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How Do You Receive Money from China to India in 2026?

Author:: Editorial team, serviceexportguide.com
Verified by:: Editorial team
Published: 28 October 2026
Last modified: 28 October 2026
Fees checked on: 28 October 2026
Reading time: 9 min read

Short answer

You can receive money from China to India through local CNY account details from a payment platform, a card or payment link, or a SWIFT wire to your Indian bank. On published fees, the cheapest local route for CNY 33,000 is Payoneer, at about 1.00 to 4.00%.²³⁴ Who this is for: Indian freelancers and registered service exporters. Each export needs an EDF and payment within nine months of the invoice.²⁴

Method	All-in cost	Speed	FIRA
Local CNY account details from a payment platform	From about 1.00 to 4.00% (Payoneer)²³⁴	Varies by platform; see the platform table	Varies by platform; see the platform table
Card or payment link	From about 3.88 to 6.79% (Payoneer)²⁴	Varies by platform	Depends on the platform
SWIFT wire to your Indian bank	Set by your bank and any intermediary banks; not comparable	Depends on the banks involved	Ask your bank

Invoice amountCurrencyHow the client pays

6,700 CNY = ₹94,640 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 route	Best for	Fee (+GST)	Markup	You receive	Cost
1	PayoneerLowest estimated costLocal bank transfer to Payoneer receiving account details	Marketplace payouts such as Amazon or Upwork	₹0no GST stated	1 to 4%	₹90,854 to ₹93,693	1.00 to 4.00%

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.

What are the ways to receive money from China to India?

The ways to receive money from China to India compare as follows. Costs are estimates on published fees for CNY 33,000, about USD 5,000 at the ECB reference rate.²⁵

	Local CNY account	Card or payment link	SWIFT wire to your bank
Fees and markup	From about 1.00 to 4.00%²³⁴	From about 3.88 to 6.79%²⁴	Set by your bank and intermediaries
Settlement	Varies by platform; see the platform table	Varies by platform	Depends on the banks involved
FIRA	Varies by platform; see the platform table	Varies by platform	Ask your bank
Regulatory status	Check the platform's RBI status below	Check the platform's RBI status below	Authorised dealer bank
Best for	Regular invoices from businesses	Small or one-off payments	Large payments to an existing bank relationship

How does each method of receiving money from China work?

Each method of receiving money from China works differently, and costs differ by method.

How does a local CNY account work for payments from China?

A platform gives you account details in China or in CNY, so your client pays you as it would pay a local supplier. The platform converts the CNY to INR and pays your Indian bank account.

Pros: the client pays a local transfer; costs are usually published.
Cons: not every platform accepts CNY; conversion markups vary.
Cost: from about 1.00 to 4.00% on published fees.²³⁴
FIRA: varies by platform; check the platform table below.

How does a SWIFT wire work for payments from China?

Your client sends an international wire to your Indian bank account using its SWIFT code. Your bank converts the CNY at its buying rate.

Pros: no third party between you and the client.
Cons: intermediary banks may deduct charges; the conversion rate is usually not published in advance.
Cost: set by your bank and any intermediary banks, so it is not comparable here.
FIRA: ask your bank how it issues FIRAs for inward remittances.

How does a card or payment link work for payments from China?

You send a link or checkout page and the client pays by card. The platform settles INR to your bank.

Pros: quick for the client; useful for small or one-off payments.
Cons: card pricing is usually higher than bank transfer pricing.
Cost: from about 3.88 to 6.79% on published fees.²⁴

How do Chinese clients usually pay Indian vendors?

Chinese clients usually pay Indian vendors in Chinese renminbi (yuan) (CNY), though you can invoice in another currency if the client agrees. A client paying from China enters your local account details or, for a wire, your bank's SWIFT code and your account number. Domestic rails in China do not reach an Indian bank account directly.

Which platforms are best for receiving CNY in India?

