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How to receive dollar payments in Nigeria as a remote worker

Most remote workers in Nigeria receive dollars through a USD account app such as Grey, Raenest or Cleva, through Payoneer, or by withdrawing from Deel or Upwork, then convert to naira when they choose. Each route has different fees, limits and speeds, and Wise and PayPal work differently for Nigerians than many people expect.

By Chiamaka Obi, Pay and contracts writer

Updated 9 min read

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In short

  • For most remote workers the cheapest route is a USD account app built for Nigerians (Grey, Raenest or Cleva): your client pays into US account details, and you convert to naira or keep dollars.
  • If you're paid on Upwork, Deel or Remote, you withdraw from there, either to one of those apps or straight to a Nigerian bank in naira. Payoneer is widely accepted but costs more.
  • Wise won't give you USD account details with a Nigerian address. PayPal can now receive in Nigeria through Paga, at a price. Compare the exchange rate, not just the fee, every time you convert.

All fees below come from each provider's own pages as of October 2026. They change often, so check before you move a large amount.

The options at a glance

OptionFee to receive USDGetting naira out
Grey (USD, GBP, EUR details)ACH: 0.8% (min $2, max $10). Wire: $20Conversion fee plus a rate margin; withdrawal ₦35
Raenest (USD, GBP, EUR details)ACH: $2 under $500, $4 from $500. Wire: $10Conversion fee varies; payout free
Cleva (USD details)ACH: 0.8% (min $2, max $5). Upwork: free. Wire: $10₦30 a transfer, plus ₦50 stamp duty from ₦10,000
Payoneer1% (min $1) in a non-local currency1.2% to 4% to a bank
UpworkUpwork's service fee only$0.99 to a local bank in naira
PayPal (via Paga)Free for personal payments; 4.9% + $0.30 for business2% + $1.50, plus the provider's fees

USD account apps: Grey, Raenest and Cleva

These apps give you US account details (a routing and account number) and, with Grey and Raenest, UK and euro details too. Your client pays you as they'd pay any American or British supplier. You hold the dollars, or convert and send naira to your Nigerian bank.

Grey

Grey says it's available in Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana. Receiving dollars by ACH or FedNow costs 0.8%, with a minimum of $2 and a maximum of $10, and a Fedwire costs $20. Pound and euro deposits are also 0.8% (£2 to £10, €2 to €10). Withdrawing naira to a Nigerian bank is a flat ₦35 and instant, and opening an account is free.

When you convert, Grey charges a fee that depends on the currency pair, and the rate includes a margin over the mid-market rate. Its fee page describes the USD to NGN fee in two different ways, so check the naira total in the app before you confirm.

Raenest

Geegpay became Raenest in 2025. For Nigerian users a US ACH deposit costs a flat $2 under $500 and $4 from $500, and a wire costs $10. Euro and pound deposits are 0.8% (minimum €1.50 or £1.50, maximum €10 or £10), and stablecoin deposits $1. Sending naira to a Nigerian bank is free. Raenest ended its free monthly deposits in October 2026, and its conversion fee now "varies per transfer".

Cleva

Cleva is USD-first: ACH deposits cost 0.8% (minimum $2, maximum $5) and wires $10. Deposits from Upwork are free. Pounds and euros are accepted but converted to dollars automatically. Naira transfers cost ₦30, plus the ₦50 stamp duty on transfers of ₦10,000 and above. Since January 2026 the Nigeria Tax Act makes the sender pay that duty, so you pay it when you move money out, not when you receive.

Which of the three?

On a $1,000 ACH payment the fee to receive is $8 on Grey, $4 on Raenest and $5 on Cleva, using their published rates. On $300 it's $2.40, $2 and $2.40. At those sizes the exchange rate you get when converting matters more than the deposit fee, so it's worth having two apps and converting on whichever pays more naira that day.

Payoneer

Payoneer is the most widely accepted option: many marketplaces and agencies pay into it, and some clients will only use it. It's also dearer. From its pricing page (updated January 2026):

  • receiving into an account in a currency that isn't your local one: 1%, minimum $1;
  • a client paying by card: up to 3.99% plus $0.49; from another Payoneer user: free;
  • withdrawing to a bank account: 1.2% to 4%, with a minimum of up to $20 in some countries;
  • an annual fee of $29.95 if you receive less than $6,000 in 12 months.

Payoneer's flat $1.50 local withdrawal fee covers a list of countries that doesn't include Nigeria, and it doesn't publish a Nigeria-specific rate, so check the fee in your own account before withdrawing. Since 2022, CAC-registered businesses can open Payoneer accounts through Kuda and withdraw naira to Kuda.

Withdrawing from Upwork, Deel and Remote

Upwork

Upwork's help centre lists these options for Nigeria:

  • Direct to local bank, in naira: $0.99 a transfer (some banks add incoming fees), usually within four business days, up to $3,000 a withdrawal.
  • Direct to a US bank by ACH, which is how you'd send to Grey, Raenest or Cleva: $2.99 a withdrawal since 1 September 2026 for freelancers with a tax address outside the US, two to five business days.
  • Payoneer: a small per-transfer fee, usually within 24 hours.
  • US dollar wire: $50 a transfer, up to seven business days.

