Guide for Service Exporters
Menu
Compare

Razorpay, Cashfree or Wise: The Best PayPal Alternatives for Indian Businesses

Verified by:
Editorial team
Published
Last modified
Fees checked on
Reading time
15 min read

Short answer

PayPal India charges 4.40% plus a fixed fee on international commercial payments, with a 3.0% or 4.00% conversion spread, in 2026.1 RBI lists Razorpay and Cashfree as PA-CB for inward and outward payments, and Wise for inward payments.2 On published fees for a $5,000 USD receipt, Skydo, Razorpay and Karbon Business cost least.345

Applies toRules involvedPlatforms comparedLast verified
Indian freelancers and businesses paid by foreign clients6PA-CB Master Direction (₹25 lakh per transaction); FEMA 2026 Regulations78Skydo, Razorpay, Karbon Business, PayPal, Cashfree, Wise231 October 20262

1,000 USD = ₹94,243 at the reference rate for 13 November 2026 (European Central Bank data).

Estimated rupees received, on published fees

Sorted by estimated rupees received, highest first. Only providers that publish both their fee and their conversion markup for this currency and method can be estimated.

#Provider and routeBest forFee (+GST)MarkupYou receiveCost
1Karbon BusinessLowest estimated costBank transfer to a Karbon virtual USD accountUS bank transfers and marketplace payouts₹942plus GST, rate not stated0%₹93,131 to ₹93,3011.00 to 1.18%
2RazorpayMoneySaver Export Account: bank transfer to virtual account details (Standard plan)Local transfers from the US, UK and eurozone₹1,000plus GST, rate not stated0%₹93,063 to ₹93,2431.06 to 1.25%
3WinvestaGlobal Collections Account, standard plan (up to 2,000 a month per currency)Local transfers with a published per-payment fee₹1,4350%₹92,8091.52%
4SkydoPayment link (InstaLinks) paid by ACH debitLocal bank transfers from major markets₹1,885plus GST, rate not stated0%₹92,019 to ₹92,3582.00 to 2.36%
5PayoneerLocal bank transfer to Payoneer receiving account detailsMarketplace payouts such as Amazon or Upwork₹0no GST stated1 to 4%₹90,473 to ₹93,3011.00 to 4.00%
6PayPalInternational commercial transaction received into a PayPal account (PayPal checkout or invoice)Clients paying by card or PayPal balance₹4,175no GST stated3 to 4%₹86,465 to ₹87,3667.30 to 8.25%

Not estimated because pricing is not fully published: Cashfree Payments, Dodo Payments, PingPong, Stripe, Tazapay, TransFi, Wise.

Where a provider says GST applies to its fee but not at what rate, the range runs from no GST to 18%, the rate Skydo, Stripe and Winvesta state on their pages. Estimates use each provider's published fee, conversion markup, GST on fees and FIRA charge, checked 2026-10-28, against the reference rate. They exclude charges taken by intermediary banks and your own bank, and the rate a provider actually applies at the time of conversion. Check the provider's pricing page before you choose. The order is calculated only from these published numbers; no provider can pay to change its position, and there are no affiliate links.

Indian businesses look for PayPal alternatives mostly because of cost: PayPal's fee and conversion spread are both published as percentages, and they apply to every international commercial payment.1 Razorpay, Cashfree and Wise are the names most often suggested instead, and this page compares them with the lowest-cost providers on this site's USD ranking. Export of services is defined in section 2(6) of the IGST Act.6

How do Razorpay, Cashfree, Wise and PayPal compare for Indian businesses?

Razorpay, Cashfree, Wise and PayPal differ on how clients pay, what they charge and their RBI status. Rows are ordered by estimated cost on a $5,000 USD receipt from published fees, cheapest first, with providers that do not publish enough pricing to estimate listed after, A to Z.3451