The platforms best for receiving CNY in India are listed by estimated cost on CNY 33,000, cheapest first; platforms without full pricing follow, A to Z.²³⁴

Platform	Best for	FX markup	Fee	Estimated cost on CNY 33,000	FIRA	Settlement	RBI PA-CB status
Payoneer	Marketplace payouts such as Amazon or Upwork⁵	Not published as a separate rate. Withdrawing to an Indian bank account in INR from a balance in another currency costs 1% to 4% of the transaction amount; Payoneer says the exact fee depends on region and transaction volume and is shown in your account.	Receiving account (local bank transfer): Payoneer's India multi-currency page says receiving USD is free for customers from India and other currencies are free; its India pricing page shows a standard 'fixed fee or 1%' for non-local currencies and says the fees applicable to you are shown in your account. From another Payoneer customer: free. Payment request: credit card 2.90% + $0.49, ACH bank debit (US only) 1%. Marketplace payouts: fees set by each marketplace. Intermediary banks may deduct fees on USD wires.³²	1.00 to 4.00%²³⁴	Free digital FIRA PDF for each transaction, issued by Payoneer's partner AD bank and available in the account under Manage, Reports and statements, within 24 to 72 hours (the same help article also says 1 to 3 business days). The e-FIRA/IRM in EDPMS is issued by the exporter's own bank, which may need the FIRA plus export documents.⁴⁶	Payoneer's pages differ: the India pricing page says within 48 hours of receipt; the multi-currency account page and the India onboarding guide say within 24 hours.²³⁵	Payoneer lists 'Payoneer for India' as an Online Payment Gateway Service Provider (OPGSP) registered with the Reserve Bank of India (LO UIN No. MULO16008013). Payoneer India Private Limited received in-principle authorisation as a Payment Aggregator - Cross Border (PA-CB) on 22 January 2026; RBI lists it in Table E (applications under process, cannot operate) as of 16 October 2026 and states in-principle authorisation is not authorisation under Section 7 of the PSS Act. It does not appear in RBI's Certificates of Authorisation list dated 16 October 2026. Payoneer says INR payouts are processed by its partner AD banks over NEFT, RTGS and IMPS.⁷⁸⁹¹⁰⁴
Cashfree Payments	Registered businesses paid by local transfer¹¹¹²	Cashfree 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.¹³¹⁴¹¹	Global 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.¹⁵¹⁴	Not estimated: pricing not fully published	Cashfree'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.¹⁴¹³¹⁶¹⁷	Global 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.¹⁴¹⁷	Cashfree 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.¹⁸¹³¹⁶
Wise	Bank transfers to local account details¹⁹	Mid-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.²⁰²¹	Wise'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.¹⁹²⁰²²	Not estimated: pricing not fully published	An 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.¹⁹²⁰	Wise 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.¹⁹	RBI'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.²³¹⁹

The order comes only from published pricing. Cashfree Payments and Wise do not publish enough to estimate a cost.

Why do you receive less than the mid-market CNY to INR rate?

You receive less than the mid-market CNY to INR rate because banks and platforms convert at their own rate and may charge a fee on top. Today's CNY to INR reference rate is derived from European Central Bank data.²⁵

For example, a 2% conversion markup on CNY 33,000 costs CNY 660 before any fee. Your FIRA shows the rate actually used,²⁶ so compare it with the reference rate for that day using the FX markup calculator.

How much INR do you receive on $2,000, $5,000 and $10,000 from China?

The INR you receive from China depends on the platform. The table works this out from published pricing at today's rate, in CNY.

Platform	Best for	INR on CNY 13,000	INR on CNY 33,000	INR on CNY 67,000	Cost on CNY 33,000
PayoneerMost INRLocal bank transfer to Payoneer receiving account details	Marketplace payouts such as Amazon or Upwork	₹1,76,284 to ₹1,81,793	₹4,47,491 to ₹4,61,475	₹9,08,542 to ₹9,36,934	1.00 to 4.00%

Ranked by INR received on CNY 33,000. 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.

What should you consider when choosing how to get paid from China?

Consider the total cost and your client's convenience when choosing how to get paid from China.

