Shopify Balance International Payments: US Eligibility and Fees

Confirm US business and account eligibility first

Shopify announced the US release of international payments from Balance on October 6, 2026. The feature supports payments to suppliers, contractors and other recipients abroad. The destinations and fees below reflect the current Help Center guidance.

The sending business must be based in the United States, use an iOS or Android device with the Shopify Balance app, and pay a recipient with a bank account in a supported destination. International transfers are not yet available to all Balance accounts. If the app does not offer the option to add an international recipient, the Help Center says the account is not eligible yet.

You can initiate an international transfer only in the Balance mobile app. Shopify admin lets you review these transfers in transaction history but cannot initiate them. Assess the business's location, the specific account's eligibility and the recipient bank's location separately. Support for a recipient destination does not establish that businesses there can send payments.

Check the 13 destinations, currencies and payment networks

The current table includes Australia in AUD through BECS, Canada in CAD through EFT, China in CNY through SWIFT, Hong Kong in HKD through SWIFT, and Mexico in MXN through SPEI. The destination means the location of the recipient's bank account.

France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain all receive EUR through SEPA bank transfers. The remaining two entries are New Zealand in NZD through Direct Entry and the United Kingdom in GBP through Faster Payments. Together, these make 13 destinations; select the one matching the actual bank account.

The Help Center lists one payment network per destination, and the app shows the method when you select it. Recipients receive their local currency. A supplier's contact address or invoice currency is not a substitute for checking the bank account's location and recipient details.

For a hypothetical example, an eligible US merchant paying a supplier with a Canadian bank account would select Canada, with CAD and the EFT network, then review the recipient amount and fees in the app. The supplier accepting euro invoices would not make France the bank account destination.

Review both fees and the exchange-rate quote

The current table lists a fixed international transfer fee of $0.10 USD per transfer, except for Hong Kong and Mexico at $0.50 USD. All 13 destinations have an exchange fee of 0.75% of the amount sent. Both fees are charged in the currency you send from, separately from the transfer amount rather than deducted from the recipient amount shown for that transfer. The recipient's bank may still charge its own international receiving fees.

After you enter an amount, the app shows the sending amount, the amount in the recipient's currency, the exchange rate and how long that quote is held. Check those figures and the fee breakdown before sending. If the quote expires, get a new rate. This Help Center page does not give one universal quote-hold duration, so a displayed rate or fee should not be treated as a permanent promise.

Add the recipient using their bank-registered details

First, tap the Now icon in the Balance app, open Settings > Recipients and tap the plus icon. For your first saved recipient, choose Create recipient.

Second, choose Individual for a person or Business for a company. Select the location of the bank account and enter the legal name registered with the bank. A nickname helps identification but does not replace that legal name.

Third, check the delivery network under Payment method and fill in the bank details that the app requires for that destination. Review them and select Add recipient to save. Do not copy another country’s field list without checking.

Check the amount and shared daily limit before sending

Check the remaining daily allowance under Settings > Transfer limits first. International transfers share this limit with transfers to US recipients. Once it is reached, wait for it to reset. The page does not give a universal numeric limit for every account.

When ready, tap the Wallet icon, then Move money > Send. Use Select account to choose the Balance account to pay from and Select recipient to choose the saved international recipient.

Enter an amount in your own currency or the recipient’s currency, then tap Review. If needed, add and save a description with Add description. Finally, check the exchange rate, fees, quote validity and recipient amount before tapping Send.

Use transaction history to check progress and fees

Transfer initiated appears after you send. The Help Center estimates delivery in 1–3 business days; this is not an instant-payment or fixed-date guarantee. Transaction history lists the payment as International transfer and records its fees separately as International transfer fee. Review both entries when reconciling the payment.

The recipient's bank statement uses the description ShopifyInternational, which cannot be changed. Adding your own payment description in the app should not be treated as a promise that this bank-statement label changes. If an international transfer fails or is returned, its fee transaction is reversed. That statement concerns the fee transaction; it does not guarantee treatment of other bank charges or a timetable for every movement of funds.