Use case · Agencies
Clients pay on net-30. Your team shouldn't wait on net-bank.
Agencies and creative studios collect through Stripe — then lose days and dollars moving money to freelancers, editors, and devs across borders. Settler converts payouts to stablecoins so client revenue reaches your team faster.
The problem
You sell outcomes. Banking sells you delays.
Agency economics depend on margin and velocity. Client retainers hit Stripe. You owe contractors in four countries before the weekend. Stripe pays Tuesday. Wires cost $35 each. FX takes another slice. The project already closed — the money hasn't.
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.
Stripe payout 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 Stripe payouts to Settler. Each batch becomes USDC in your business wallet — dollar-equivalent, sendable globally, available when the processor pays you.
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 Stripe payout IDs to wallet outflows per client or project.
Global studio, one treasury
Receive and disburse across borders without correspondent banking chains.
Workflow
Client payment to team payout
Invoice via Stripe
Retainers, milestones, and one-offs — unchanged client experience.
Payouts to Settler
Virtual account receives processor batches automatically.
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 on Stripe 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
Processors
Works with your stack.
Stripe is live today. Additional processors roll out on the roadmap. Don't see yours? Talk to us — we can build the integration for your processor.
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.
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 Stripe Invoicing — does this work?
Yes. Any Stripe payout to your connected account can route through Settler for stablecoin conversion.
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 Stripe pays you.
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 isn't listed?
Talk to us. We build integrations for the processors our customers rely on — if yours isn't live yet, we'll scope it and build it out with you.
More use cases
Ready to settle in stablecoins?
Stop waiting for your bank. Switch your payout routing to Settler.
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