Cross-Border Payments Made Simple: A Dutch Business Guide to Going Global

Cross-border payments used to be something only big multinationals worried about. Now, they’re part of daily operations for Dutch businesses of every size, from eCommerce brands selling into Germany to SaaS companies charging clients in the US and drop shippers paying suppliers in China.

In 2023, the Netherlands exported over €686 billion in goods. That kind of volume demands faster, cheaper, more transparent ways to move money across borders, but the infrastructure hasn’t always kept up. Too many companies are still dealing with slow transfers, expensive currency conversions, and fragmented payment tools. 

This guide breaks down how cross-border payments work, common pitfalls for Dutch companies and how to choose a payment partner that supports your growth ambitions. 

What are cross-border payments?

A cross-border payment is any transaction where the sender and recipient are based in different countries. For example, a Dutch retailer might receive a payment in USD from a US customer; that money needs to be converted, cleared, and settled into their EUR account.

The challenge with cross-border payments isn’t just whether the money arrives but how fast, easy, and affordable the transaction is. They often involve:

• Currency conversion: Exchanging funds from one currency to another, usually with added fees

• Multiple payment systems: Funds may pass through several banks or networks, each adding time and cost

• Compliance checks: Anti-money laundering (AML) protocols, sanctions screening, and local regulations.

Why cross-border payments matter for Dutch businesses

In 2023, exports of goods and services made up 89% of Dutch GDP. The economy depends on international trade.

Any friction in how money moves across borders represents a real risk, impacting margins, cash flow, and competitiveness. You need reliable ways of getting paid by overseas customers, paying your suppliers abroad, managing your income in multiple currencies and moving funds between international subsidiaries to grow.

Yet many businesses still rely on outdated payment systems designed for domestic trade, not global operations.

Key players in international and cross-border payments

Chances are you’re already using at least one payment partner offering international support, whether a bank, established payment service provider (PSP), or fintech platform. Not all of them are designed with cross-border payments in mind.

Traditional Dutch banks: ING, Rabobank, ABN AMRO

Large domestic banks offer reliable infrastructure for businesses operating within Europe. They offer access to SEPA transfers, international wire payments (via SWIFT) and basic FX services. You can open a multi-currency account with ING¹ and ABN AMRO².

For payments within the EU or occasional international transfers, they’re stable options. Outside the Eurozone, businesses may find unfavourable FX rates, high forced currency conversions and slow transfer times compared to more modern platforms.

Established PSPs

These full-service payment platforms make accepting online payments in multiple currencies easy and are commonly used by Dutch businesses selling across borders. 

Mollie offers a straightforward setup with support for all major Dutch and EU payment methods, including iDEAL, Bancontact and Klarna. It accepts payments in 12 currencies³, with no monthly fees on the standard plan.

Adyen is popular with high-volume merchants and platforms. It provides global acquiring, supports 98+ payment methods⁴, and connects in-store and online payments into a single system. 

Stripe is flexible and widely adopted, supporting payments in 135+ currencies⁵ with automatic conversion. It offers modular products for recurring billing, invoicing, marketplaces, and one-off payments.

Cross-border fintechs

These platforms focus on speed, flexibility, and control for businesses operating across multiple markets.

Airwallex offers multi-currency business accounts, local currency accounts in 60+markets, and online payments in 130+ currencies. Our platform also includes transfers to 150+ countries at interbank rates, corporate cards, and spend controls.

Wise lets you hold nine currencies and pay out to 70+ countries⁶ at interbank rates. It’s simple for international payments, low-cost and doesn’t charge any monthly fees.

Revolut Business supports next-day settlements, holding 34 currencies⁷ and expense management features. It’s popular among freelancers and small teams managing international expenses.

Payoneer supports 30 holding currencies⁸, 70+ payout currencies, and local accounts in 9 markets. It’s widely used for global contractor and marketplace payments.

Payment networks

Banks, PSPs, and fintech platforms rely on global networks to move money between countries. These underlying payment rails determine how fast, transparent, and costly your cross-border payments will be.

SEPA is the default for Euro payments within the EU and EEA. It’s low-cost, fast, and reliable⁹ using International Bank Account Numbers (IBANs) to identify accounts across member states.

SWIFT is used for most international wire transfers outside SEPA. It works globally but can be slow, costly, and harder to track.

Visa and Mastercard power most card-based payments, including cross-border ones. They’re widely accepted, but fees and FX margins can stack up fast, especially for higher-value B2B use¹⁰.

