Payments

Wise, Payoneer or Remitly: Which Fit GST and RBI Export Rules for Freelancers Paid from Canada

Author:: Editorial team, serviceexportguide.com
Verified by:: Editorial team
Published: 31 October 2026
Last modified: 31 October 2026
Fees checked on: 28 October 2026
Reading time: 6 min read

Short answer

On published fees for CAD 7,000, Skydo costs about 0.68%.¹⁶ Payoneer charges 1% to 4% to convert CAD to INR.¹⁷ Wise lists CAD local account details for Indian businesses.¹⁸ Remitly's Canada user agreement limits personal accounts to personal, family or household use.¹⁹ Canada withholds 15% only on services rendered in Canada.¹ Exports need an EDF from 1 October 2026.²

Applies to	Rules involved	Platforms compared	Last verified
Indian freelancers invoicing Canadian clients³	IGST sections 2(6) and 16, LUT, FEMA 2026 Regulations, CRA Regulation 105¹²⁴⁵	Skydo, Payoneer, PayPal, Remitly, Wise¹⁶¹⁷¹⁹²⁰²¹	31 October 2026⁶

Invoice amountCurrencyHow the client pays

1,400 CAD = ₹92,537 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	SkydoLowest estimated costTransfer to Skydo local account details or international SWIFT account	Local bank transfers from major markets	₹2,113	0%	₹90,425	2.28%
2	PayoneerLocal bank transfer to Payoneer receiving account details	Marketplace payouts such as Amazon or Upwork	₹0no GST stated	1 to 4%	₹88,836 to ₹91,612	1.00 to 4.00%
3	PayPalInternational commercial transaction received into a PayPal account (PayPal checkout or invoice)	Clients paying by card or PayPal balance	₹4,091no GST stated	3 to 4%	₹84,908 to ₹85,793	7.29 to 8.24%

Not estimated because pricing is not fully published: Cashfree Payments, PingPong, 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.

Canadian clients pay Indian writers, developers and consultants in Canadian dollars (CAD), and three names come up when they ask how: Wise, Payoneer and Remitly. Remitly is built for the person sending money, so the question for a freelancer is whether it fits India's export rules at all.¹⁹²³ This page compares the three with the lowest-cost CAD providers on published fees and sets out the GST and RBI rules. For the full corridor guide, see how to receive money from Canada to India.

How do Wise, Payoneer and Remitly compare for freelancers paid from Canada?

Wise and Payoneer give an Indian freelancer CAD account details to invoice against, while Remitly is a service the Canadian sender opens.¹⁸¹⁹²²²⁵ The table orders providers by estimated cost on a CAD 7,000 receipt from published fees, cheapest first, then providers without full pricing A to Z.¹⁶¹⁷²⁰

Platform	Best for	Fee	FX markup	Settlement	FIRA	RBI PA-CB status	Source
Skydo	Local bank transfers from major markets	USD 19 plus GST up to USD 2,000; USD 29 plus GST from USD 2,001 to 10,000; 0.3% plus GST above	0% markup on the mid-market rate (product page); retail rate set by Skydo or its partner banks (terms)	Within 24 hours (product page); T+1 to T+3 business days (terms)	Free FIRA on every payment	Authorised PA-CB I & O (8 January 2026)	⁶¹⁶²⁷²⁸³⁷
Payoneer	Marketplace payouts such as Amazon or Upwork	Free to receive (multi-currency account page); fixed fee or 1% for non-local currencies (pricing page); USD 29.95 annual fee if you receive under USD 6,000 in 12 months	1% to 4% when converted to INR	Within 24 hours (multi-currency account page); within 48 hours (pricing page)	Free digital FIRA for each payment from a partner AD bank	In-principle PA-CB authorisation (22 January 2026); RBI lists it as unable to operate as a PA-CB until authorised	⁹¹⁷²⁵²⁶²⁹
PayPal	Clients paying by card or PayPal balance	4.40% plus a fixed fee per payment (USD 0.30, EUR 0.35, AUD 0.30, CAD 0.30)	PayPal lists 3.0% and 4.00% above its base rate	Up to 5 business days	Free weekly digital FIRA from February 2026	In-principle PA-CB authorisation; not on RBI's authorised list	⁶⁹²⁰³⁰³¹³²
Remitly	US or Canadian business clients already using Remitly	No fee for the receiver in India; the sender pays	Not published as a percentage	Not published on its Canada to India page	Not published	Not listed as a PA-CB	⁶²²²³²⁴³³³⁴
Wise	Bank transfers to local account details	Domestic (non-Swift) receipts free (business fee table); 2 USD equivalent per transfer to the INR account (help article); 18% GST on Wise fees	Mid-market rate plus a fee that depends on the currency; no INR percentage published	INR reaches the bank within 1 to 2 days of Wise receiving the payment	e-FIRC for each transfer within 3 working days	Authorised PA-CB-I (12 March 2026)	⁶¹⁸²¹³⁵

Why is Remitly a different kind of option for freelancers paid from Canada?