PlatformBest forFeeFX markupSettlementFIRARBI PA-CB statusSource
SkydoLocal bank transfers from major markets9Skydo says it charges USD 19 plus GST for transactions up to USD 2,000, USD 29 plus GST from USD 2,001 to USD 10,000, and 0.3% plus GST above USD 10,000; payments above USD 100K a month are priced on request.310Skydo's product page says conversion is at a live mid-market rate with 0% markup. Its terms say conversion uses a retail foreign exchange rate determined by Skydo or its partner banks and do not guarantee the most favourable rate.1112Skydo's product page says funds settle to the Indian bank within 24 hours. Its terms commit to commercially reasonable efforts to credit within T+1 to T+3 business days, depending on currency and corridor. ACH Debit via InstaLinks typically settles within 6 business days.111213Skydo says it issues a free FIRA on every payment received, and that its FIRA and FIRC are accepted for GST filing and by banks.1114Skydo Technologies Private Limited is on the RBI list as a PA-CB-I & O (Payment Aggregator, Cross Border, facilitating inward and outward transactions), authorised on 8 January 2026. Its terms say it uses partner banks to provide the service.212Skydo pages and RBI list102
RazorpayLocal transfers from the US, UK and eurozone15MoneySaver bank transfers: 1% per transaction, GST applicable, with a flat fee of ₹1,000 on transactions below ₹1,00,000. Flash Links (US ACH debit): 2%. International cards: up to 3% per successful transaction plus 18% GST on the pricing page (the international payments page says 3% plus taxes). Enterprise pricing is custom.41617MoneySaver bank transfers: Razorpay says 0% FX markup, converting at the live exchange rate. Card payments: converted at the rate on the date of payment (the processing bank's rate, per Razorpay's docs); any markup on card conversions is not published.41618Push bank transfers (ACH, FPS, SEPA, SWIFT): T+1 from capture or from when invoice details are shared, whichever is later. Flash Links (ACH debit): around T+5 business days. International cards: Razorpay's FAQ refers to a T+7 working day settlement period, with early settlement at an additional, unpublished charge.1519420Razorpay provides a Foreign Inward Remittance Statement (FIRS), sent to the contact email within 24 hours after settlement for bank transfers, and downloadable from the dashboard, which shows bank-provided certificates and Razorpay-generated statements. The pricing page lists FIRC or eFIRC as included and auto-generated for international cards. No separate charge is published.152116Razorpay Payments Private Limited (formerly Razorpay Software Private Limited) appears on the RBI list of authorised payment system operators as a Payment Aggregator: Online, Physical, and Cross Border facilitating Inward and Outward transactions (PA-CB I and O).2Razorpay pages and RBI list162
Karbon BusinessUS bank transfers and marketplace payouts22Karbon's PayPal alternative page lists a 1% transaction fee in its feature list; its freelancer page gives no fee amount.522Karbon's freelancer page says 0% markup on inward remittance; its PayPal comparison page gives a forex markup of 0.5% to 1.0%. The home page says displayed amounts are indicative and depend on the rate booking date.22523Karbon says international payments reach India within 24 to 48 hours.22Karbon says it provides a FIRA for every transaction, issued by its licensed banking partner, which it does not name. Cost not published.22Not on the RBI list itself; its terms run export receipts under a partner the RBI lists as a PA-CB24223Karbon pages and RBI list222
