor. Connect your Wise US account to Stripe. Clients pay with credit cards, money goes to your Stripe account, Stripe pays out to your Wise US account. Works perfectly.
Get Paid By US Platforms: Upwork, Fiverr, Toptal, and other freelancing platforms can pay you via US bank transfer instead of PayPal or wire. This usually means lower fees and faster processing. Some platforms like Upwork specifically recommend Wise for international freelancers.
Collect Affiliate Commissions: Many affiliate programs only pay to US bank accounts. Amazon Associates, ClickBank, various SaaS affiliate programs. Instead of waiting for international checks or dealing with payment minimums, you receive direct deposit to your US account.
Accept Client Payments: When a US client asks how to pay you, give them your US bank details. They initiate a domestic ACH transfer or wire. On their end, it’s a normal US payment. No international wire fees. No hesitation about paying someone overseas. Money arrives either instantly or in 1-3 business days depending on where you are from.
Get Paid Faster: Domestic US transfers are faster than international wires. ACH transfers typically take 1-3 days. Wire transfers can arrive same day. Compare this to international wires that take 5-7 days and often get held up at correspondent banks.
Save on Fees: International wires often cost $25-50 per transfer. Your client might pay that, or you might split it, or you absorb it. Domestic US transfers cost nothing or maybe $10 for a wire. The fee difference adds up fast when you’re getting paid regularly.
The Money Movement Part
Having the account is one thing. Moving your money where you need it is what actually matters. This is where Wise really shines compared to alternatives.
USD to Local Currency: When money hits your Wise USD account, you can convert it to your local currency anytime. The exchange rate Wise uses is the mid-market rate. That’s the real exchange rate you see on Google, not the marked-up rate banks use to make profit.
Click convert, choose how much USD to change to your local currency, review the rate and fees, confirm. The conversion happens instantly. Your local currency balance updates immediately.
The fee is transparent. Usually around 0.5% to 1% depending on the currency pair. They show you exactly what you’re paying before you confirm. No hidden charges showing up later. What you see is what you pay.
Local Currency to Local Bank: Here’s where my experience in Zambia comes in. Once I’ve converted USD to Zambian Kwacha in my Wise account, I transfer it to my local Zambian bank. This happens instantly. Not an hour. Not the next business day. Instant.
I initiate the transfer from Wise to my local bank. Within seconds, I get a notification from my bank that money arrived. I’ve done this hundreds of times at all hours of the day and night. Always instant.
The fees for this local transfer are minimal. Usually free or a very small fixed fee. Wise shows you before you confirm.
Holding Multiple Currencies: You don’t have to convert immediately. If you receive USD but know you’ll have a USD expense soon, keep it in dollars. Wise lets you hold 50+ currencies in your account. Switch between them whenever rates are favourable.
This is powerful if you work with clients in multiple countries. Get paid in USD from American clients. Get paid in EUR from European clients. Get paid in GBP from UK clients. Convert to your local currency when you need it, not when you receive it.
The Card Situation
Full transparency here. Wise offers a debit card linked to your account in many countries. You can spend directly from your Wise balance. It’s a good card from what I hear.
But not everywhere gets the card yet. I’m in Zambia. The card isn’t available here currently. This is disappointing but doesn’t break the whole setup. The account still works perfectly for receiving payments and transferring to my local bank.
If you’re in a region where the card is available, you get additional flexibility. Spend directly from your Wise balance without transferring to a local bank first. Withdraw cash from ATMs worldwide with decent fees. Pay in foreign currencies when traveling without the terrible exchange rates credit cards usually charge.
Check if your country gets the card. If yes, great. If no, don’t let this stop you from getting the account. The core function of receiving US payments and transferring to your local bank works regardless.
What This Actually Costs
Wise is transparent about fees in a way traditional banks are not. Let me break down real numbers.
Opening the Account: Free. Zero cost to create your Wise account and get your US bank account details.
Maintaining the Account: Free. No monthly fees. No minimum balance requirements. The account sits there ready to receive money whether you use it constantly or occasionally.
Receiving Money: Free for ACH transfers (most common way to receive US payments). Wire transfers might have a small fee on Wise’s end, usually around $5 if anything. The sender might pay a wire fee on their end but that’s not your problem.
Converting Currency: This is where Wise charges, and it’s still way cheaper than alternatives. The fee is usually 0.5% to 1% depending on the currency pair. They show you the exact amount before you convert.
Example: Convert $1,000 USD to another currency. Fee might be $5 to $10. You get $990 to $995 worth at the mid-market rate. A traditional bank would give you maybe $950 to $970 for the same $1,000 because they mark up the exchange rate significantly.
Transferring to Local Bank: Varies by country but usually free or a small fixed fee. In my case transferring from Wise to my Zambian bank, it’s free. Check what applies for your country. Wise shows this clearly before you make the transfer.
Real Cost Example: Client pays me $1,000 to my Wise US account. Fee to receive it: $0. I convert $1,000 to Zambian Kwacha. Fee: about $6 (0.6%). I transfer the Kwacha to my local bank. Fee: $0. Total cost: $6 out of $1,000 received. That’s 0.6% total fees.
Compare this to receiving an international wire. Client pays $40 wire fee. Correspondent banks take $10-20 in intermediary fees. My bank takes $15 receiving fee. Exchange rate markup costs me another $30. Total cost: $95-125 out of $1,000 received. That’s 9.5% to 12.5% in fees.
The math is obvious. Wise saves you significant money on every transaction.
Speed Makes a Difference
When a client pays you matters almost as much as how much they pay you. Traditional international payments are slow. Wire transfers taking a week means you’re waiting a week to access money you already earned. This impacts cash flow, especially for freelancers and small businesses.