Remitly is a different kind of option because the Canadian client, not the Indian freelancer, holds the account.¹⁹²²

Personal accounts: Remitly's Canada user agreement, section 3.3, makes its services available to consumers for personal, family or household purposes, and business use is a breach.¹⁹
Remitly Business: Remitly says Remitly Business is available to businesses in Canada.²²
Recipient side: Remitly says there are no fees for the receiver in India, and its pages do not mention a FIRA, FIRC or purpose code for the recipient.²³²⁴
RBI status: Remitly is not on RBI's list of authorised payment system operators as on 30 October 2026.⁶

Read the Remitly review for its US and Canadian business routes.

Which RBI rule governs money from Canada?

Money from a Canadian client for services is governed by the Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2026 (the 2026 Regulations), in force from 1 October 2026, whichever service carries it.²

Rule	Best for (who it applies to)	Plain meaning	Source
Regulations 3 and 4: EDF	Every service exporter	EDF to the AD bank within 30 days from the end of the invoice month	²
Regulation 5: realisation	Freelancers with slow payers	Nine months from invoice; twelve months for rupee invoices	¹⁰
Paragraph 11(d): PA-CB cap	Freelancers paid through a PA-CB	₹25 lakh per transaction	¹¹
Regulation 19: bank charges	Freelancers paid by wire	Banks publish documents, timelines and charges	²

What does each option charge?

Each option charges differently on a CAD payment, and only some publish every component.¹⁶¹⁷²⁰²³³⁵

Platform	Best for	Receiving fee	Conversion to INR	Source
Skydo	Local bank transfers from major markets	USD 19 or 29 plus GST by USD-equivalent band	0% markup on the mid-market rate (product page); retail rate set by Skydo or its partner banks (terms)	¹⁶²⁷²⁸³⁷
Payoneer	Marketplace payouts such as Amazon or Upwork	Free to receive (multi-currency account page); fixed fee or 1% for non-local currencies (pricing page)	1% to 4%	¹⁷²⁵²⁹
PayPal	Clients paying by card or PayPal balance	4.40% plus CAD 0.30	3.0% or 4.00% above base rate	²⁰³⁰
Remitly	US or Canadian business clients already using Remitly	None for the receiver; the sender pays	Not published as a percentage	²²²³²⁴³³³⁴
Wise	Bank transfers to local account details	Free for domestic CAD (business fee table); 2 USD equivalent per transfer to the INR account (help article); 18% GST on fees	Currency-dependent fee	¹⁸²¹³⁵

Which option is cheapest at CAD 2,800, CAD 7,000 and CAD 14,000?

On published fees, Skydo has the lowest estimated cost at all three CAD amounts, followed by Payoneer's 1% to 4% range.¹⁶¹⁷ The table below works out the INR you receive at today's rate.

Platform	Best for	INR on CAD 2,900	INR on CAD 7,100	INR on CAD 14,000	Cost on CAD 7,100
SkydoMost INRTransfer to Skydo local account details or international SWIFT account	Local bank transfers from major markets	₹1,88,460	₹4,66,072	₹9,22,149	0.69%
PayoneerLocal bank transfer to Payoneer receiving account details	Marketplace payouts such as Amazon or Upwork	₹1,84,017 to ₹1,89,768	₹4,50,525 to ₹4,64,604	₹8,88,359 to ₹9,16,121	1.00 to 4.00%
PayPalInternational commercial transaction received into a PayPal account (PayPal checkout or invoice)	Clients paying by card or PayPal balance	₹1,75,902 to ₹1,77,734	₹4,30,683 to ₹4,35,169	₹8,49,253 to ₹8,58,099	7.27 to 8.23%

Not estimated because pricing for CAD is not fully published: Wise.