PayPalClients paying by card or PayPal balance254.40% plus a fixed fee per international commercial transaction. Fixed fee by currency received, for example 0.30 USD, 0.35 EUR, 0.20 GBP, 0.30 AUD, 0.30 CAD. Approved micropayment accounts pay 6.00% plus a micropayments fixed fee (for example 0.05 USD) instead.1Base exchange rate plus a fee. PayPal lists 3.0% above the base exchange rate for 'converting balance and payments received into another currency' and 4.00% for 'conversions in all other cases' (INR listed at 4.00%). The fee page does not say which of the two applies when the balance is converted to INR for transfer to an Indian bank.125PayPal asks users to allow up to 5 business days for funds to show in the bank account, depending on the bank's clearing process.26Free weekly digital FIRA (Foreign Inward Remittance Advise) from February 2026, downloadable under Reports, then Tax, in a business account for the last 12 months; earlier transactions are covered by monthly FIRAs. Custom FIRA: 100 INR plus 18% GST per transaction for up to 20 transactions, or 2,000 INR plus 18% GST for a bulk request above 20 transactions; PayPal says custom FIRAs are issued by Citibank.27PayPal's India user agreement says it provides export payment services as an online payment gateway service provider under RBI A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 16 (RBI/2015-16/185) and that PayPal is not a bank in India. RBI's status list as on 16 October 2026 shows PayPal Payments Private Limited under 'Existing PAs-CB which can operate as Payment Aggregator- Cross Border' with 'In-Principle Authorisation Granted'. PayPal is not on RBI's list of Certificates of Authorisation dated 16 October 2026.25282PayPal pages and RBI status list128
Cashfree PaymentsRegistered businesses paid by local transfer2930Global Collections: Not published. The pricing page shows 'Request Price' and describes a 'Low, processing fee; no hidden charges'. Cashfree says there is no setup cost.3132Cashfree says Global Collections has no forex markup and that it handles conversion to INR in real time. The exchange rate used and any spread are not published.333229Global Collections: Not published for the exporter. Cashfree says funds are swept to a NOSTRO account and repatriated to India no later than seven days after credit. International card gateway: T+2 per Cashfree's documentation.3234Cashfree's Global Collections page says an e-FIRA is generated at no extra cost within 1 day. Its documentation says its AD-1 partner bank issues an eFIRS on a T+1 basis, obtained by request through the support form or account manager. For the card gateway, Cashfree mentions monthly FIRC reports and instant FIRS.32333534Cashfree Payments India Private Limited appears on the RBI list of authorised payment system operators as a Payment Aggregator (online and physical) and as PA-CB I & O, which the RBI defines as a Payment Aggregator, Cross Border facilitating inward and outward transactions. Cashfree's own pages also say Global Collections operates under the RBI's OPGSP (Online Payment Gateway Service Provider) guideline.23335Cashfree pages and RBI list312
WiseBank transfers to local account details36Wise's India help article says it charges an equivalent of 2 USD in the received currency for the transfer to the INR bank account that issues the e-FIRC. Wise's India receive pricing page describes a free eFIRC for every transfer. The general Wise Business fee table on Wise's India site lists 6.11 USD per USD wire or Swift payment, 2.16 GBP per GBP Swift payment and 2.39 EUR per EUR Swift payment, with domestic (non-Swift, non-wire) payments free; Wise's India-specific receive pages do not repeat these Swift fees. 18% GST applies to Wise fees.363738Mid-market exchange rate plus a conversion fee that Wise says depends on the currency. No percentage is published for conversion to INR; the amount is shown in Wise's calculator.3739Wise says the INR payment reaches the Indian bank account within 1 to 2 days and that more than 50% of transfers settle within 2 hours of pay-in. The client's payment takes 0 to 3 working days to reach Wise by local methods and 2 to 6 working days by SWIFT.36An e-FIRC for each transfer, emailed to the registered address within 3 working days and downloadable from the transfer page. The help article links it to the 2 USD equivalent fee; the pricing page calls it free.3637RBI's list of authorised payment aggregators dated 16 October 2026 includes Wise Payments India Private Limited as a Payment Aggregator, Cross Border, facilitating inward transactions (PA-CB-I), authorised on 12 March 2026. Wise's India receiving pages do not name the Wise entity that handles inward payments.236Wise pages and RBI list362

