US merchants can now pay international recipients from the Balance mobile app. Pricing is transparent and no additional setup is required. It's offered as a lower-cost way to pay international suppliers.
The article doesn't describe how international suppliers were paid before. This update adds a new way to pay internationally "from Balance."
Eligible merchants can pay international recipients from the Balance mobile app. Pricing is transparent, with no additional setup required.
Described as a "more cost-effective way" to pay international suppliers. No comparison baseline or savings amount is given.
Explicitly states "transparent pricing." Specific rates and FX spreads are not stated.
Explicitly states "no extra setup." Eligible merchants already using Balance should be able to use it right away.
| Item | What the article says |
|---|---|
| Availability | Stated United States (for the US) |
| Where to use it | Stated Balance mobile app |
| Paid from | Stated Balance |
| Paid to | Stated International recipients (international suppliers / recipients) |
| Setup | Stated No extra setup |
| Merchant eligibility criteria | Not stated Only "eligible merchants" |
| Supported destination countries and currencies | Not stated |
| Fees and exchange rates | Not stated Described only as "transparent" |
| Settlement time and limits | Not stated |
| Web admin / API access | Not stated |
The release is for the US. No plans for other regions are mentioned.
The specific eligibility criteria are not stated. Payments are made from the Balance mobile app.
The mobile app is the only place the article explicitly names for this.
The specific on-screen steps are not described.
The article points to the Help Center for fees, supported countries, and more.
The article only mentions the Balance mobile app. It does not say whether this is available from the web admin. When designing workflows, plan around whose phone will be used to approve payments.
The article does not say whether these transfers can be created or retrieved through the Admin API or webhooks. If you want to integrate with accounting or ERP systems, confirm availability first.
Even for stores operating in multiple regions, this assumes a US Balance account. Nothing says the feature is available to accounts held by, for example, a Japanese entity.
It is described as "transparent" and "low-cost," but no specific figures are given. To compare costs with your existing payment methods, you'll need to estimate them yourself using the fee information in the Help Center.
The article only says "eligible merchants" and does not state the eligibility criteria.Before proposing this to a client, confirm that the feature actually appears in the Balance app for their accountto be safe.