AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
Part of the guideOne account, every currency: a guide for cross-border businesses
The short answer
A UK business can receive US dollars in three main ways: through US account and routing details issued in its own name, so American customers pay by ACH or domestic wire; through a dollar account at a UK bank reached by an international SWIFT payment; or through a platform that collects in dollars and pays out to you. Local US details are usually the cheapest and most predictable, because the payment stays on US rails and arrives in full. Whichever route you use, hold the dollars until you choose to convert.
If you invoice American customers, the question is not whether you can take dollars, but how much of each invoice survives the journey. This article compares the three routes on cost, speed and admin. For the wider picture of holding several currencies in one place, see our guide to multi-currency business accounts.
The answer depends less on the size of your business than on two choices: which details you give the customer, and when the dollars are converted to pounds.
The three routes compared
| Route | How the customer pays | What usually arrives | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| US account and routing details in your name | ACH or domestic wire, as they pay any US supplier | The full invoice amount, in dollars | Getting the routing number wrong (ACH and wire numbers can differ) |
| Dollar account at a UK bank | International SWIFT payment | The invoice amount less any fees taken along the way | Short payments and slower, less predictable timing |
| Platform or marketplace payout | Card or the platform's own checkout | Depends on the platform; many convert to pounds before paying out | A conversion margin you did not choose |
How each route works
Route 1: US account details in your own name
Some providers can issue a US account number and ABA routing number for a UK company, through a US partner bank. To your customer you look like a domestic payee. They can pay by ACH, which most US businesses already use for supplier runs, or by domestic wire for larger or urgent sums.
ACH is the default for business-to-business payments in the US. Nacha, which runs the network rules, reported 35.2 billion ACH payments worth $93 trillion in 2025, with business-to-business volume growing almost 10%. Same Day ACH settles in windows through the day and is capped at $1 million per payment until 17 September 2027, when the limit rises to $10 million. Wires through Fedwire settle individually and are final once processed; transfers for bank customers must be sent by 6:45 pm Eastern Time on a business day.
For a UK seller this route has three advantages: the customer pays no international fee, nothing is deducted in transit, and the dollars land as dollars. The details differ between ACH and wires, so our explainer on IBAN, sort code, routing number and SWIFT is worth sending to your accounts team before the first invoice goes out.
Route 2: a dollar account at a UK bank
Most UK banks offer a currency account with an IBAN and a SWIFT (BIC) code. Your US customer must send an international wire. If the two banks have no direct relationship, the payment passes through one or more correspondent banks, and each can take a charge. Unless the sender chooses to pay all charges (the OUR option), the amount that reaches you can be less than the invoice.
Speed is also less certain. Swift reports that about 90% of payments on its network reach the beneficiary's bank within an hour, but only about 43% reach the end customer's account in that time, because of checks and local processing at the receiving end. For a deeper comparison, see SWIFT vs local payment rails.
Route 3: platforms and marketplaces
If you sell through an online marketplace or take card payments, the platform collects in dollars and pays you out. Many pay out in pounds by default and convert at their own rate. That can be fine for small, frequent sales. For larger business-to-business invoices it usually means you pay a conversion margin on every payout and lose the choice of when to convert.
Worked example: a $12,000 invoice, three ways
Assume a mid-market rate of $1.30 per £1. At that rate, $12,000 is worth £9,230.77. The fees and margins below are illustrative, not quotes from any provider.
| Local US details | SWIFT to UK bank | Platform payout | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deducted in transit | $0 | $35 (intermediary and receiving charges) | $0 |
| Dollars credited | $12,000 | $11,965 | Converted automatically |
| Conversion cost | 0.5% total, when you choose | 2.5% bank margin on arrival | 1.5% platform margin |
| Pounds received | £9,184.62 | £8,973.75 | £9,092.31 |
| Cost against mid-market | £46.15 | £257.02 | £138.46 |
On one invoice the gap between the best and worst route is about £211. On twelve such invoices a year it is over £2,500, before counting the time spent chasing short payments. The SWIFT route also leaves a $35 balance open on the customer's ledger, which someone has to explain or write off.
Paperwork your US customer may ask for
A US company paying a foreign business will often ask for Form W-8BEN-E, which certifies that you are a foreign entity and states your tax classification. You give it to the payer, not to the IRS. Without a valid form, the payer may have to withhold 30% from certain types of US-source income, such as royalties, interest or rents; an eligible UK company can claim a reduced rate under the UK-US tax treaty in Part III. A form signed in 2026 is generally valid until 31 December 2029, unless your details change.
Payment for services performed outside the US is often not subject to withholding at all, but the customer's accounts team may still want the form on file before paying. Ask your accountant which boxes apply to you, and keep a signed copy ready to send with your first invoice.
- Confirm which US details to share: the ACH routing number, the wire routing number if different, the account number and the exact account name.
- Put the details and the currency on the invoice itself, not only in an email, so they reach the customer's payables team.
- Send a signed W-8BEN-E with the first invoice if the customer asks for one.
- Ask the customer to quote your invoice number in the payment reference, so matching is automatic.
- Decide in advance how much of the dollar balance you will keep for dollar costs and how much you will convert.
Where Pryme fits
Pryme accounts hold USD, GBP, EUR and NGN on one ledger, with local details for each currency, including a US account and routing number. A Pryme Business account can be opened from any country, including the UK. Dollars stay as dollars when they arrive. Before the first invoice goes out, check in the app the name on your US details, which payment types they accept and any fee for receiving, as you would with any provider. When you want pounds, Swap shows the rate before you confirm and puts the fee on its own line.
Outside Nigeria, Pryme's services are provided through regulated partners; Pryme is a technology company, not a bank. For how protection, conversion cost and accounting fit together, return to the multi-currency business account guide.
Questions people ask
Can a UK limited company open a US bank account?
Opening an account directly with a US bank usually requires a US presence or a visit, and many banks decline non-resident companies. The common alternative is a provider that issues US account and routing details in the company's name through a partner bank. Your customers then pay you as they would a US supplier.
Is it better to invoice US clients in dollars or pounds?
Invoicing in dollars makes it easier for the client to pay and avoids their bank converting at its own rate. You then carry the currency risk until you convert. If you hold dollar details and some dollar costs, invoicing in dollars is usually the more competitive option.
Do US customers pay fees to send ACH to a UK business?
If you have US account details, the payment is domestic to them, so they pay whatever their bank charges for a normal ACH, which is often nothing. An international wire to a UK bank account usually carries a sending fee and may lose more in transit.
Do I need a W-8BEN-E to get paid by a US company?
Not by law in every case, but many US companies ask for one before they pay a foreign supplier, to document why they are not withholding tax. It goes to the payer, not the IRS, and is usually valid until the end of the third calendar year after signing.
How long does it take to receive dollars in the UK?
With US details, an ACH payment typically arrives the same or the next business day, and a domestic wire on the day it is sent. An international SWIFT payment often reaches the receiving bank within an hour, but crediting your account can take longer, especially across time zones and weekends.
Sources
- Nacha: Same Day ACH and business-to-business payments propel ACH Network volume growth in 2025 · accessed Oct 2026
- Nacha: Same Day ACH per-payment limit to increase to $10 million (Apr 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Federal Reserve: Fedwire Funds Services · accessed Oct 2026
- Swift: Cross-border payment processing speed stretches further ahead of G20 target · accessed Oct 2026
- Taxes for Expats: Form W-8BEN-E, complete guide for foreign entities (2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.