PayPal ranks after the bank transfer routes because its published fee and conversion spread are both percentages of the payment.1

Which platforms are named as PayPal alternatives, and can Indian exporters use them?

Razorpay, Cashfree and Wise are named as PayPal alternatives, and each accepts a different set of Indian entity types.153140

PlatformBest forWho can sign upHow clients pay
SkydoLocal bank transfers from major markets9Skydo's terms cover individuals aged 18 or over, proprietorships, companies and other legal entities, for business and commercial payments only; Skydo says the service is built for Indian freelancers and exporters. Whether GST registration is required is not published.1211Bank transfer to Skydo local account details in seven markets, or to an international SWIFT account for other currencies and countries; Skydo also offers payment links (InstaLinks) with ACH Debit.9414212
RazorpayLocal transfers from the US, UK and eurozone15Indian businesses with a completed Razorpay KYC. The MoneySaver onboarding form lists Individual, Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Private Limited, Public Limited and LLP as business types, and the business must fall under one of the export purpose codes Razorpay lists. International card payments need a website with terms, privacy, refund and shipping policy pages. Razorpay says it cannot offer international payments to NGOs.154320Bank transfer to virtual account details (ACH in USD, FPS in GBP, SEPA in EUR, and SWIFT), ACH debit through Flash Links for US payers, or international card and wallet payments through Razorpay checkout or payment links.151917
Karbon BusinessUS bank transfers and marketplace payouts22Karbon markets the service to freelancers, exporters and small businesses. Its forex terms require the user to be duly incorporated under the laws of India. Karbon does not publish whether an unregistered individual can sign up.2224Bank transfer to a virtual USD account (US account details in the user's name), payment requests or invoices sent by email or WhatsApp, and as a payout method on Upwork, Fiverr and Toptal.22
PayPalClients paying by card or PayPal balance25Indian residents with a personal or business account; PayPal's KYC page covers individual business accounts, sole proprietors, partnership firms (including LLPs) and private limited companies. Receiving international payments needs a verified PAN, a linked Indian bank account, a purpose code, a description of the business and full KYC (Lite KYC allows one payment under $200).254445The buyer pays through PayPal from a PayPal balance, card, bank account or other payment method; alternative payment methods listed in PayPal's APM agreement can be enabled and are charged at commercial transaction rates. Payments from Indian customers are not supported.25146
Cashfree PaymentsRegistered businesses paid by local transfer2930Businesses only, per Cashfree. Its pricing page says it currently enables cross-border payments only for businesses, and its Global Collections documentation says you must be a registered business in India. Cashfree does not publish which legal forms (sole proprietor, partnership, LLP, company) qualify.3129Global Collections: local bank transfer to collection account details (ACH in the US, SEPA in Europe, EFT in Canada, Faster Payments in the UK) or SWIFT. International Payment Gateway: international cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) on a checkout, and PayPal through the merchant's own linked PayPal account.303447
WiseBank transfers to local account details36Wise Business only: sole traders or freelancers (personal PAN and an INR bank account in their own name), sole proprietorships, private limited companies, LLPs and general partnerships. Other business types are not currently onboarded. Wise personal accounts in India cannot receive money.4048The client pays to the business's Wise account details from their own bank (local transfer, wire or SWIFT) or from a Wise account.3639

Check any provider against RBI's list with how to check an RBI-authorised payment aggregator.

What does each option charge?

Each option charges differently for bank transfers and cards, and PayPal publishes one rate for all international commercial payments.11631

PlatformBest forBank transfer feeCard payments
SkydoLocal bank transfers from major markets9Skydo says it charges USD 19 plus GST for transactions up to USD 2,000, USD 29 plus GST from USD 2,001 to USD 10,000, and 0.3% plus GST above USD 10,000; payments above USD 100K a month are priced on request.310Not published. Skydo publishes InstaLinks fees for ACH Debit only (2% per transaction, minimum $9) and no card fee.42
RazorpayLocal transfers from the US, UK and eurozone151% on MoneySaver; flat ₹1,000 below ₹1,00,000; GST applicable4Yes, international cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Diners, Discover, JCB, UnionPay listed on the pricing page) and wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, at up to 3% per successful transaction plus 18% GST.1617
Karbon BusinessUS bank transfers and marketplace payouts22Karbon's PayPal alternative page lists a 1% transaction fee in its feature list; its freelancer page gives no fee amount.522Not published.22
PayPalClients paying by card or PayPal balance25Not offered; payments arrive through PayPal25Buyers can pay by credit or debit card through PayPal. The India fee page publishes one rate for receiving international commercial transactions (4.40% plus fixed fee) and does not list a separate card rate.251
Cashfree PaymentsRegistered businesses paid by local transfer2930Global Collections: Not published. The pricing page shows 'Request Price' and describes a 'Low, processing fee; no hidden charges'. Cashfree says there is no setup cost.3132Yes, through the International Payment Gateway. Published platform fee: 2.99% for Visa and Mastercard international cards, 2.95% for American Express. PayPal is charged at PayPal's own rates; Cashfree says it adds no gateway charge for PayPal.3133
WiseBank transfers to local account details36Wise's India help article says it charges an equivalent of 2 USD in the received currency for the transfer to the INR bank account that issues the e-FIRC. Wise's India receive pricing page describes a free eFIRC for every transfer. The general Wise Business fee table on Wise's India site lists 6.11 USD per USD wire or Swift payment, 2.16 GBP per GBP Swift payment and 2.39 EUR per EUR Swift payment, with domestic (non-Swift, non-wire) payments free; Wise's India-specific receive pages do not repeat these Swift fees. 18% GST applies to Wise fees.363738Not available for India-based businesses: Wise lists card acceptance only for Wise Business accounts in the EEA, UK, Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada and the US.49

Read PayPal fees in India for PayPal's full schedule, including micropayment rates.

