USD account for international business
A USD account for an international business lets a company based outside the US receive, hold and pay US dollars without converting them on arrival, either with US routing and account numbers or through a dollar account at a bank abroad. The form matters: US details let American customers pay by ACH like any domestic supplier, while a dollar account abroad is paid by international wire. This guide explains the four types, the account details, the payment rails, the costs, the documents and how the money is protected.
- A USD account lets a company outside the US hold dollars and choose when to convert them, instead of having each receipt converted into its home currency on arrival.
- Only accounts with US routing and account numbers let US customers pay by ACH or domestic wire; a dollar account at a bank abroad is paid by international wire over SWIFT.
- The US dollar is on one side of 89% of global foreign exchange trades, according to the BIS Triennial Survey for April 2025.
- Fedwire accepts customer transfers until 6:45 p.m. ET on business days, and Same Day ACH payments can be up to $1 million each.
- US rules require banks and their partners to verify every individual who owns 25% or more of a company, including a company formed outside the US.
- FDIC insurance covers deposits at insured US banks up to $250,000 per depositor, per bank, per ownership category, while payment stablecoins are not federally insured.
What a USD account for an international business is
A USD account for an international business is any account that lets a company based outside the United States receive, hold and pay US dollars as dollars. The company keeps the money in USD until it decides to convert it, instead of having every receipt changed into its home currency on arrival.
There are two broad kinds, and the difference decides how customers can pay you:
- US account details. The company receives a US routing number and account number. A US customer pays it by ACH or domestic wire, exactly as it pays a supplier in Ohio or Texas. ACH is the US network for batch bank transfers, used for most business-to-business payments. A domestic wire in the US travels over Fedwire, the Federal Reserve's same-day payment system.
- A dollar account outside the US. A bank in Mexico, Hong Kong or the UAE holds USD for the company. A US customer pays it by an international wire over SWIFT, the messaging network banks use to send cross-border payments, and the dollars pass through one or more US correspondent banks on the way. A correspondent bank is a bank that holds accounts for other banks and processes their payments in a currency.
Both are USD accounts. Only the first lets a US buyer treat you like a domestic supplier. That matters because many US accounts payable teams pay by ACH by default and ask for wire instructions only by exception.
A USD account is a single-currency tool. A company that also invoices in euros or sterling usually wants a multi-currency business account that holds USD alongside other balances.
Why international businesses hold US dollars
The dollar is the currency of international trade, even for trade that never touches the United States. A Brazilian exporter selling to China, or a Nigerian importer buying from Türkiye, is often quoted and paid in USD.
| Measure | Dollar share | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Global foreign exchange trades with USD on one side | 89% | April 2025 |
| Daily global foreign exchange turnover | $9.6 trillion a day | April 2025 |
| Trade invoiced in USD, Asia-Pacific | 74% | Average, 1999 to 2019 |
| Trade invoiced in USD, rest of the world | 79% | Average, 1999 to 2019 |
| International payments over SWIFT in USD | About 50% | 2010 to 2024 |
| Disclosed global official foreign exchange reserves held in USD | 58% | 2024 |
Sources: BIS Triennial Central Bank Survey, media release of 30 September 2025; Federal Reserve, The International Role of the U.S. Dollar, 2025 edition (FEDS Notes, 18 July 2025). As published on 29 October 2026.
For a trading company, the practical consequence is that dollars arrive and dollars leave. If both the sale and the purchase are in USD, converting the receipt into local currency and then buying dollars back to pay a supplier costs two currency conversions on the same money.
What two conversions cost
Providers convert at a reference rate plus a margin. As one example of a published margin, Revolut Business's US multi-currency page states a 0.6% fee on exchanges beyond the plan's monthly allowance, and 1% outside market hours. At 0.6% each way, a company that converts $1,000,000 of USD receipts into local currency and later converts the same amount back into USD to pay suppliers pays about $12,000 in margin, before any transfer fees. Holding the dollars and paying the supplier from the USD balance removes both conversions on that money.
Holding dollars is not free of risk. A company with costs in its home currency still has to convert at some point, and the rate can move against it while it waits. The point of a USD account is that the company chooses when to convert, rather than the bank converting on arrival.
