Use case · Agencies
Clients pay on net-30. Your team shouldn't wait on net-bank.
Agencies and creative studios collect through cards, invoices, and client wires — then lose days and dollars moving money to freelancers, editors, and devs across borders. Settler converts cleared client revenue to stablecoins so your team is easier to pay globally.
The problem
You sell outcomes. Banking sells you delays.
Agency economics depend on margin and velocity. Client retainers arrive through processors, platforms, or wires. You owe contractors in four countries before the weekend. Bank transfers cost $35 each. FX takes another slice. The project already closed — the money still has work to do.
Studios scaling past $50k monthly feel banking friction acutely: irregular inbound patterns, international outflows, and finance overhead that doesn't scale with project count.
Agencies don't fail on talent. They bleed on settlement.
Client payment timing misaligned with contractor payment schedules $25–50 wire fees on every freelancer payment FX spreads on converting client revenue to local currency Finance time reconciling multiple platforms and bank feeds Contractors in regions with slow or expensive USD banking
How Settler helps
Client cards in. Contractor USDC out.
Route agency client revenue to Settler. Cleared funds become USDC or USDT in your business wallet — dollar-equivalent, sendable globally, available for contractor payments.
Pay editors, developers, and subcontractors via wallet transfer same week revenue lands. Keep client billing unchanged. Upgrade only the settlement layer between collection and delivery.
Why agencies & studios teams choose Settler
Built for how you actually operate.
Pay talent same week
Send USDC when client revenue settles — contractors stop chasing invoices you couldn't fund yet.
Cut wire and FX costs
Network fees in cents beat $35 SWIFT charges on every freelancer payment.
Cleaner project accounting
Map payout references, invoices, or client payment IDs to wallet outflows per project.
Global studio, one treasury
Receive and disburse across borders without correspondent banking chains.
Workflow
Client payment to team payout
Invoice clients as usual
Retainers, milestones, and one-offs — unchanged client experience.
Payouts to Settler
Virtual account receives supported processor batches, platform payouts, or client wires.
USDC treasury
Stablecoins ready for disbursement when cash is actually yours.
Pay the team
Wallet-to-wallet to contractors; off-ramp for local OpEx as needed.
Built for
Agencies with global delivery
Digital marketing and performance agencies with global contractor teams Creative studios with freelance editors and designers abroad Dev shops subcontracting across time zones Boutique consultancies invoicing US/EU clients from non-US entities Teams paying 5+ contractors monthly via international wires
Settlement rails
Works with your stack.
Connect the processor, platform, or payout rail your business already uses. Don't see yours? Talk to us — we can scope the right settlement route for your workflow.
Further reading
Guides for this use case.
How to Pay International Contractors With USDC (Step-by-Step Guide)
Once revenue lands as USDC, paying developers and designers across borders should take minutes, not wires. A professional workflow for distributed teams.
The Friday Afternoon Payout Ritual (And How to Kill It)
Stripe to bank to exchange to USDC — the manual fiat-to-crypto treasury loop costs founders hours every week. Here's what automated stablecoin settlement actually looks like.
How Long Do Stripe Payouts Take? (Schedule, Delays, and Holds Explained)
Stripe's default is T+2 — but new accounts, reserves, and international banking add days. Here's how payout timing actually works and how to get paid faster.
FAQ
Common questions for agencies & studios.
We use card invoicing — does this work?
Yes, where your processor or invoicing platform can route payouts to a settlement account. Client wires can also be supported depending on your setup.
How do contractors get paid?
Send USDC to their wallet on agreed networks, or use your existing process for contractors who prefer fiat off-ramp.
Client still pays by card?
Always. Clients never see crypto — settlement happens after cleared client funds reach Settler.
1099 / international tax docs?
Payment method doesn't change classification. Document wallet transfers with invoices and USD equivalents at payment date.
What if my processor, platform, or payout rail isn't listed?
Talk to us. The right route depends on where funds originate and whether they can settle to a virtual account. If your rail is not live yet, we'll scope whether it can be supported.
More use cases
Ready to settle in stablecoins?
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