Which option is cheapest at $500, $2,000 and $5,000?

On this site's ranking of published fees, Skydo, Razorpay and Karbon Business cost least on a $5,000 USD receipt, and PayPal costs 7.27% to 8.23% on the same receipt.3451 The table below shows INR received at today's rate.

PlatformBest forINR on USD 2,000INR on USD 5,000INR on USD 10,000Cost on USD 5,000
SkydoMost INRTransfer to Skydo local account details or international SWIFT accountLocal bank transfers from major markets₹1,86,373₹4,67,991₹9,39,2060.68%
Karbon BusinessBank transfer to a Karbon virtual USD accountUS bank transfers and marketplace payouts₹1,86,262 to ₹1,86,601₹4,65,655 to ₹4,66,503₹9,31,311 to ₹9,33,0071.00 to 1.18%
RazorpayMoneySaver Export Account: bank transfer to virtual account details (Standard plan)Local transfers from the US, UK and eurozone₹1,86,262 to ₹1,86,601₹4,65,655 to ₹4,66,503₹9,31,311 to ₹9,33,0071.00 to 1.18%
PayPalInternational commercial transaction received into a PayPal account (PayPal checkout or invoice)Clients paying by card or PayPal balance₹1,72,958 to ₹1,74,760₹4,32,436 to ₹4,36,940₹8,64,899 to ₹8,73,9087.27 to 8.23%

Ranked by INR received on USD 5,000. Reference rate: European Central Bank data for 13 November 2026. Fees, conversion markup, GST on fees and FIRA charges as published by each provider, checked 28 October 2026. Ranges appear where a provider publishes a range or does not state its GST rate. Intermediary bank charges are excluded. See the methodology.

For example, on a $2,000 payment PayPal's 4.40% fee plus a 3.0% or 4.00% conversion spread comes to 7.4% to 8.4% before the fixed fee, against Skydo's $19, which is 0.95% before GST.13 Because PayPal's charges are percentages, the gap stays wide at $500 and $5,000 too.

What documents do you get from each PayPal alternative?

Each PayPal alternative issues its own proof of receipt, and the exporter self-certifies the e-BRC on DGFT from the bank's IRM data.50

PlatformBest forProof of receipt
SkydoLocal bank transfers from major markets9Skydo says it issues a free FIRA on every payment received, and that its FIRA and FIRC are accepted for GST filing and by banks.1114
RazorpayLocal transfers from the US, UK and eurozone15Razorpay provides a Foreign Inward Remittance Statement (FIRS), sent to the contact email within 24 hours after settlement for bank transfers, and downloadable from the dashboard, which shows bank-provided certificates and Razorpay-generated statements. The pricing page lists FIRC or eFIRC as included and auto-generated for international cards. No separate charge is published.152116
Karbon BusinessUS bank transfers and marketplace payouts22Karbon says it provides a FIRA for every transaction, issued by its licensed banking partner, which it does not name. Cost not published.22
PayPalClients paying by card or PayPal balance25Free weekly digital FIRA (Foreign Inward Remittance Advise) from February 2026, downloadable under Reports, then Tax, in a business account for the last 12 months; earlier transactions are covered by monthly FIRAs. Custom FIRA: 100 INR plus 18% GST per transaction for up to 20 transactions, or 2,000 INR plus 18% GST for a bulk request above 20 transactions; PayPal says custom FIRAs are issued by Citibank.27
Cashfree PaymentsRegistered businesses paid by local transfer2930Cashfree's Global Collections page says an e-FIRA is generated at no extra cost within 1 day. Its documentation says its AD-1 partner bank issues an eFIRS on a T+1 basis, obtained by request through the support form or account manager. For the card gateway, Cashfree mentions monthly FIRC reports and instant FIRS.32333534
WiseBank transfers to local account details36An e-FIRC for each transfer, emailed to the registered address within 3 working days and downloadable from the transfer page. The help article links it to the 2 USD equivalent fee; the pricing page calls it free.3637

See FIRA for freelancers for why each payment needs one.

What changes in 2026 for Indian businesses leaving PayPal?