Total cost: add the fee, the conversion markup and GST on fees, not just the headline fee.
Local rail coverage: a local CNY account lets the client pay without an international wire.
Settlement speed: check how many working days the rupees take to reach your bank.
FIRA: make sure you get a FIRA or e-FIRC for every receipt.
Client experience: ask how your client prefers to pay before you choose.
Support: check how the platform handles held or returned payments.

What documents and compliance apply to payments from China?

Payments from China follow the same Indian rules as any export of services.

Export status: work for a client in China is an export of services when all five conditions in section 2(6) of the IGST Act are met.²⁷ Use the export of services checker if you are unsure.
EDF: from 1 October 2026 you give an Export Declaration Form (EDF) to your bank, usually within 30 days from the end of the month of invoicing.²⁴ See the EDF for service exporters.
Realisation: the payment must arrive within nine months of the invoice date.²⁴
FIRA and purpose code: keep the FIRA or bank advice for each receipt and check that it shows the right purpose code.²⁶
e-BRC: generate an e-BRC on the DGFT portal where you need one.²⁸

What tax applies to money received from China?

Money received from China is zero-rated for GST and taxable as income in India, and the client may deduct tax in China.

GST: an export of services is a zero-rated supply, so a registered supplier with an LUT invoices it without GST.²⁹³⁰
Treaty: India and China have a comprehensive DTAA signed at New Delhi on 18 July 1994, in force from 21 November 1994, amended by a Protocol notified on 17 July 2019 (S.O. 2562(E)).¹
Article on technical services: Article 12 (Royalties and Fees for Technical Services).¹
Treaty rate: 10% of the gross amount of the fees for technical services (and of royalties).¹ Fees for technical services are defined as payments for services of a managerial, technical or consultancy nature; there is no make-available wording. The 2019 amendments changed several articles but not Article 12. The text has no MFN clause.¹

This site has not found an official China source setting a general withholding tax on payments to foreign service providers; ask the client whether it will deduct anything before you invoice.

If tax is deducted, you may be able to claim credit for it against your Indian tax on the same income; from tax year 2026-27 the claim is made in Form 44.³¹ See foreign tax credit and DTAA for Indian exporters.

How did we verify this?

We checked this page against the sources below on 28 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.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest way to receive money from China to India?+

On published fees, the cheapest way to receive CNY 33,000 from China is a local CNY account with Payoneer, at about 1.00 to 4.00%.²³⁴ The order can change with invoice size, so check your own amount in the calculator above.

Do I charge GST to a client in China?+

No, if the work meets the five export conditions and you invoice under an LUT. An export of services to a client in China is a zero-rated supply, so a registered supplier with an LUT invoices it without GST.²⁷²⁹

How long can a client in China take to pay?+

RBI rules require the payment from China to be realised within nine months of the invoice date for exports invoiced from 1 October 2026, or twelve months if the invoice is in rupees.²⁴

Does India have a tax treaty with China?+

Yes. India and China have a comprehensive DTAA signed at New Delhi on 18 July 1994, in force from 21 November 1994, amended by a Protocol notified on 17 July 2019 (S.O. 2562(E)). 10% of the gross amount of the fees for technical services (and of royalties).¹

Do I need a SWIFT code to receive money from China?+

Only for an international wire. If your client in China pays into local CNY account details from a payment platform, the client uses those local details instead. For a wire to your Indian bank, the client needs your bank's SWIFT code and your account number.

How do I track a payment from China that has not arrived?+

For a wire, ask your client for the SWIFT confirmation (often called the MT103) and share it with your bank. For a platform payment, check the payment status in your platform account and contact its support with the client's transfer reference.

Can I hold CNY received from China instead of converting it?+

Some exporters keep foreign currency in an Exchange Earner's Foreign Currency (EEFC) account with an Indian bank, but most payment platforms convert to INR automatically. See the [EEFC account guide](/blog/eefc-account-benefits) for the rules and limits.

Can a client in China pay me by card?+

Yes, through a platform that offers a card checkout or payment link. On published fees, the cheapest card or link route for CNY 33,000 costs about 3.88 to 6.79%.²⁴ Card pricing is usually higher than a bank transfer.

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.

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