Karbon Pricing: Complete Fee Breakdown Guide
Karbon Business is fairly transparent on price. The all-in cost typically lands at 1% fee + 18%GST per transaction. Here's the full breakdown for Indian exporters, with a worked example and a full side-by-side calculator versus Skydo here.
₹4,10,054Over $1B processed • Licensed by RBI
Approved underRBI's PA-CB framework
Approved underRBI's PA-CB framework
Karbon Pricing Overview
Karbon's pricing has one visible component: a flat ~1% fee at a live forex rate. There's no separate FIRA fee. There are also no monthly subscriptions or setup fees found on its public pages.
The catch is scope. Karbon's cheapest rate applies mainly to its USD receiving account; broader multi-currency virtual accounts are still expanding beyond USD, according to Karbon's own website today.
Compared to PayPal (5-8%), Karbon is dramatically cheaper. Compared to Skydo's flat $19 to $29 pricing, Karbon's 1% still costs more on larger invoices as the fee compounds with size.
Karbon Transfer Fees Explained
Karbon's fee varies by currency and payment method. Bank-style transfers cost around 1%; card payments may cost a bit more, shown upfront.
Approximate all-in cost for common currencies
FIRA charges
Karbon: Automatic, and fully bundled into the flat fee already. Skydo provides free instant per-transaction FIRA.
Multi-currency hold
Karbon: Short-term hold up to 60 days possible. Skydo offers multi-currency virtual accounts.
Karbon Exchange Rate and FX Margin
Karbon applies a live forex rate with a flat ~1% fee on top. Banks typically tack on 2-4%, PayPal closer to 3-4%. It's tighter than a bank, close to mid-market.
Where Karbon still costs you is that flat 1% fee itself. The all-in cost on a $5,000 payment lands around $50 to $53, roughly ₹4,700 in total, per its calculator.
For India-first exporters wanting fast settlement and auto FIRA, Karbon's flat fee is hard to beat below $5K. For high-volume B2B receivables, Skydo's flat pricing wins on total cost at scale.
Karbon Gaps and Charges to Watch For
Karbon is fairly transparent on fees. The few things worth knowing about here:
Percentage fee scales
Karbon charges roughly 1% per transfer. Skydo charges flat.
Currency limits
Only USD has a live virtual account; other currencies use card-based links.
No confirmed multi-currency hold
Beyond short-term holds, INR settlement is standard.
Unclear eBRC support
eBRC automation for exporters isn't explicitly confirmed anywhere.
SOFTEX not detailed
SOFTEX and EDPMS handling isn't documented publicly.
No independent PA-CB
Karbon appears to operate via partner-bank arrangements only here.
How Much Does Karbon Actually Cost? (Real Example)
An Indian agency invoices a US client $5,000, with today's mid-market rate at 1 USD = ₹90.
Invoice
$5,000.00
Breakdown
Karbon — what you lose
Invoice
$5,000.00
Breakdown
Skydo — what you keep
Over 12 monthly invoices of $5K each: Karbon costs ~₹27,000/year more than Skydo.
Karbon Pricing vs Skydo Pricing
Here's a clear side-by-side of every Karbon and Skydo fee, so you can see what each platform actually costs you per transaction.
Transaction fee structure
~1% flat
Flat $19 / $29 / 0.3%
Fee on $1,000 invoice
~$11
$19
Fee on $5,000 invoice
~$53
$29
Fee on $10,000 invoice
~$105
$29
Fee on $50,000 invoice
~$525
$150
FIRA
Automatic, bundled
Free, instant, per payment
Multi-currency hold (India)
Short-term hold up to 60 days possible
Yes
Is Karbon Worth the Cost for Indian Exporters?
Karbon has real strengths for some businesses. For Indian B2B receivables, the math depends on invoice size and compliance needs.
Karbon is worth it when.
Your business already collects mostly in USD and values fast settlement with auto FIRA. You're comfortable with a partner-bank compliance model instead of an independently confirmed RBI licence itself.
Karbon stops being worth it when.
You're receiving regular B2B invoices at any size, in currencies beyond USD. You need eBRC confirmed automatically. You want flat-fee predictability regardless of invoice size or client volume.
Frequently Asked Questions About Karbon Pricing
What is Karbon's effective cost on a typical USD to INR transfer?
A typical USD to INR transfer through Karbon costs roughly 1% of the invoice value at a live forex rate, with no separate markup. On a $10,000 invoice, that's approximately $100-105 in total fees, compared to Skydo's flat $29 regardless of invoice size.
Does Karbon charge a forex markup?
No separate markup beyond its flat fee, based on Karbon's public pages. Karbon applies a live forex rate and charges roughly 1% as its fee, which is tighter than a typical bank's 2-4% markup, though the flat percentage itself still scales with invoice size the way a bank's fee structure would.
Are there volume discounts on Karbon?
Karbon offers custom rates for higher volume transactions, available on request through its sales team. Below that threshold, standard exporters pay the same roughly 1% flat fee regardless of invoice size, with no automatic tiered discount published for smaller volumes.
What is the cheapest way to receive payments in India?
Flat-fee platforms built for India tend to be cheapest on larger invoices, since Karbon's 1% still scales with invoice size even without a separate markup. Skydo, for example, charges a flat $19-29 regardless of invoice size, which works out cheaper than Karbon's 1% once invoices cross a few thousand dollars.
Does Karbon provide FIRA?
Karbon auto-generates FIRA for every transaction at no extra cost, which is confirmed on its own pages. It does not explicitly confirm automated eBRC generation for Indian exporters, so if your DGFT filings specifically require eBRC, it's worth confirming that capability directly with Karbon before committing.
Should I use Karbon or Skydo?
If you mostly collect USD and want fast 24-48 hour settlement with automatic FIRA, Karbon's flat 1% fee is a solid choice. If you're receiving larger or infrequent invoices, or need multiple native currency accounts today, Skydo's flat-fee, India-first model may work out cheaper and more flexible overall.
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