How to receive USD from overseas buyers
Give buyers a US routing number and account number in your company's name, and an international wire becomes a free domestic payment.
- A US buyer paying a routing number and account number by ACH pays nothing, and the money arrives the next business day.
- Put the account name, routing number, account number and bank address on every invoice.
- Send the details to each buyer's accounts team once; they save them as a vendor record.
- Fedwire arrives same day for urgent payments; SWIFT is the fallback when a buyer has no US details for you.
- Hold the USD, convert when the rate suits you, or pay suppliers in USD without converting.
Why a wire is the wrong way to be paid
When a buyer in the United States pays an overseas supplier by international wire, the buyer's bank charges a wire fee, a correspondent bank may deduct a further fee on the way, and the money takes one to three business days. When the same buyer pays a US routing number and account number by ACH, the buyer pays nothing, nothing is deducted in transit, and the money arrives the next business day. The exporter's job is to give the buyer the second option.
The account details to put on your invoice
A USD account for a business outside the United States comes with the same details a US company has: an account name, a routing number (nine digits, identifying the bank) and an account number. Put all three on the invoice, together with the bank's name and address, and the buyer's accounts team pays it as a domestic payment.
| Field | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Account name | Atlas Trading Co. | Your registered company name; this is what the buyer's bank checks |
| Routing number (ABA) | 026 073 150 | Nine digits; the same number is used for ACH and Fedwire |
| Account number | 8402 ···· 3197 | Unique to your account |
| Bank name and address | As shown in your account | Some buyers' systems require it |
| Payment type | ACH or Fedwire | ACH is free and next day; Fedwire is same day for large or urgent amounts |
Setting it up in four steps
- Open a USD account in your company's name. Helm provides one with the document list on the Eligibility page; the account is usually live within days.
- Put the details on your invoice template. Account name, routing number, account number, bank name and address, and the words "Pay by ACH or Fedwire".
- Send the details to each buyer's accounts team once. Helm sends them by email or PDF from inside the account. Most buyers save them as a vendor record and never ask again.
- Watch the money land. Each payment shows the sender, the rail and the time received. Hold the USD, convert when the rate suits you, or pay suppliers from the same balance.
ACH, Fedwire or SWIFT
The buyer chooses the rail, but you can steer them. ACH is free for both sides and arrives next business day. Fedwire is same day and suits large or urgent payments. SWIFT is what a buyer uses when it does not have your US details; it costs the buyer a wire fee, and correspondent banks may deduct more. The guide to SWIFT, ACH and Fedwire goes into each one.
Buyers who pay in digital dollars
Some buyers, particularly in Latin America, Africa and parts of Asia, hold USDC or USDT and prefer to pay with them. A business account that supports digital dollars gives those buyers a wallet address instead of account details. The payment lands in minutes, including at weekends, and converts to USD inside the account. See Digital Dollars.
What to do with the USD once it lands
Three options, all from the same balance: hold it, convert it at a rate you choose, or pay suppliers in USD without converting at all. Exporters who also import usually find that most of their USD never needs converting. The exporters page shows the full set-up, and the guide to business accounts for exporters compares providers.
Open a Helm account
USD, EUR and GBP accounts in your company's name, international payments on bank rails and in digital dollars, and trade finance. A named account manager from the first call.
Open accountQuestions
Can a company outside the United States have a US routing number?
Yes. Providers such as Helm issue USD account details, including a routing number and account number, to companies registered outside the United States.
Is ACH really free to receive?
At Helm, yes. The buyer's bank usually charges the buyer nothing for an ACH credit either.
How long does an ACH payment take?
Usually the next business day. Same-day ACH exists for payments submitted before the buyer's bank's cut-off.
What if the buyer insists on a wire?
Fedwire works with the same routing and account number and arrives the same day.
Can I receive USD from marketplaces?
Yes. Marketplaces that pay out by ACH pay the same routing number and account number.
References
- Nacha: What is ACH?
- Nacha: Same Day ACH
- Federal Reserve: Fedwire Funds Service
- American Bankers Association: Routing numbers
- Circle: USDC
This guide is general information for businesses, not financial, legal or tax advice. Fees and timings quoted for other providers are taken from their published pages on the review date and may change.