Four types of USD account
A company outside the US has four main ways to hold dollars. They differ in who holds the money, how a US customer pays, and what protection applies.
| Type | Who holds the money | How a US customer pays | Main limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| US bank account for the foreign company | A US bank, in the foreign company's name | ACH or domestic wire | Each bank sets its own policy on accepting foreign companies |
| US subsidiary with a US account | A US bank or fintech, in the name of the new US company | ACH or domestic wire | A second company to run, with its own US tax filings |
| Fintech account with US details | A non-bank provider, with funds held at partner banks | ACH or domestic wire to the details issued | Each provider publishes which countries of registration it accepts |
| Dollar account at a bank at home | A local bank in the company's own country | International wire over SWIFT | Intermediary fees, slower arrival, and local foreign exchange rules |
Source: Helm Editorial Team, from providers' own eligibility pages. As published on 29 October 2026.
The first three give US details; the fourth does not. A fifth option, holding dollar stablecoins such as USDC or USDT, is covered below: a stablecoin is a digital token designed to keep a steady value against the dollar, but a stablecoin balance is not a bank deposit.
Which type fits depends on where the company is registered and where its customers and suppliers are. Our guide on the US bank account for a foreign company compares the four routes step by step.
The account details you receive and what each one is for
US accounts do not use the IBAN, the International Bank Account Number format used across Europe. A US account is identified by a routing number, which identifies the bank, and an account number. The details you give a payer depend on where the payer is.
| Detail | Used by | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Account holder name | Every payer | It should be your company's legal name, not the provider's name |
| Routing number | US payers sending ACH or domestic wires | Give the number the provider lists for the rail the payer uses |
| Account number | Every payer | Unique to your company, so receipts can be matched without a reference |
| Account type | US payers | Wise lists the account type for its USD details as Checking |
| SWIFT or BIC code | Payers outside the US sending international wires | A BIC has at most 11 characters and identifies the receiving bank |
| Bank name and address | Payers outside the US | Required on most international wire forms |
| Your company address | Payers outside the US | Wise states that SWIFT payments without the recipient's address are rejected |
Sources: Wise, How do I use my USD bank details; Deutsche Bundesbank, The technical standard in SEPA (BIC length). As published on 29 October 2026.
Put the details on every invoice and in a signed letter to each customer's accounts payable team. Expect a careful customer to confirm the change by phone on a number it already holds before paying the new details, and welcome the check.
How dollars move: ACH, Fedwire and SWIFT
Three payment systems carry almost all business dollars. Each has its own hours, limits and arrival times.
| Rail | Hours and limits | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|
| ACH (standard) | Processed in batches on US business days | Wise states incoming ACH usually arrives within hours and can take up to 4 working days |
| Same Day ACH | Up to $1 million per payment since March 2022 | Same business day if submitted within the bank's same-day windows |
| Fedwire (domestic wire) | Opens 9:00 p.m. ET the previous calendar day; customer transfers cut off at 6:45 p.m. ET; closes 7:00 p.m. ET; not on weekends or Federal Reserve holidays | Wise states domestic wires usually arrive within minutes, up to 1 working day |
| SWIFT (international wire) | Depends on each bank in the chain and the time zones involved | Wise states SWIFT usually arrives within 1 working day, sometimes up to 6 |
Sources: Federal Reserve Financial Services, Fedwire Funds Service operating hours; Nacha, What a difference $1 million makes for Same Day ACH; Wise, How do I use my USD bank details. As published on 29 October 2026.
The Federal Reserve has announced that it will add Sundays and weekday holidays to Fedwire's operating days, planned for 2028 or 2029, with daily hours unchanged. Until then, a wire sent after the 6:45 p.m. ET cut-off on a Friday waits until Monday.
Charge codes on international wires
A SWIFT payment carries a charge code. OUR means the sender pays all fees, so the full amount arrives. SHA shares the fees: the sender pays its own bank, and intermediary banks may deduct theirs from the amount. BEN puts all fees on the recipient. A USD account with US details avoids most of this when the payer is in the US, because the payment travels as a domestic ACH or Fedwire transfer instead of a SWIFT message. Our guide to SWIFT vs ACH vs Fedwire covers the three rails in more depth.