Indian businesses leaving PayPal in 2026 find new authorised providers, a free weekly PayPal FIRA and new FEMA paperwork.2278

  • PayPal FIRA: PayPal offers a free weekly digital FIRA from February 2026.27
  • PayPal's status: RBI's status list shows PayPal Payments Private Limited with in-principle authorisation as an existing PA-CB.28
  • Transaction cap: Each PA-CB payment is capped at ₹25 lakh, inward or outward.7
  • Wise: RBI's list dates Wise Payments India's PA-CB-I authorisation 12 March 2026.2
  • EDF: From 1 October 2026 every service exporter files an EDF within 30 days from the end of the month of invoicing.8 How the EDF works for PayPal receipts in practice is not yet settled, so ask your bank.
  • Realisation: Payment is due within nine months of the invoice date, or twelve months if invoiced in rupees.51
  • Income tax: The Income-tax Act, 2025 applies from 1 April 2026.52

See PayPal alternatives for every provider in this site's data.

How did we verify this?

We checked this page against the sources below on 31 October 2026. Provider fees, conversion markups and RBI payment aggregator (PA-CB) status were checked on 28 October 2026. Rupee amounts use European Central Bank reference rates for 13 November 2026. Read our methodology or report an error.

  1. [1]PayPal India, PayPal Merchant Fees (page last updated 28 March 2024) (checked 2026-10-28)
  2. [2]RBI: Certificates of Authorisation issued under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, Payment Aggregators (PA-O, PA-P and PA-CB) and cross-border Money Transfer (MTSS) sections, list dated 16 October 2026 (checked 2026-10-31)
  3. [3]Skydo FAQs, How much does Skydo charge? (checked 2026-10-28)
  4. [4]Razorpay, Multi-Currency Account for International Bank Transfers (MoneySaver Export Account pricing) (checked 2026-10-28)
  5. [5]Karbon Business, PayPal Alternative comparison page (checked 2026-10-28)
  6. [6]CBIC: IGST Act, 2017, section 2(6) (export of services)
  7. [7]RBI: Master Direction on Regulation of Payment Aggregators dated 15 September 2025, paragraph 11(d) (PA-CB transaction limit)
  8. [8]RBI: Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2026, FEMA 23(R)/2026-RB, amended up to 22 September 2026, regulations 3, 4 and 5
  9. [9]Skydo FAQs, What countries can I get paid locally through Skydo? (checked 2026-10-28)
  10. [10]Skydo, home page fee table (checked 2026-10-28)
  11. [11]Skydo, Receive international payments as a freelancer in India (product page) (checked 2026-10-28)
  12. [12]Skydo, Terms of Use, last updated 9 April 2026 (checked 2026-10-28)
  13. [13]Skydo FAQs, How long does settlement take on InstaLinks? (checked 2026-10-28)
  14. [14]Skydo FAQs, What is accepted for GST filings and banks between FIRA and FIRC? (checked 2026-10-28)
  15. [15]Razorpay Docs, International Bank Transfer (MoneySaver Export Account) (checked 2026-10-28)
  16. [16]Razorpay, Pricing, International Payments and International Bank Transfers tabs (checked 2026-10-28)
  17. [17]Razorpay, Accept International Payments (checked 2026-10-28)
  18. [18]Razorpay Docs, Currency Conversion (checked 2026-10-28)
  19. [19]Razorpay Docs, Flash Links (ACH Debit) (checked 2026-10-28)
  20. [20]Razorpay Docs, International Payments FAQs (checked 2026-10-28)
  21. [21]Razorpay Docs, FIRS Automated Process (checked 2026-10-28)
  22. [22]Karbon Business, Karbon for Freelancers (checked 2026-10-28)
  23. [23]Karbon, Karbon FX Remittances, home page (checked 2026-10-28)
  24. [24]Karbon Forex Terms and Conditions, Interropac Private Limited (checked 2026-10-28)
  25. [25]PayPal India, User Agreement for PayPal Services (last updated 13 January 2025) (checked 2026-10-28)
  26. [26]PayPal India Help, How do I transfer funds to my bank account? (checked 2026-10-28)
  27. [27]PayPal India, Foreign Inward Remittance Advise (FIRA) (checked 2026-10-28)
  28. [28]RBI, Status of Applications received under Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, as on 16.10.2026, Table D (checked 2026-10-28)
  29. [29]Cashfree Payments Docs, Global Collections overview (checked 2026-10-28)
  30. [30]Cashfree Payments Docs, Global Collections: Collection Accounts (checked 2026-10-28)
  31. [31]Cashfree Payments, Payment Gateway Charges (India), International Cards, Global Collections and Cross Border FAQ (checked 2026-10-28)
  32. [32]Cashfree Payments, Global Collections: International wire transfer for Indian businesses (checked 2026-10-28)
  33. [33]Cashfree Payments, Cross Border Payment solutions: Accept international payments (checked 2026-10-28)
  34. [34]Cashfree Payments Docs, International Payment Gateway (IPG) overview (checked 2026-10-28)
  35. [35]Cashfree Payments Docs, Global Collections FAQs (checked 2026-10-28)
  36. [36]Wise Help Centre, Receiving payments for Indian businesses (checked 2026-10-28)
  37. [37]Wise India, Fees for getting paid (Wise Business receive pricing) (checked 2026-10-28)
  38. [38]Wise India site, Wise Business pricing, fees at a glance (checked 2026-10-28)
  39. [39]Wise India, Receive international payments (checked 2026-10-28)
  40. [40]Wise Help Centre, How to verify your Indian business to receive payments (checked 2026-10-28)
  41. [41]Skydo FAQs, When should I use the International SWIFT account and when should I use the Local Account? (checked 2026-10-28)
  42. [42]Skydo FAQs, What are the fees for using Payment Links? (checked 2026-10-28)
  43. [43]Razorpay Docs, International Debit and Credit Cards (checked 2026-10-28)
  44. [44]PayPal India, Four steps to complete your KYC (checked 2026-10-28)
  45. [45]PayPal India Help, How do I receive payments through PayPal? (checked 2026-10-28)
  46. [46]PayPal India Help, Can I use PayPal to receive payments from Indian customers? (checked 2026-10-28)
  47. [47]Cashfree Payments Docs, PayPal for International Payments (checked 2026-10-28)
  48. [48]Wise India, Receive pricing (personal accounts) (checked 2026-10-28)
  49. [49]Wise Help Centre, Getting paid to your Wise Business by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay (checked 2026-10-28)
  50. [50]DGFT: eBRC system, self-certification of eBRC from bank inward remittance messages (IRMs), Trade Notice 33/2023-24 dated 10 November 2023
  51. [51]RBI: Notification FEMA 23(R)/(1)/2026-RB dated 22 September 2026, amending regulation 5 (realisation period)
  52. [52]PIB: Income-tax Act, 2025 in force from 1 April 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the best PayPal alternative for Indian businesses in 2026?+

