Since January 2026, Wise is no longer accepting new account registrations from Pakistani residents. If you already had an account before the restriction, it keeps working. But if you are one of the thousands of new freelancers joining Pakistan’s booming export economy every month, one of the most popular doors just closed. Here are five ways you can still get paid by international clients in 2026.
1. Let clients pay through Wise without your own account
Here is what many freelancers miss: you never needed a Wise account to receive money from Wise. Your client can use their own Wise account to send directly to your Pakistani bank account using your IBAN. The restriction affects account opening in Pakistan, not payments arriving into Pakistani banks. If your client already loves Wise, share your IBAN and let them keep using it.
2. Payoneer
Payoneer still works in Pakistan and remains the default choice for marketplace income from Upwork, Fiverr, and similar platforms, which pay into it directly. The trade off is cost: receiving and withdrawal fees commonly add up to around 1 to 2 percent, and the exchange rate applied on PKR withdrawal carries its own margin. It is reliable, but check what actually lands in your bank per $1,000.
3. Direct bank transfer (SWIFT)
For larger invoices, a direct wire to your Pakistani bank account still works. It is secure and fully documented for tax purposes. The downsides are speed and flat costs: transfers can take several business days, intermediary banks may deduct their own charges along the way, and small invoices suffer the most. Best kept for big, occasional payments from established clients.
4. Send an invoice your client can pay by card or PayPal
This is where a platform like Payxem fits. You send a professional invoice or a payment link, and your client pays with what they already have: a card, a PayPal account, or crypto. You do not need PayPal or Wise yourself. The money lands in your Payxem wallet in USD, and pricing is a transparent 2.9% + $0.30 per payment received, with free withdrawals from Payxem to your bank.
For clients, this is the easiest option on this list. They click a link and pay in under a minute, which also means you get paid sooner and chase fewer invoices.
5. Take your payout in USDT
If you want to hold dollars instead of converting to PKR on someone else’s schedule, USDT payouts are now a practical option. Payxem lets you withdraw your balance in USDT, so you control when your dollars become rupees. You skip the hidden exchange margin entirely and convert at a moment and rate you choose.
What to do this week
Do not wait for Wise to reopen signups; there is no announced timeline. Pick one primary rail and one backup from the list above, then test both with a small payment. If most of your income comes from direct clients rather than marketplaces, start with an invoicing platform: create your free Payxem account, send your next invoice with a pay button on it, and see how much faster it gets settled.