What a USD account costs
Few providers charge only one fee. Budget for each line below, and compare providers on the total for your own pattern of payments.
| Cost line | When it applies | One published example |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving ACH | A US customer pays by ACH | Wise: usually free to receive |
| Receiving a domestic wire | A US customer pays by Fedwire | Wise: 6.11 USD |
| Receiving a SWIFT wire | A customer outside the US pays | Wise: 6.11 USD |
| Intermediary deductions | SWIFT payments sent with SHA or BEN | Set by each bank in the chain; not published in advance |
| Currency conversion | You convert USD to or from another currency | Revolut Business US: 0.6% beyond the monthly allowance; 1% outside market hours |
| Sending payments | You pay suppliers by ACH, wire or SWIFT | Set by each provider; check the fee and the charge code |
Sources: Wise, How do I use my USD bank details; Revolut Business, Multi-currency accounts (US). As published on 29 October 2026.
The margin on conversion is usually the largest cost, because it applies to every converted dollar while transfer fees are fixed. On the 0.6% example, converting $50,000 costs $300; the same conversion on a weekend at 1% costs $500. Ask each provider for its margin on your main currency pair, against a named reference rate, and check whether the rate changes outside market hours.
A cheap account in the wrong form can still be expensive. If US customers cannot pay by ACH because you only have a dollar account abroad, each receipt arrives by SWIFT with a receiving fee and possible deductions along the way.
What it takes to open one
US banks, and the fintech providers that work through them, apply the same federal anti-money laundering rules to a foreign company as to a US one. FinCEN's customer due diligence rule defines a legal entity customer to include any similar entity formed under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction that opens an account. FinCEN is the US Treasury bureau that enforces those rules.
- Owners. The institution must identify and verify each individual who owns 25% or more of the company, directly or indirectly, and one individual with significant responsibility to control or manage it.
- Identity numbers. For owners who are not US persons, the identification number can be a US taxpayer identification number, a passport number with its country of issuance, an alien identification card number, or the number of another government-issued document showing nationality or residence and bearing a photo.
- A US tax number, when asked. An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is the US federal tax number for a business. A company with no US office cannot apply online, but can obtain one by calling the IRS on 267-941-1099.
| Document | Why it is requested |
|---|---|
| Certificate of incorporation and company register extract | Proves the company exists and where it is registered |
| Articles or bylaws and a list of directors | Shows who can act for the company |
| Ownership chart down to individuals of 25% or more | Required under the customer due diligence rule |
| Passport and proof of address for each owner and the controlling individual | Identity verification |
| Proof of the company's operating address | Confirms where the company actually operates |
| Invoices, contracts or a website | Shows the trade behind the expected payments |
| Expected monthly volumes and main counterparties | Lets the provider recognize normal activity and avoid holds |
Source: 31 CFR 1010.230, beneficial ownership requirements for legal entity customers; IRS, Instructions for Form SS-4. As published on 29 October 2026.
Eligibility is set provider by provider and usually turns on the country where the company is registered. For the full process, see our guides on how to open a US business bank account as a non-resident and on the routes open to a foreign company.
Where the dollars sit: deposit insurance, safeguarding and stablecoins
Two accounts that look the same in an app can carry very different protection. Ask every provider where your dollars are held and in whose name.
| Where the money is | Protection | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit at an FDIC-insured US bank | $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category; a corporation's account is covered up to $250,000 per corporation | Is the bank FDIC-insured, and is the account in your company's name? |
| Balance with a non-bank provider | Set by the provider's own license and the rules of the country that licenses it | Which partner bank holds the funds, and in whose name? |
| Dollar account at a bank outside the US | The home country's deposit insurance scheme, where one exists and covers foreign currency | Does the local scheme cover USD deposits? |
| USD stablecoin balance | Not federally insured; under the GENIUS Act, issuers must hold at least one dollar of permitted reserves for each dollar of stablecoins | Who issued the token, and can you redeem it? |
Sources: FDIC, Deposit Insurance at a Glance; Congressional Research Service, Stablecoin Legislation: An Overview of the GENIUS Act of 2025 (P.L. 119-27). As published on 29 October 2026.
The GENIUS Act, signed on 18 July 2025, set the first US federal framework for payment stablecoins. The Congressional Research Service notes that payment stablecoins are not federally insured. A business that receives USDC or USDT should treat those balances as separate from its bank deposits, and convert them to USD in an account in its own name before relying on them for payroll or supplier payments.
Choosing a USD account, and where Helm fits
Whichever provider you choose, run through this list first:
- List who pays you in USD and how: US customers paying by ACH need US details; customers abroad will send SWIFT either way.
- List who you pay in USD, so you can pay suppliers from the USD balance instead of converting twice.
- Check that your country of registration is on the provider's published eligibility list before applying.
- Confirm the account details are in your company's legal name.
