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It’s no secret that freelancers and businesses search for Payoneer alternatives to continue operating within their spheres. But why is this sudden shift in needing an alternative payment system?

Payoneer was the holy grail of the freelance and business world. However, as of February 1st, 2022, Payoneer updated its TOS (terms of service) and expanded the list of prohibited transactions. In Payoneer’s statement, you can see which transactions the company deems illegal. The list includes basic transactions that long-standing members have been doing for years. 

So naturally, people were shocked when Facebook groups started spamming with calls for help due to funds being frozen or outright accounts terminated due to violation of the TOS.  The sudden change in Payoneer’s behavior was met with disappointment and anger among the wider community.

So that’s why we’re here to tell you all about the best 5 Payoneer alternatives freelancers and businesses can use. But first, let’s explain what Payoneer is for those who don’t know.

What Is Payoneer, and What’s Their Business Model?

Payoneer is an international payment platform where anyone can send and receive payments for goods and services. The service launched in 2005 and became available in most countries where other payment platforms weren’t. Freelancers and businesses who operate online adopted Payoneer immediately. 

As of 2005, the team has worked tirelessly to make Payoneer available to everyone. It supports more than 150 currencies, with members being able to open balances for each specific currency. 

More so, Payoneer allows users to order physical and virtual cards to pay in-store, online, and make ATM withdrawals. Members can also send or receive money to anyone with a Payoneer account. Freelancers can send invoices, and businesses can pay for their services. The Payoneer ecosystem was one of the best in the online payment world. But if it is one of the best, why is the business and freelance community looking for Payoneer alternatives? 

If you read the previous section, balance freezing and account terminations are common after February 2022. So you would panic if that happened to you. So that brings us to the topic of our article. What are the best Payoneer alternatives for freelancers and businesses?

Stick around as we’ll get into that.

Best 5 Payoneer Alternatives 

Below is a quick rundown of the best Payoneer alternatives for freelancers and businesses in 2022. The list includes the following:

1. PayPal
2. Stripe
3. Razorpay
4. Skrill
5. Wise (Former TransferWise)

We’ve also included a table that lays out the most relevant information freelancers and businesses need to determine which Payoneer alternative works best for them.

With that said, let’s jump into the list.

PayPal

Many consider PayPal the best online payment system in the world. PayPal is a well-known name in the community, and you’ve probably heard about it. PayPal is a Payoneer competitor in many respects, hence why there is an ongoing Payoneer vs. PayPal debate in the community. 

What makes PayPal one of the best Payoneer alternatives, and one of the best Payoneer competitors, is that you can easily send and receive payments. Recurring payments and subscription payments are also made possible through PayPal. But what makes PayPal so impressive is that it is the most widely-used payment system in the world. Plenty of apps that pay instantly use PayPal as a means for users to withdraw funds. As such, there are many proven ways to earn PayPal money instantly. 

To sum up the Payoneer vs. PayPal debate, here’s what freelancers and businesses need to know about the prominent Payoneer competitor: 

PayPal Advantages

• Freelance-friendly features, such as “PayPal.me,” enable freelancers to share their profiles and receive payments for their services;
• Business-friendly features, such as making recurring and subscription payments, are made easy with PayPal;
• Anyone can create an invoice and share it with their clients to collect payments;
• PayPal supports 25 currencies, including AUD, GBP, CAD, USD, EUR, BRL, HKD, HUG, JPY, NZD, RUB, CHF, etc. Users get automatic access to currency conversion;
• Free to sign up, no charges for product or service payments;
• Andriod and iOS apps;

PayPay Drawbacks

• Can freeze your account if you purchase suspicious or illegal items;
• High transaction fees for businesses and sellers – US businesses pay a 2.9% + $0.30 fee per transaction.

Stripe

Stripe is yet another global brand in the online payment community. Unlike PayPal and Payoneer, Stripe enables businesses to create discounts & coupons. It’s a feature that sets Stripe apart from the rest of the competition. This feature is a core reason why many online businesses prefer Stripe over Payoneer, and why many are actively choosing Stripe.

