Working for clients abroad? Here is how to pay for your tools in dollars
Many freelancers who work for clients abroad get paid in dollars, while hosting, software, ads and domains also bill in dollars by card. A virtual Visa card with a US-dollar balance keeps those expenses in one place.
Why a dollar card helps freelancers
The tools you need for the work, from hosting and design software to ad accounts and domains, usually charge in US dollars and take payment only by card. When they all go on your personal card, it is hard to see what the work really costs each month.
Guarapay issues a virtual prepaid Visa card with a US-dollar balance in about two minutes, right in the app. You top up your balance in the app, and the card pays your work expenses like any other Visa card.
Because the balance is in dollars, a dollar-priced tool is charged as is. If a service bills in a local currency, Visa converts the amount to dollars on the purchase date.
Step by step: from scattered expenses to one work card
- List the tools you pay for every month and what each one costs.
- Open the Guarapay app or the Telegram mini app @guarapay_bot, create an account and complete identity verification.
- Issue the virtual card; the issue fee is US$ 10 on Standard or US$ 100 on Premium.
- Top up your balance in the app with at least US$ 10; the top-up fee is 2%.
- In the app, set a monthly cap and a per-purchase cap based on your list.
- Add the card to your hosting, software, ad or domain accounts with the card number, expiry date and security code.
- Follow the purchase notifications in the app to see each work charge as it happens.
Keeping work expenses in order
Using one card only for work tools keeps business spending apart from personal spending, and you get a notification in the app for every purchase.
The card has a monthly spending limit of US$ 10,000 on Standard and US$ 100,000 on Premium, and in the app you can set your own lower monthly cap and a per-purchase cap, which helps with ad accounts that charge automatically.
There is no monthly fee; each approved purchase costs US$ 0.25, taken from the balance with the purchase. If your work spending is high, compare the 2% top-up fee on Standard with 1% on Premium.
Common mistakes
- Mixing personal purchases into the work card; then the purchase notifications no longer show what the work costs.
- Letting the balance run out before your hosting or software renews; the payment is declined and the money stays on your balance.
- Forgetting that taxes on income received from abroad depend on your situation; check the rules that apply to you.
Beyond work tools
The same card works online wherever Visa cards are accepted, so you can also use it for courses, stock photo sites and anything else you buy for your work. Some merchants may decline cards according to their own rules.
Whatever is left on the balance stays on the card for the next renewals, and you can freeze the card in one tap when a project is on hold.
FAQ
Can I keep work expenses apart from personal ones?
Yes, use the virtual card only for work tools; every purchase triggers a notification in the app, and the monthly and per-purchase caps are yours to set.
Can I pay for hosting, ads and domains with the card?
Yes, wherever Visa cards are accepted online; some merchants may decline cards according to their own rules.
Do I have to pay taxes on what I earn from abroad?
It depends on your situation and the rules where you live; Guarapay shows card fees only and does not give tax advice.
Is there a monthly fee for the card?
No, there is no monthly fee; you pay the issue fee of US$ 10 (US$ 100 on Premium), the top-up fee of 2% (1% on Premium) and US$ 0.25 per approved purchase.