- Ask for the conversion margin on your main currency pair and whether it changes outside market hours.
- Ask where the dollars are held and what protection applies.
- Prepare the ownership chart, identity documents and evidence of trade before you apply.
- Test the account with one ACH payment and one wire before you change your invoices.
Helm is a financial technology company, not a bank. Accounts are held with regulated partner institutions. A Helm account gives a trading company USD account details in its own name, with a routing and account number that receives ACH, Fedwire and SWIFT payments, alongside EUR details with an IBAN and GBP details with a sort code.
- Get paid. Collections from buyers abroad can be held in USD or converted.
- Pay suppliers. International payments go by SWIFT or by local rails in the supplier's currency where available, with the rate, fee and expected arrival shown before sending.
- Stablecoins. USDC and USDT can be received, sent and converted to USD inside the account.
- Finance. Supplier finance, receivables finance and working capital are arranged case by case.
Each account has a named account manager, and review questions are answered in writing within one business day. Eligibility depends on where the company is registered. Helm agrees pricing with each business in writing before the account opens, and shows the rate, the fee and the expected arrival before you confirm each payment.
Open a Helm account
USD, EUR and GBP accounts in your company's name, with a named account manager.
Open accountQuestions
What is a USD account for international business?
It is an account that lets a company based outside the US receive, hold and pay US dollars without converting them on arrival. It can come with US routing and account numbers, so US customers pay by ACH or domestic wire, or it can be a dollar account at a bank outside the US that is paid by international wire.
Can a company outside the US get US account details?
Yes, through a US bank that accepts foreign companies, through a US subsidiary, or through a fintech provider that issues US details to companies from its list of eligible countries. Each provider publishes which countries of registration it accepts.
Why do international businesses hold US dollars?
Because so much trade is priced in dollars. The Federal Reserve reports that 74% of Asia-Pacific trade and 79% of trade in the rest of the world was invoiced in USD on average between 1999 and 2019. Holding USD lets a company pay dollar suppliers from dollar receipts without converting twice.
Do US accounts have an IBAN?
No. US accounts are identified by a routing number and an account number. Payers outside the US also need the bank's SWIFT or BIC code, the bank's name and address, and your company's address.
How long does a USD payment take to arrive?
It depends on the rail. Wise states that incoming ACH usually arrives within hours and can take up to 4 working days, domestic wires within minutes to 1 working day, and SWIFT payments usually within 1 working day but sometimes up to 6.
What are Fedwire's operating hours?
Fedwire opens at 9:00 p.m. ET on the preceding calendar day, accepts customer transfers until 6:45 p.m. ET and closes at 7:00 p.m. ET. It does not operate on weekends or Federal Reserve holidays, though the Fed plans to add Sundays and weekday holidays in 2028 or 2029.
Is a USD account insured?
Deposits at an FDIC-insured US bank are covered up to $250,000 per depositor, per bank, per ownership category. Balances with a non-bank provider are protected under that provider's own license rules, and payment stablecoins are not federally insured.
Does a foreign company need an EIN for a USD account?
Not always, but many US banks and providers ask for one. A company with no US office cannot use the IRS online application; it can call the IRS on 267-941-1099 or apply by fax or mail with Form SS-4.
What documents are needed for a USD business account?
Expect a certificate of incorporation, articles, a list of directors, an ownership chart to individuals with 25% or more, passports and proof of address for owners, and evidence of the trade. US rules require the provider to verify each 25% owner and one controlling individual.
Is a USD account the same as a multi-currency account?
No. A USD account holds one currency. A multi-currency account holds several balances, such as USD, EUR and GBP, and often gives local details to receive some of them.
References
- Federal Reserve: The International Role of the U.S. Dollar, 2025 edition (FEDS Notes, 18 July 2025)
- BIS: Global FX trading hits $9.6 trillion per day in April 2025 (Triennial Survey media release)
- Federal Reserve Financial Services: Fedwire Funds Service and National Settlement Service operating hours
- Nacha: What a difference $1 million makes for Same Day ACH
- Wise: How do I use my USD bank details
- 31 CFR 1010.230: Beneficial ownership requirements for legal entity customers
- FDIC: Deposit Insurance at a Glance
- Congressional Research Service: Stablecoin Legislation, an Overview of the GENIUS Act of 2025 (P.L. 119-27)
This guide is general information for businesses, not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules, fees and timings were checked against the sources listed on the review date and may change.