You quoted $1,000. The client paid $1,000. You got ₹78,000 instead of the ₹83,500 you needed. Sound familiar?
The fix: reverse-invoicing Instead of quoting what feels right, **work backwards from your target net** through the platform's fee and FX leakage.
The formula `Invoice = Target / ((1 - feePct - fxMarkupPct) × midRate) + feeFlat / (1 - feePct)`
For PayPal on a ₹83,500 target with USD→INR 83.50: invoice ≈ $1,074.50.
Use the calculator Our [Reverse Invoice Engine](/) does this for all 10 platforms (PayPal, Stripe, Payoneer, Wise, Airwallex, Revolut, WorldFirst, Mercury, Deel, SWIFT) in real time. Switch to "Reverse Invoice" mode, type your target net, copy the invoice value.
When to absorb vs. pass on fees - **Absorb** when the client is long-term and quote-sensitive (build it into your hourly rate instead). - **Pass on** for one-off projects, milestone payments, or anywhere your quote was already at-market.
Template line for your invoice > "Cross-border processing fee: $74.50 — included in total."
Clients respect line-item transparency. Hiding the fee inside a round number is what loses you money.