Ranked by INR received on CAD 7,100. 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, Skydo's estimated cost on published fees is about 1.71% on CAD 2,800, 0.68% on CAD 7,000 and 0.35% on CAD 14,000.¹⁶ PayPal's estimate stays between 7.27% and 8.23% at each size.²⁰

What documents and GST apply?

Payments from Canada need proof of receipt, an EDF and, for registered freelancers, an LUT, and the invoice is usually zero-rated for GST.²⁴⁵

Document or rule	Best for	What it means	Source
FIRA or e-FIRC	Every freelancer	Skydo, Payoneer, PayPal and Wise each issue one; Remitly publishes none	¹⁸²³²⁶²⁸³²
e-BRC	Freelancers claiming GST refunds	Self-certified on DGFT from bank IRM data	¹²
LUT	GST-registered freelancers	Invoice without IGST for the financial year	⁵
CRA Regulation 105	Freelancers who work in Canada	15% withholding on services rendered in Canada only	¹
DTAA Article 12	Technical services that make available know-how	15% cap on fees for included services	⁸

Five conditions: Supplier in India, recipient outside India, place of supply outside India, payment in convertible foreign exchange or permitted INR, and not two establishments of one person.³
Registration: A supplier of inter-State services with aggregate turnover up to ₹20 lakh is exempt from GST registration, and exports count toward that turnover.³⁶

What changes in 2026 for freelancers paid from Canada?

Freelancers paid from Canada face the 2026 Regulations, the EDF for services, nine-month realisation and the Income-tax Act, 2025 in 2026.²¹⁰¹³

2026 Regulations: In force from 1 October 2026.²
EDF: Every service exporter files one from 1 October 2026.²
Realisation: Nine months from the invoice date.¹⁰
Income tax: The Income-tax Act, 2025 applies from 1 April 2026.¹³
Foreign tax credit: Form 44 under rule 76 from tax year 2026-27.¹⁴
GST proposal: The 57th GST Council meeting on 8 October 2026 recommended omitting condition (v) of section 2(6); it needs a law change and is not in force.¹⁵

Confirm your own position with a chartered accountant.

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.

Frequently asked questions

Can my Canadian client pay me through Remitly for freelance work?+

Remitly's Canada user agreement says personal accounts are for individuals' personal, family or household purposes, and business use breaches the agreement.¹⁹ Remitly says Remitly Business is available to businesses in Canada.²² Remitly's pages do not mention a FIRA, FIRC or purpose code for the Indian recipient.²³²⁴

Do I charge GST to a Canadian client from India?+

An Indian freelancer usually charges no GST to a Canadian client, because a service meeting all five conditions of IGST section 2(6) is an export and a zero-rated supply.³⁴ A GST-registered freelancer files an LUT in FORM GST RFD-11 for each financial year.⁵

Will a Canadian client withhold 15% tax from my invoice?+

The Canada Revenue Agency says payers withhold 15% under Regulation 105 from fees paid to non-residents for services rendered in Canada.¹ Payments for services performed outside Canada are not subject to Regulation 105 withholding, and the payer should document a reasonable allocation.¹

Does Payoneer support CAD for Indian freelancers?+

Payoneer's India multi-currency page lists Canadian dollar local receiving account details and says receiving is free, and its India pricing page lists a fixed fee or 1% for non-local currencies.²⁵¹⁷ Converting to INR costs 1% to 4%, and Payoneer's multi-currency account page says payments reach the Indian bank within 24 hours of receipt, and its pricing page says within 48 hours.¹⁷²⁵ A free digital FIRA is issued for each payment.²⁶

Is Wise or Payoneer cheaper for receiving CAD in India?+

Neither publishes a fixed INR conversion percentage for CAD: Payoneer gives a 1% to 4% range and Wise shows its fee in its calculator.¹⁷²¹ On published fees for CAD 7,000, Skydo's estimated cost is about 0.68%.¹⁶ Compare each provider's quote on the same day.

How do Canadian clients send domestic payments?+

Payments Canada operates Lynx for high-value wire payments in Canadian dollars and the Automated Clearing Settlement System for cheques and electronic funds transfers.⁷ A provider that gives you CAD account details lets the client pay as it pays a Canadian supplier.

Does the India-Canada treaty cap tax on freelance fees?+

The India-Canada DTAA caps tax on fees for included services at 15% after the first five taxable years.⁸ Fees for included services cover services that make available technical knowledge, experience, skill, know-how or processes, or develop and transfer a technical plan or design.⁸

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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