It depends on how your clients pay. For bank transfers, Skydo, Razorpay and Karbon Business cost least on this site's ranking for a $5,000 USD receipt. Cashfree and Razorpay also take international cards, and Wise suits clients paying to local account details.3453136

Why is PayPal expensive for receiving international payments in India?+

PayPal India charges 4.40% plus a fixed fee such as 0.30 USD per international commercial transaction, and adds a currency conversion spread of 3.0% or 4.00% above its base rate. Its fee page does not say which spread applies when the balance is converted to INR.1

Can clients pay me by card if I leave PayPal?+

Yes. Razorpay takes international cards at up to 3% plus 18% GST, and Cashfree charges 2.99% for Visa and Mastercard and 2.95% for American Express. Wise does not offer card acceptance for India-based businesses, so card-paying clients need a gateway such as these.163149

Does Wise work as a PayPal alternative for freelancers in India?+

Wise Business accepts sole traders and freelancers with a personal PAN and an INR bank account in their own name. Clients pay to Wise account details by bank transfer, and Wise issues an e-FIRC for each transfer within 3 working days. Wise personal accounts in India cannot receive money.403648

Do I get a FIRA from PayPal alternatives?+

Most PayPal alternatives provide one. Skydo says it issues a free FIRA on every payment, Razorpay emails a FIRS after settlement, Cashfree says its Global Collections e-FIRA is free within 1 day, and Wise emails an e-FIRC. PayPal itself offers a free weekly digital FIRA from February 2026.1115323627

Can an unregistered freelancer use Cashfree instead of PayPal?+

Cashfree says it enables cross-border payments only for businesses, and its Global Collections documentation requires a registered business in India. Unregistered freelancers can look at providers whose terms cover individuals, such as Skydo, or Wise Business, which accepts sole traders with a personal PAN.31291240

This page is general information for Indian service exporters, not tax or legal advice. Rules change and outcomes depend on your facts, so confirm with a chartered accountant before acting.