How do I invoice an international client?

You can absolutely invoice a client in another country with Fee-Lion. The key thing to know up front: Fee-Lion bills in your account’s single currency, so the cleanest approach is to agree on that currency and your payment terms with the client before you send anything, state them plainly on the invoice, and let them pay by card so the money lands in your own Stripe account no matter where they are.

Agree on the currency first

Fee-Lion doesn’t do multi-currency, so every estimate and invoice you create is denominated in the currency of your account. That’s not a limitation so much as a decision you make once: pick the currency you actually want to be paid in, then make sure your client knows that’s what they’re agreeing to.

• If you bill in USD and your client is in the EU, your invoice total reads in USD and their card is charged in USD (their bank handles the conversion on their side).
• Say it out loud in the estimate or a line note: “All amounts in USD.” No surprises at checkout means faster approvals.
• If a client insists on being billed in their own currency, that’s a sign Fee-Lion’s single-currency model may not fit that particular engagement, and it’s better to know that before you’ve done the work.

Tip: Lock the currency conversation in at the estimate stage. When a client approves an estimate in the portal, they’re agreeing to the numbers exactly as shown, currency and all, which gives you a clean paper trail before a single invoice goes out.

Let them pay by card

This is where international billing gets easy. Once you’ve connected Stripe, every invoice carries a Pay button, and your client pays by card from wherever they are, no login required. The funds settle into your Stripe account, so you never wait on a wire or chase a bank transfer across borders.

1. Connect your account under Settings → Preferences (or follow the connect-Stripe flow) so the Pay button goes live.
2. Create the invoice from the Invoices sidebar item, or convert an approved estimate so the line items carry over.
3. Send it. Your client opens the magic-link portal, reviews the invoice, and pays by card.
4. The payment lands in your Stripe (minus a small platform fee), and the invoice flips to paid automatically.

Because it’s a card payment, an international client doesn’t need to figure out IBANs or routing numbers, and you don’t need an account in their country. Their card just works.

State your terms clearly

Distance and time zones make vague terms expensive. Set sensible defaults once and they’ll print on every invoice.

• Under Settings → Preferences, set your default payment terms (Net 14, Net 30, whatever fits) so due dates are explicit.
• For new or unfamiliar overseas clients, ask for a deposit up front, set a default deposit percentage and the portal collects it before you start.
• If a tax applies to your work, use the tax field to add it as a percentage. Cross-border tax rules vary widely by location, so check with an accountant about what you should be charging and showing, then let Fee-Lion’s tax % field reflect their answer.

Watch for the slow payer

A late invoice halfway around the world is still a late invoice. Keep an eye on your invoice aging in Reports, and send a friendly reminder if something drifts past its due date. The portal makes paying a one-click affair, so most reminders just need a nudge.

Tip: If a client’s card is declined, it’s usually their bank flagging an unfamiliar international charge, not a Fee-Lion problem. Ask them to retry or call their bank, and the Pay button will work on the second attempt.

What’s next

• Connect Stripe to get paid
• Set your default payment terms
• Configure your tax defaults
• Client card was declined: what to do