Why International Wire Transfers Cost Small Businesses So Much

A small business owner stands at a bank teller counter frowning in mild disbelief at a long paper form and a receipt showing fees, while a polite teller waits.

Most small businesses that pay overseas suppliers or contractors have learned to accept two things: the payment will take several days, and a meaningful chunk of it will disappear in fees before it arrives. International wire transfers typically cost between $30 and $75 per transaction at the sending bank, plus a currency conversion rate that can add another 2 to 5 percent^[1]. By the time the money reaches the other side, a $1,000 payment might arrive as $930. And it takes three to five business days to get there, which means the supplier waits, and so does the business. This module covers a different approach: using stablecoins to pay overseas suppliers and contractors directly^[2]. Same day. Fraction of the cost. No bank in the middle taking a cut.