Upwork also takes its service fee from your earnings: a variable 0% to 15% per contract since May 2025.

Deel

On Deel you're paid into your balance, then withdraw. Deel lists local bank transfer (no cost to the contractor, 1 to 5 business days), Payoneer (1%), PayPal (2.5%), Coinbase (1.5%), the Deel Card and SWIFT (5 to 7 business days, with intermediary bank fees Deel calls unpredictable). Which methods you see depends on your country. Deel also says companies can pay contractors in Nigeria straight to a Nigerian bank account.

Remote

Remote says a same-currency local payout costs the contractor nothing, and most payments arrive within two days of Remote receiving the company's payment. Its payout explorer lists two routes for Nigeria: a naira payout to a local bank (0 to 2 days) or US dollars by SWIFT (2 to 3 days). SWIFT is dearer: Remote's partners may deduct $5 to $15, and its help centre warns of correspondent bank fees of $20 to $50 that are outside its control.

PayPal: receiving is back, through Paga

For years Nigerian PayPal accounts could send but not receive. In January 2026 PayPal and Paga launched a way to receive payments and withdraw them in naira to a Paga account. Paga Remit, the subsidiary that runs it, is licensed by the CBN as an international money transfer operator.

PayPal's Nigeria fee pages (updated September 2026) show why it's a last resort. Personal payments are free if no conversion is involved, but business payments from abroad cost 4.9% plus $0.30, conversion costs 3%, and withdrawing through a third-party provider costs 2% plus $1.50, plus that provider's own fees. Use PayPal when a client won't pay any other way.

Domiciliary accounts

A domiciliary account is a dollar, pound or euro account at a Nigerian bank. It's the natural place for a SWIFT wire from an employer that won't use the apps above. GTBank asks for an opening form, ID, a passport photo, two reference forms and a utility bill from the last three months; Access Bank asks for a $100 (or £100 or €100) opening balance for its current account.

The CBN's 2020 circular gives account holders "unfettered and unrestricted use" of money that arrives by electronic transfer, while cash deposits follow older, stricter rules. Law firm Pavestones reports that the CBN's foreign exchange manual from June 2026 lets dom account holders send transfers of up to $10,000 a day without the old Form A paperwork. Banks still set their own cash withdrawal policies, and in September 2026 the CBN said it was looking into customer complaints about withdrawal limits, so ask your bank before you rely on cash.

One rule to know: since May 2026 the CBN requires money transfer operators to pay inbound remittances in naira. That applies when someone sends you money through a transfer service, not to a SWIFT wire into your dom account.

Wise: useful, but not for receiving dollars

Wise says USD account details aren't available if your profile has an address in Nigeria, so it can't replace the apps above. It works in the other direction: someone abroad can send naira through Wise to any Nigerian bank account, up to ₦95,000,000 a transfer, usually arriving the same working day.

What to watch for

  • One name everywhere. Open every account in exactly the name on your BVN and ID, and use the same name on invoices and contracts.
  • ACH beats SWIFT. International wires pass through intermediary banks that take their own cut. Ask US clients to pay by ACH.
  • Compare the rate, not just the fee. A provider with no fee and a weak rate can cost more than one with a fee and a good rate.
  • Keep paperwork. Invoices, contracts and statements answer questions about where money came from, and you need them for tax.
  • Have a backup, so one frozen account doesn't stop your income.
  • Never pay to receive your salary. An "employer" who wants a fee to set up your payment account is running a scam: see how to spot remote job scams.

If you're employed through an employer of record, you may be paid in naira through payroll rather than dollars; see contractor vs employee. Still looking for the job? The WorkRemote jobs board lists roles that accept applicants from Nigeria, and our list of remote jobs that pay in dollars goes field by field.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest way to receive dollars in Nigeria?

For US clients paying by ACH, a USD account app is usually cheapest: Raenest charges a flat $2 or $4, and Grey and Cleva charge 0.8% with a cap. Then compare exchange rates before converting.

Can Nigerians receive money on PayPal now?

Yes, since January 2026, through PayPal's partnership with Paga, which lets you withdraw in naira. Fees are high: 4.9% plus $0.30 on business payments from abroad, and 2% plus $1.50 to withdraw through a provider.

Can I open a Wise account in Nigeria to receive dollars?

No. Wise says USD account details aren't available with a Nigerian address. People abroad can still use Wise to send naira to your bank.

How do I withdraw from Upwork in Nigeria?

The cheapest is direct to a local bank in naira at $0.99 a transfer, up to $3,000 each time. To keep dollars, withdraw by ACH to a USD account app for $2.99.

Do I pay tax on the dollars I receive?

If you live in Nigeria, yes, whether or not you convert them. See our tax guide and check with a tax professional.

Sources

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