Charging in Different Currencies as a Photographer

If you have clients in more than one country, pick one billing currency per job, state it everywhere, agree who covers transfer and exchange fees and record the amount you actually received. Showing a second currency as a guide is fine, as long as it is clear which figure is binding.

Below is how to set it up without surprises.

When it comes up

Multiple currencies are not only for global travellers. They appear when:

• A destination wedding brings a couple from another country to your city.
• Overseas clients book you for a shoot abroad or a remote retouching job.
• Brands and agencies with head offices elsewhere pay for local shoots.
• Travel work has you charging in the country where you shoot.
• Tourists book portrait sessions.
• You buy in another currency, such as software, equipment or a foreign second shooter.
• You live in one country and work in another.

A single client in a foreign currency may not seem worth a system. But the first time a payment arrives lower than expected, you will want one.

Pick a billing currency

There are three common approaches.

1. Your home currency. You quote and invoice in it, and the client converts. Simple for your accounts, and the client carries the exchange risk. May put off some clients.
2. The client's currency. Friendlier to them, but you carry the exchange risk. If the rate moves against you between quote and payment, your income falls.
3. A third, widely used currency. Common for international commercial work. Both sides carry some risk.

Which to choose:

• Who is more comfortable with the risk? Usually the party who earns and spends in that currency.
• What do your costs look like? If most are in your home currency, billing in it is simplest.
• How large is the job? The bigger the amount, the more exchange swings matter.
• How long between quote and payment? A wedding booked a year ahead is exposed to more movement than a same-week session.
• What does your payment provider support? Not every provider handles every currency, and fees differ. Check with Stripe, Razorpay or PayPal for what your account allows.

State the currency in three places: the proposal, the contract and every invoice. Use currency codes, such as USD or EUR, as symbols can be ambiguous.

Exchange differences

Rates move. If you accept payments in instalments over months, the amount you receive in your own currency may change.

Ways to handle it:

• Fix the amount in the billing currency and let the client bear the exchange. This is the simplest.
• Price in your home currency and tell the client the estimated amount in theirs.
• Add a clause that if the rate moves by more than a stated percentage, the remaining instalments are adjusted. This is complex, so use it only if needed.
• Shorten the payment schedule. Fewer, earlier payments reduce your exposure.
• Hold funds in the same currency if your bank allows it, and convert when it suits you.

Example

These are examples. Change the numbers.

A couple in another country books a wedding for 3,000 in your home currency, paid in three parts. When quoted, 1 of their currency equals 0.9 of yours. They pay their first instalment when it equals 0.93, and their last when it equals 0.88.

• If you bill in your currency, you receive exactly 3,000 in total, and the couple's cost changes with the rate.
• If you had billed in their currency at the original rate, 3,333 of theirs, you would receive about 3,000 at the start and less at the end, depending on movement.

Neither is right or wrong. They are different splits of risk, and you should choose one deliberately.

For the accounting, record each payment at the amount and date received, plus the rate used. Ask your accountant how to treat gains and losses.

Fees and timing

International payments cost more and take longer.

• Card fees can be higher for foreign cards.
• Currency conversion fees may be charged by the payment provider, the bank or both.
• Bank transfer fees can apply at the sending bank, the receiving bank, and sometimes at an intermediary.
• Timing. Transfers may take days. Build that into due dates so a payment "on Friday" does not arrive the following Wednesday.
• Payment method. Some clients prefer a card, some a bank transfer. Offer what works for your country.
• Refunds. A refund may not return the original fees or may convert at a different rate.

Be explicit in the contract about who pays. A common wording is: "The photographer must receive the full invoice amount. Any bank or transfer charges are the client's responsibility."

For tax, rules on foreign clients differ. Ask a local accountant about invoicing, sales tax, VAT or GST on overseas customers and any reporting requirements. See also our post on seasonal cash flow, because foreign payments add timing gaps, and recurring retainer clients for ongoing arrangements, where billing in a stable currency is useful. Keeping foreign income separate helps too, as in a separate business bank account.

Showing both

Clients feel more comfortable seeing a price in their own currency. You can show both.

Total: 3,000 USD. For reference, approximately 2,760 EUR at today's rate. Invoices and payments are in USD.

Rules:

• State which figure is binding.
• Say which rate you used and when.
• Do not update the reference figure on documents the client has signed.
• Round sensibly.
• Use one currency on invoices. Mixed invoices cause confusion.

If you quote many people from the same country, a short note in your pricing guide may help: "We bill in USD. Your bank will convert at its own rate."

Any currency supported

ClickBook works in any currency, with sales tax, VAT or GST set up your way, so a proposal and invoice can use the currency you agree. You connect your own Stripe, Razorpay or PayPal account, and ClickBook takes no cut and charges no transaction fees, though your provider's charges still apply. Bank transfer, cash and UPI can be recorded by hand. See the demo.

Choose one billing currency per job, say it in writing and record what you actually receive.

Frequently asked questions

Which currency should I invoice an international client in?

Usually the one you want to be paid in, often your home currency, or a stable one both sides understand. Decide before you quote, and state it on the proposal, contract and invoice.

Who pays the exchange and transfer fees?

Agree it in the contract. Many photographers quote a net amount they must receive, so any fees on the client's side do not reduce it.

Can I show prices in two currencies?

Yes, as a guide. State which one is binding and what rate you used, so there is no confusion on payment day.

Do taxes change when I bill abroad?

They can. Sales tax, VAT or GST treatment of foreign clients differs by country, so ask a local accountant.