Common challenges in cross-border transactions

Cost and hidden fees

Banks, PSPs, and even some fintechs often add 2-3% in transaction markups or payment fees. If your provider doesn’t support holding multiple currencies, you’ll likely be forced to convert funds every time you receive money in a currency that’s different from yours – look out for automatic conversion

Delays and limited visibility

Outside SEPA, payments can take days, especially when routed through multiple intermediaries. It’s often unclear where the funds are and what fees have been deducted, and some providers group payouts and only settle on fixed days.

Regulatory friction

Cross-border payments are subject to various local regulations: Anti-Money Laundering (AML) rules, Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, and data protection laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) all apply. Fintechs may streamline this, but compliance is still a factor, and errors can delay or block payments entirely. 

How to choose the best cross-border payment solution

Start with the fundamentals: Transparent and manageable FX rates, support for holding and settling in the currencies you deal in, and fast settlement times. If your finance team is spending time on manual uploads and reconciliations, look for a provider that integrates directly with your accounting software or ERP. And if you’re automating payments or embedding financial tools, make sure you have access to useful APIs.

Banks bring stability but tend to move slower and offer less flexibility. Fintechs are typically faster and cheaper, but may vary in coverage and support.

Here are a few questions worth asking before you commit to a new cross-border B2B payments provider:

• Can I hold and send funds in multiple currencies, or am I forced to convert?

• What’s your FX margin, and how is it calculated?

• Do you offer local receiving accounts in the currencies I use?

• How quickly can I send or receive payments in my key markets?

• Do you integrate with my accounting tools or support automation?

Understanding regulations and tax implications

Going global means dealing with more than payments; you also come up against different tax systems, reporting rules, and compliance risks. 

AML checks are needed when you send or receive payments, especially if they’re large or irregular. You may need to share the reason for the transfer or your relationship with the counterparty.

The Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) applies to all electronic payments within the EU; it lets platforms connect to your bank account. Your provider complies with it, not you, and it’s the reason you sometimes need two-step approval when sending or receiving payments online.

GDPR applies if you store or process customer data like billing information or contact details. You and your payment provider need to handle that data securely and store it in approved regions.

The Belastingdienst may require you to report international income. It’s worth checking with your accountant early to stay ahead of reporting requirements.

VAT and customs tend to get more complex when trading across borders. Depending on where your customers are, you may need to charge different VAT rates, register in other countries, or handle import duties.

Simplifying cross-border payments with Airwallex to go global

Cross-border payments don’t have to be expensive, delayed, or scattered across tools. 

Airwallex brings everything into one place so Dutch businesses can hold and manage funds in 23+ currencies, send payments to 150+ countries, and receive like a local with account details in major markets.

Whether you’re paying international invoices, running a global team, or billing clients abroad, you stay in control of how and when money moves with interbank FX rates + 0.5%–1%. All without being forced to convert every time money comes in.

Need to scale? Airwallex also lets you issue corporate cards, manage expenses, and customise your systems via API so your finances stay streamlined even as you grow.

Conclusion

Going global creates opportunity, but it also adds complexity around how you get paid, how you pay others, and how you stay compliant. If you’re a growing Dutch business, you may need to review everything from FX costs and currency accounts to local regulations and reporting.

The tools now exist to make this simpler, faster, and more cost-effective...but only if you choose the right setup early. The best cross-border partner payments stop being a barrier to growth and start becoming an advantage.

References

1 https://www.ing.nl/en/business/payments/business-account/foreign-currency-account

2 https://www.abnamro.nl/en/commercialbanking/products/foreign-currency-account/index.html?

3 https://www.mollie.com/nl/pricing

4 https://www.aboutpayments.com/knowledge-base/provider/adyen#:~:text=The%20only%20provider%20of%20a,mobile%2C%20and%20in%2Dstore.

5 https://docs.stripe.com/currencies#:~:text=You%20can%20charge%20customers%20in,native%20currency%20can%20increase%20sales

6 https://wise.com/business/

7 https://www.revolut.com/en-NL/business/multi-currency-accounts/

8 https://www.payoneer.com/marketplace/fx-foreign-exchange/

9 https://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/about-sepa/sepa-goals-and-benefits

10 https://www.winvesta.in/blog/businesses/swift-vs-local-transfers-which-is-the-best-payment-method-for-your-business