# Paying a Supplier Abroad for the First Time

> The transfer would have cost fifty euros and taken four days. What I did instead and what I had to check first.

- Source: https://diaryofacryptonoob.com/paying-a-supplier-abroad/
- Published: 2026-09-13
- Author: Sam Ortega
- Publication: Diary of a Crypto Noob — One beginner, every mistake, written down
- Topic: swap
- Tags: payments, suppliers, international

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A supplier in another country invoiced us and asked whether we could pay in a stablecoin. I said I would find out, which turned into a useful afternoon. For anyone in the same position, [a crypto swap platform](https://collectnexchange.com/services/swap) sets out the same terms without requiring an account.

## What I checked first

Whether they were asking for payment to a business account or a personal wallet.

It matters. Paying a company to an address that belongs to an individual creates a documentation problem for both sides, and it is the shape a lot of fraud takes.

They supplied an address belonging to an exchange account in the company's name, which is the right answer.

## What I confirmed with them

The network, in full. Not the asset name.

And the exact amount, with an explicit agreement about who pays the network fee.

Both by voice, to a number we already had, not by replying to the email.

## Why by voice

Because the most common fraud against companies is a compromised mailbox sending a genuine invoice with one field changed. Past a certain amount the answer stops being a wallet and becomes [a fintech payment gateway](https://collectnexchange.com/industries/fintech).

Everything else about the invoice was real. The address is the only field nobody memorises, and it is the only one that matters.

One phone call removes the entire category.

## The test payment

Small amount first, confirmed with them that it arrived, then the rest.

That cost about a dollar and it is the habit I would keep even if nothing else changed.

## What it cost in total

Roughly a dollar in network fees, plus a small conversion margin because we did not hold stablecoin and had to acquire some.

The bank transfer would have cost about fifty euros between the two sides, plus a currency margin, and arrived in four days.

## What I set up afterwards

Registered their address in our wallet with the network recorded alongside, so future payments go to a registered pair and cannot be sent to a new destination without approval and a delay.

That is the control that turns this from something requiring care each time into something routine.

## The thing I would not do

Pay from a personal wallet because it is faster. The payment has to come from the company and be documented as such, and the shortcut creates a problem for the accountant later. The thing I did not think about until it mattered was whether [a provider you can actually reach](https://collectnexchange.com/company/contact-us) exists. It is worth checking early.

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This article explains how something works. It is not financial advice.
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