With Wise US account, the timeline looks like this:
Day 1: Client initiates ACH transfer to your Wise US account.
Day 2-3: Money appears in your Wise USD balance.
Day 3: You convert USD to local currency. Happens instantly.
Day 3: You transfer to local bank. Arrives instantly (in my experience with Zambia, may vary by country).
Total time: 3 days from client payment to money in your local bank account.
Compare this to international wire:
Day 1: Client initiates international wire.
Day 2-3: Wire processes through correspondent banks.
Day 4-5: Wire arrives at your local bank.
Day 5-7: Bank holds the wire for processing and compliance checks.
Total time: 5-7 days minimum, sometimes longer.
The speed difference is substantial when you need money to pay bills, reinvest in your business, or just access your earnings without unnecessary delays.
The Setup Details Nobody Mentions
Here are the small things I learned after using this for years that guides usually skip.
Multiple Currency Balances: You can open balances in over 40 currencies. Beyond USD, get account details for EUR (European IBAN), GBP (UK sort code and account number), AUD (Australian BSB and account number), CAD (Canadian transit and account number), NZD, SGD, HKD, and many more. You can also hold and convert currencies like Chinese Yuan (CNY), Japanese Yen (JPY), and most other major world currencies even if you can’t get local account details for them yet. This lets clients in different regions pay you like a local, not through expensive international transfers.
Batch Transfers: If you receive multiple small payments, let them accumulate before converting and transferring. Each conversion has a small fee. Converting $100 five times costs more than converting $500 once. Plan your transfers to minimize fees.
Exchange Rate Timing: Currency exchange rates fluctuate. If you’re not in a rush to convert USD to your local currency, watch the rate for a few days. Converting when rates are favourable even slightly can save meaningful money on large amounts.
Tax Records: Wise provides transaction history you can export. When tax season comes, you have clean records of all money received and transferred. This is important for declaring international income properly.
Account Nickname: Wise lets you name your currency balances. Name your USD balance something clear like “US Business Account” so you know which account details to give to clients. Small detail but keeps things organized when you have multiple currency balances.
Notification Settings: Set up notifications for when money arrives. Wise will email or app notify you when payments land. This way you know immediately when a client pays you instead of logging in to check constantly.
Desktop and Mobile: Wise works smoothly on both. I do most transfers on mobile while my computer handles desktop web for giving out account details to clients. Having both options is convenient.
Common Questions Nobody Asks Until They Run Into Them
Can platforms actually pay to this account? Yes. I’ve used it with Stripe, PayPal (transferring out from PayPal to Wise), Upwork, various affiliate programs, and direct client payments. The account works like any US bank account because it essentially is one.
What if a payment gets rejected? In seven years, I’ve never had a payment rejected because of the account itself. Payments might get delayed if the sender makes an error with account details, but that’s user error not a Wise issue.
Do you pay US taxes on this? No. Having a US bank account doesn’t make you a US taxpayer. You pay taxes in your country of residence based on your local tax laws. The account is just a tool to receive payments.
Can you use this for business or just personal? Both. Wise offers personal accounts and business accounts. For freelancing and sole proprietor work, personal account works fine. If you have a registered company, business account might be better for record keeping.
What happens if Wise closes? Wise is a regulated financial institution with banking licenses in multiple jurisdictions. They’re not going anywhere. But even if something happened, balances under certain amounts are protected under banking regulations in the countries where they operate.
Can you receive checks? No. This is purely electronic. Checks sent to your Wise US address won’t work. Stick to ACH transfers, wire transfers, and electronic payments.
Is there a maximum amount you can receive? Wise has limits based on your account verification level. Basic verification gets you higher limits. Enhanced verification removes most limits. For freelancers and small businesses, you won’t hit these limits unless you’re moving six figures regularly.
How long does verification take? Usually minutes to hours. I was verified in about 10 minutes. Some people report 24 hours. Very rarely it takes a few days if they need additional documents. Start the process before you need the account urgently.
Why This Works Better Than Alternatives
Before Wise, I tried other options. None worked as well for receiving US payments.
PayPal: High fees for international transfers. Exchange rates are terrible. Moving money to local banks is slow and expensive. Clients sometimes hesitate to use PayPal. Limited as a banking solution.
Traditional Bank International Account: Requires you to actually open an account in the US, which means flying there or using specialized services that charge high fees and take weeks. Not practical for most people.
Wire Transfers Direct to Local Bank: Expensive, slow, often get held up at correspondent banks. Client pays high fees. You pay high fees. Everyone loses money.
Other Digital Services: Payoneer and similar services exist. Some work okay but fees are higher than Wise and the interface is clunkier. Wise beats them on cost and user experience.
Wise is purpose-built for international money movement. They designed everything around making cross-border payments simple and cheap. It shows in how well it works.
The Bottom Line
Opening a US bank account through Wise is one of those rare things that actually lives up to the promise. It’s not complicated. It’s not expensive. It works reliably. It solves a real problem if you work internationally and get paid by US clients or platforms.
The process takes 20 minutes. The ongoing cost is minimal. The flexibility it gives you is substantial. Access to US payment systems without living in America changes what’s possible for your online business.
I’m not saying Wise is perfect. The lack of debit cards in some regions is annoying. The limits on certain transfer types exist. Customer support isn’t always instant. But the core product of receiving US payments and moving money cheaply and quickly works exactly as needed.
If you’re losing money to fees, waiting too long for international transfers, or missing opportunities because you don’t have US banking details, Wise solves these problems. Set it up before you need it urgently. Have it ready so when a client asks for payment details, you give them US account information and move forward smoothly.
Three years in, I can’t imagine working internationally without this. It’s become as essential as having an email address or a computer. The old ways of dealing with international payments feel primitive once you’ve experienced how simple this makes everything.
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