Cashfree International Payments (2025): Global Account, Gateway, Charges & Alternative
If you’re billing overseas clients, from a SaaS subscription to a consulting invoice, you want three things:
a. the payment to land on time,
b. The INR you receive to be predictable,
c. and the paperwork to be airtight.
This guide explains how Cashfree handles international payments, what it costs, what documents you get, and when a specialised exporter platform (like Skydo) might fit better.
Cashfree at a glance
Cashfree is a Bengaluru-based payments company. Domestically, it’s an RBI-licensed Payment Aggregator. For cross-border, it offers two ways to collect and settle in INR:
- Global Collections Account – virtual accounts so clients can pay you using familiar, local rails.
- International Payment Gateway – accept global cards and alternate payment methods (APMs) at checkout.
Let's take a moment to understand both these methods.
Two ways to collect with Cashfree
1) Global Collections Account (virtual accounts + local rails)
Best for: Invoices from overseas clients (freelancers, agencies, IT/consulting, SaaS).
- How it works: You get virtual accounts in major currencies (USD/EUR/GBP/CAD/AUD). Your client pays using local methods (ACH in the US, SEPA in the EU, Faster Payments in the UK). For other currencies, funds move via SWIFT.
- Settlement: Amounts are converted and settled in INR, typically in T+1–T+2.
- Limit: Up to USD 10,000 per invoice (exporter route).
- Compliance: You receive FIRA (Foreign Inward Remittance Advice) from the partner bank—useful for audits, GST claims, and export documentation.
In short: Feels like a “local bank account” for your client; you receive INR in India with per-payment FIRA.
2) International Payment Gateway (cards/APMs)
Best for: Online checkout flows (eCommerce, digital goods, subscriptions, SaaS).
- How it works: Accept international Visa/Mastercard/Amex and APMs. Customers can pay in their home currency via Cashfree’s Pay Native (DCC)—they see a real-time converted amount; you still receive INR.
- Settlement: INR, usually T+2 post-compliance checks.
- Compliance: You get consolidated FIRS, which are summary reports of all foreign receipts for a given period, not per-payment FIRAs, which are required for individual export-related filings like GST refunds.
In short: Optimised for conversion at checkout with multi-currency presentation; compliance comes as period summaries.
Cashfree International Payments Charges — what to expect
Payment Gateway (cards)
- Platform fee: Typically 2.99% for international cards.
- Promo (time-bound): 2.69% for eligible new sign-ups (subject to T&Cs like monthly GTV thresholds and UPI share).
- FX handling: For their payment gateway, Cashfree advertises their rates as “competitive”, not as mid-market, which means there is possibly a small forex markup in the rates that are being offered
Global Collections Account
- Pricing: For Global Collections, Cashfree’s pricing depends on the currency and payment method. For major currencies like USD, CAD, EUR, AUD, and GBP, where payments move through local rails instead of SWIFT, transaction fees typically range between 1% and 1.5%, depending on your monthly volume.
- FX Handling: For their global collection accounts, Cashfree advertised live forex rate without any markup
- Limits: For global collection accounts, Cashfree has a limit of USD 10,000 per invoice.
So, which route should you use?
Use Global Collections when:
- You raise invoices to overseas clients.
- You need FIRA per transaction.
- Your typical ticket size is ≤ USD 10,000.
Use the International Gateway when:
- You sell to global consumers or teams via a checkout page.
- You need cards or alternate payment method support
- Summary reporting (e-FIRS) is acceptable for your compliance ops.
Quick comparison: Global Collection Account vs Payment Gateway
| Criteria | Global Collections | International Gateway |
| Use-case | Invoices to overseas clients | Online checkout (cards/APMs) |
| How buyer pays | Local rails (ACH/SEPA/Faster Payments) or SWIFT | Global cards + APMs |
| Settlement | INR (T+1–T+2 typical) | INR (T+2 typical) |
| Limit | Up to USD 10,000/invoice | Depends on gateway risk settings |
| Compliance docs | FIRA for every transaction | FIRS |
| Forex rate | Live forex rate | Possible small markup |
A focused alternative for exporters: Skydo
While Cashfree gives Indian businesses multiple ways to collect payments, it’s still built to serve both domestic and international flows. If you’re an exporter or freelancer who deals primarily in foreign payments, Skydo might be a better fit because it’s designed only for that.
With Skydo, you get global bank accounts in your business’s name across major currencies like USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, and AUD. Your clients can pay you through their local payment methods, ACH in the US, SEPA in Europe, Faster Payments in the UK, and the funds reach your Indian account at live forex rates with zero markup.
The pricing is flat and transparent:
- Up to $2,000: $19
- $2,001–$10,000: $29
- Above $10,000: 0.3%
If your client’s in the US, you can even share an InstaLink; they can pay instantly via card (5%) or ACH debit (2%) at midmarket rates without any markup
Every payment comes with an instant FIRA and eBRC (for Amazon sellers).
In short, Skydo takes care of the entire export payment journey, from collection to compliance, without the guesswork or hidden forex costs. So try Skydo today and let us take on of your payment worries
Does Cashfree accept international payments?
Yes. Via Global Collections (virtual accounts; INR settlement) and International Payment Gateway (cards/APMs; INR settlement).
What is the per-payment limit on Cashfree Global Collections?
What are Cashfree’s current international card fees?