Here is a summary of why Stripe is a worthy Payoneer alternative and competitor: 

Stripe Advantages

• Freelance-friendly features that allow freelancers to create invoices with ease;
• Business-friendly features that allow businesses to use a subscription-based model and recurring payments;
• Multiple business integration options;
• Stripe supports more than 130 currencies such as GBP, USD, AUD, JPY, CAD, NZD, RUB, etc.; 
• Available in 40 countries;
• Free sign up, no extra charges for payments;
• Android and iOS apps.

Stripe Drawbacks

• High transaction fees for businesses and sellers – US businesses pay a 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction;
• Not beginner-friendly.

Razorpay

Razorpay emerged as a surprising alternative to Payoneer for non-US freelancers and businesses. The payment platform is the preferred option for the Indian markets. Although not as popular as some other payment platforms, Razorpay gives users access to a quick and reliable payment system with cross-platform capabilities. Considering the Indian market preference for Razorpay over Payoneer, here is what you need to know about this particular Payoneer alternative:

Razorpay Advantages

• Freelance-friendly features that allow setting up automatic payment reminders and invoices;
• Business-friendly features that allow recurring payments and subscriptions;
• Cross-platform payment capabilities – users can receive payments from clients sent via PayPal;
• Low transaction fees – 1% for payments via NEFT, IMPS, and Bank Transfer;
• No setup fees, no extra transaction fees;
• Ideal for Indian freelancers and businesses.

Razorpay Drawbacks

• Only supports INR (Indian Rupees);
• Only available in India.

Skrill

Skrill is an excellent Payoneer alternative and one of the few apps like PayPal. The payment system is a combination of both Payoneer and PayPal. Users can send and receive payments directly to their Skrill account, bank account, and use the app’s card to make in-store or online purchases.

Users can also send and receive payments by providing their email addresses. So usability is an excellent feature on Skrill. Just like Payoneer and PayPal, Skrill is a global payment system that both businesses and freelancers can use. Here is a rundown of what makes Skrill one of the best Payoneer alternatives:

Skrill Advantages

• Freelance-friendly features that allow receiving money directly to their Skrill account;
• Business-friendly features that support 3,000+ banks worldwide;
• Business integration as a payment method;
• Competitive exchange rates;
• Skrill supports 40+ currencies such as EUR, CAD, GBP, USD, BRL, AUD, etc.;
• Available in 120 countries;
• Low transaction fees;
• Andriod and iOS apps.

Skrill Drawbacks

• No support for recurring and subscription payments.

Wise (Former TransferWise)

Wise rebranded from TransferWise some time ago. But users should know that the online payment platform and its features and capabilities stayed the same. Wise is an excellent Payoneer online platform alternative as it operates as an online payment platform where freelancers and businesses can send and receive payments for goods and services. Funds can be transferred to your Wise account balance or directly to a bank account or credit/debit card. Here is what you need to know about Wise.

Wise Advantages

• Freelance-friendly features that allow receiving funds to Wise or bank account;
• Business-friendly features that allow paying for goods and services;
• Currency conversion calculator;
• Wise supports more than 50 currencies such as USD, EUR, AUD, CAD, JPY, etc.;
• Wise is available in more than 50 countries;
• Android and iOS apps;
• Transparent fee system.

Wise Drawbacks

• Currency conversion fee between 0.3%-3%;
• If you want to charge your Wise balance, you have to pay a 0.2% of the total amount as a fee;
• Supports only bank to bank transfers.

Conclusion

That concludes our list of the best 5 Payoneer alternatives for freelancers and businesses in 2022. While these payment solutions have widespread use in the online community, it’s a shame that we have to look for an alternative in the first place. Regardless, when one solution loses interest from the community, others are there to fill up the gap.  

FAQs

What is the best alternative to Payoneer?

There is no best alternative to Payoneer. Instead, there are several top alternatives to Payoneer for freelancers and business. The list includes:

• PayPal
• Stripe
• Razorpay
• Skrill
• Wise (Former TransferWise)

Is there an alternative to Payoneer?

Yes, there are. Popular options include PayPal, Stripe, Razorpay (for Indian market), Skrill, and Wise.

Is Skrill better than Payoneer?

In many regards, yes. Skrill offers more currencies, zero transaction fees for abroad transfers, and even Bitcoin payments.