How to get paid in dollars as a freelancer in Nigeria

A client is ready to pay you and asks where to send the money. You need a dollar account, and you need it before the invoice is due. The right account depends on how your client pays you and what you plan to do with the money once it arrives.

In short

• You can get paid in dollars in Nigeria through a USD account, a freelance platform's withdrawal methods, or a domiciliary account.
• A client who pays you directly needs your account details to make a bank transfer to you.
• On a freelance platform such as Upwork, you withdraw your earnings to an account you've added.
• You may be charged a fee at more than one point, from receiving the money to converting it, so compare the costs before you choose.
• With a Juicyway USD account, you receive dollars into an account in your own name and convert them to naira whenever you choose.

How freelancers in Nigeria get paid in dollars

How you receive dollars depends on who pays you. A client who works with you directly pays into your own account, so they need your account details. On a freelance platform, your client pays the platform, and you then withdraw your earnings to your own account.

Clients who pay you directly

A client in the US can pay you by domestic bank transfer when you have a USD account with a US account number and a routing number. They make the same transfer they'd make to anyone in the US, instead of an international wire. A routing number is the nine-digit number that identifies a US bank.

Clients outside the US can pay you in dollars too. A client who pays in pounds or euros needs the details of an account in that currency.

Freelance platforms

On Upwork, your earnings are added to your available balance, and you withdraw them to an account you've added as a withdrawal method. You can add a USD account with a US account number and a routing number as your withdrawal method. The steps are in our Upwork guide.

Domiciliary account or USD account

Both let you receive dollars. The difference is how your client pays into each one and what you pay to convert or move the money.

A domiciliary account is a foreign currency account at a Nigerian bank. A client abroad pays into it by international transfer, and each bank sets the fee you pay to receive that transfer.

A USD account from a cross-border payments company is an account in US dollars that clients and platforms can pay into. Which payment methods your clients can use, and the fees you pay, depend on the provider.

Before you choose an account, check:

• Payment method: Can your client pay you by bank transfer?
• Receiving fees: Does the provider charge you when a payment comes in?
• Conversion and withdrawal costs: What does it cost to convert your dollars to naira or move them to another account?
• Requirements: Which documents and verification steps does the provider ask for?
• Timing: Can you keep your dollars and convert them when you need naira?

After the dollars arrive

You might need naira straight away for your living costs, or you might want to keep some dollars for a payment you'll make later. With a USD account, you choose when to convert your dollars to naira.

The exchange rate, the price of one currency in another, moves up and down, so you won't always get more naira by waiting.

Fees to check

You may be charged a fee when a payment comes in, and again when you convert or withdraw your money. Your freelance platform may also charge a withdrawal fee, which is the cost of moving your earnings from the platform to your own account.

Before you share your account details

• Currency: Ask which currency your client will pay in.
• Account details: Share the account details for the currency your client pays in.
• Account name: Make sure the name on your account matches the name your client or platform has for you.
• Fees: Check the receiving, withdrawal, and conversion fees.
• Limits: Confirm your account and the platform accept the amount you expect.
• Withdrawal setup: Finish the platform's verification and activation steps before you need the money.

Receiving dollars with Juicyway

A Juicyway USD account comes with a US account number and a routing number in your name. A client in the US can pay you by same-day wire or by ACH, the US payment network that connects bank and credit union accounts. Clients and international platforms outside the US can pay into your USD account too.

You can keep your dollars in your USD account and convert them to naira whenever you choose. Your Juicyway app shows the exchange rate before you confirm the conversion. Juicyway doesn't charge a fee when dollars come into your USD account.

Juicyway also offers pound, euro, and Canadian dollar accounts in one app, so clients can also pay you in pounds or euros. You need a USD account before you can request a pound or euro account.

Open a Juicyway account

Key terms

• USD account: An account in US dollars that clients and platforms can pay into.
• Domiciliary account: A foreign currency account at a Nigerian bank.
• Routing number: The nine-digit number that identifies a US bank.
• ACH: The US payment network that connects bank and credit union accounts.
• Exchange rate: The price of one currency in another, such as the naira price of one dollar.
• Withdrawal fee: The cost of moving your earnings from a platform to your own account.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get paid in dollars while living in Nigeria?

Yes. You can receive dollars into a USD account, such as a Juicyway USD account, including earnings you withdraw from a freelance platform.

What app can I use to receive dollars in Nigeria?

Juicyway gives you a USD account with a US account number and a routing number in your name. Clients and platforms can pay into it, and you convert your dollars to naira in your Juicyway app when you want to.

Can a client outside the US pay into my Juicyway USD account?

Yes. Clients and international platforms outside the US can pay into your Juicyway USD account. So can clients in the US.

Do I have to convert dollars to naira as soon as I receive them?

No. You can keep your dollars in your Juicyway USD account and convert them when you need naira.

What details does a client in the US need to pay me?

They need the account number, the routing number, and the name on your USD account. For a Juicyway USD account, you'll find these in your Juicyway app: open USD and tap 'Account details'.