About FxLeakage
FxLeakage is a free calculator that exposes the hidden cost of getting paid across borders — fees plus the FX markup most platforms quietly bake into the exchange rate.
Why we built it
Most freelancer payment tools tell you the visible fee and stop. The bigger cost — the spread between the interbank rate and the rate you actually receive — is silent. On a $1,000 PayPal invoice to India, that hidden spread is often larger than the visible fee.
How we calculate
Forward mode: gross → minus platform fee → converted at (mid-market rate × (1 − FX markup)) → net home currency.
Reverse mode: solve algebraically for the invoice amount such that the forward calculation lands your exact target net.
Live mid-market rates come from open.er-api.com, refreshed on every page load. If the API is unreachable we fall back to a static rate table so the page never layout-shifts.
Fee data sources (10 platforms)
- PayPal: 4.4% + $0.30 cross-border + ~2.5% FX markup (PayPal published rates, India corridor).
- Stripe International: 4.3% + $0.30 + ~2.0% FX markup (Stripe currency conversion docs).
- Payoneer: 3% flat receiving fee + ~1.5% FX markup (Payoneer fees page).
- Wise Business: ~0.5% dynamic fee, mid-market rate, zero FX markup.
- Airwallex: ~1% international receive + ~0.6% FX markup (Airwallex pricing page).
- Revolut Business: 0.4% transfer fee + interbank FX in-plan (0.4% beyond plan allowance).
- WorldFirst: 0% platform fee + ~0.5% FX spread on conversion (WorldFirst published corridors).
- Mercury: free incoming/outgoing wires + ~1% FX spread on currency conversion.
- Deel: ~3% withdraw fee + ~1.5% FX markup for non-USD payouts.
- Bank Wire (SWIFT): ~$25 flat receiving fee + ~3% bank FX spread — the silent worst-case for small invoices.
These are indicative. Your actual rate depends on volume, account tier, and the client's payment method. The card-rail surcharge layer (bank vs personal card vs corporate/AMEX) is applied on top — toggle the payment-method selector on the calculator to see the ranking re-shuffle. Always verify against your own statement.
What we don't store
FxLeakage runs in your browser. No invoice amounts, target nets, or email addresses are sent to our servers. The only outbound request is the public currency rate API.
Stay in touch
Spotted a fee that's out of date? Want a new platform or corridor added? Check the FAQ or drop a note from the home page footer.
See exactly what you'd lose on your own invoice.
Plug in your amount, switch corridors, copy the right reverse-invoice value in seconds.