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Guide . 8 min read

Wise Alternatives for Indian Freelancers: Why Choose HiWiPay

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IN THIS ARTICLE

PUBLISHED

Remember when getting paid meant walking to a counter, signing a slip, and leaving with proof in your hand?

Now the counter lives inside an app, the signature is a click, and the proof takes three business days to reach your bank.

Freelancers went remote.Payments didn’t.

1. The New Freelance Equation

Today’s freelancers are global by default. A designer in Pune delivers to Berlin. A developer in Kochi debugs for Toronto. A strategist in Jaipur manages a client in Dubai.Work crosses borders faster than money does.

Platforms like Wise made the jump easier—fast onboarding, clean UX, easy foreign collection. But beneath that polish, every payment still passes through old corridors: intermediary banks, FX spreads, purpose codes, and delayed settlements.You earn instantly. You get paid eventually.


2. What “Simple” Actually Costs

Let’s make it tangible.

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That missing half-percent and few days of delay may not sound like much—but on recurring invoices, it’s a quiet pay cut.


3. HiWiPay: Built for Solo Professionals Who Think Like Firms

HiWiPay was designed for people who invoice across continents but still file taxes at home.You get your own global virtual account (powered by JPMorgan Chase) that receives client payments directly.Funds convert at the RBI reference rate, land in your Indian bank within 24 hours, and automatically generate e-FIRC/e-FIRA for compliance.

No conversion surprises. No “withdrawal available” notifications. No paperwork stack.Just money arriving the way work does ; clean, quick, and confirmed.


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4. The Missing Hour in Every Freelancer’s Day

Every freelancer loses an hour somewhere—checking dashboards, refreshing balances, matching payments with invoices.HiWiPay gives that hour back.

Each receipt auto-matches with its invoice, syncs with Zoho Books, Tally, or QuickBooks, and tags the correct RBI purpose code.Your accountant sees what you see. Your books close themselves.


5. Beyond Alternatives

Wise and others made cross-border work possible; HiWiPay makes it practical.It doesn’t compete on branding, it competes on completeness:real-time settlements, bank-grade RBI compliance, and FIRC proof you can actually download without chasing support threads.

That’s not an alternative. That’s evolution.The freelance world moved on.You can design in one time zone, deliver in another, and still wait in the same old banking queue.HiWiPay ends that queue.Because the modern freelancer’s commute isn’t from home to office anymore—it’s from invoice to income.


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About HiWiPay EXIM

HiWiPay EXIM helps Indian freelancers and independent professionals get paid like businesses do—fast, compliant, and complete. With zero-markup FX, same-day INR settlements, and auto documentation that meets RBI standards, it brings enterprise-grade payment clarity to individual creators. Powered by JPMorgan Chase infrastructure and built under the leadership of Dewang Neralla (ex-Atom Technologies, NTT Data Payments), HiWiPay EXIM transforms freelancer payments from a waiting game into a working system.

Looking to Simplify Your Global Payment Process?

Our team of international payment experts is ready to help you streamline your payment processes and expand your global reach.

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FAQs

About virtual bank accounts

How can I receive international payments in India?

You can open a free global multi-currency account with HiWiPay, And start receiving export payments from 25+ currencies and 150+ countries directly into your Indian bank account.

With HiWiPay, exporters typically receive payments within 24 hours.
Not at all. Setting up a HiWiPay global multi-currency account is completely free. Our support team assist you fully.
Platforms like HiWiPay let you open a free global multi-currency account, You can receive payments in USD, EUR, GBP, etc., and settle them directly into your local bank

FIRA (Foreign Inward Remittance Advice) is an official document issued by a bank confirming the receipt of foreign currency into your account. It serves as proof that an international payment has been received, as is often required for:

  • Regulatory compliance
  • Tax filings
  • Claiming export incentives
  • Accounting and audit purposes
How can I receive international payments in India?

You can open a free global multi-currency account with HiWiPay, And start receiving export payments from 25+ currencies and 150+ countries directly into your Indian bank account.

With HiWiPay, exporters typically receive payments within 24 hours.

Not at all. Setting up a HiWiPay global multi-currency account is completely free. Our support team assist you fully.
Platforms like HiWiPay let you open a free global multi-currency account, You can receive payments in USD, EUR, GBP, etc., and settle them directly into your local bank

Answer

Absolutely. HiWiPay uses bank-grade security and follow RBI compliance to ensure your international payments are safe, reliable, and fully compliant with Indian regulations.

A virtual account is a unique bank account number assigned to a business to collect and track payments efficiently. It is a reference for incoming funds linked to a master account.

Virtual accounts make receiving and managing payments easier by providing a unique bank account number for each transaction, customer, or business need. They are linked to a main bank account but act as separate identifiers, making tracking and reconciliation more efficient.

FIRA (Foreign Inward Remittance Advice) is an official document issued by a bank confirming the receipt of foreign currency into your account. It serves as proof that an international payment has been received, as is often required for:

  • Regulatory compliance
  • Tax filings
  • Claiming export incentives
  • Accounting and audit purposes

Yes, you can generate an e-BRC (electronic bank realization certificate) through HiWiPay portal. An e-BRC is an important document for exporters, as it serves as proof of foreign exchange realization and is required to claim export incentives under various government schemes.

To generate e-BRC, follow these steps.

Sign in to HiWiPay >> Click Start Shipment menu >> Click View or Edit button against invoice >> Check e-BRC tab >>

The Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999, governs foreign exchange transactions in India. It is designed to facilitate international trade while ensuring the stability of the foreign exchange market. For exporters, FEMA sets rules on receiving payment in foreign currency, repatriating funds, and maintaining proper documentation. It also requires that export earnings be realized within a specified timeframe and reported to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as per regulations. Following FEMA guidelines is essential for exporters to avoid penalties and ensure smooth international transactions.

The payment settlement time is less than 24 hours. Once the transaction is processed, the funds will be settled within a day.

Signing up for HiWiPay is quick and easy with our self-onboarding feature:

  1. Register with your email ID
  2. Complete the onboarding process
  3. Get notified once your account is successfully activated

Need help? Reach out to us exim@hiwipay.com for assistance

HiWiPay helps Indian exporters, importers, startups, service providers, consultants, agencies, and freelancers receive international payments effortlessly. We also assist with the end-to-end export pre & post shipment documentation process.
HiWiPay is a fintech company based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Absolutely! We secure international transactions by partnering with RBI-compliant banks and payment service providers (PSP). All payments are processed with high-security standards for complete peace of mind.
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