Selling internationally on Amazon or Shopify: managing your currency payments

The problem: selling in foreign currencies, getting paid in foreign currencies

When a customer buys a product from you on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk, the marketplace collects payment in the customer's local currency and then pays it out to you, most often after automatic conversion into euros. On Shopify, it is your payment provider that applies this conversion. In both cases, you choose neither the rate nor the timing of the conversion: the marketplace or the provider decides for you, with a margin that is rarely transparent.

Amazon FBA: how multi-currency payouts work

A seller operating across several Amazon marketplaces (United States, United Kingdom, eurozone) receives sales proceeds in as many different currencies. By default, Amazon converts these amounts using its own conversion service, at a rate that is generally less favourable than the market rate. For a seller generating 200,000 dollars in annual sales on Amazon.com, a 3% conversion margin represents 6,000 dollars lost every year, through no fault of their commercial strategy.

Shopify Payments: automatic conversion comes at a cost

A Shopify store selling in dollars or pounds via Shopify Payments collects payments in these currencies, and Shopify then automatically converts them to your euro bank account. This automatic conversion is convenient, but it deprives you of any control over the timing of the conversion: it is impossible to wait for a more favourable rate or to lock in a rate in advance on your projected sales.

Centralising your payouts with a multi-currency account

Rather than letting each marketplace or provider convert your sales at their own rate, a multi-currency account with a dedicated IBAN allows you to receive your payouts in dollars, pounds, or other currencies without automatic conversion. You then decide when to convert, or you pay your foreign suppliers directly in the currency received, without unnecessary double conversion.

How OSolto supports e-commerce sellers

OSolto, an international payments specialist registered with ORIAS (No. 26004337), offers multi-currency accounts with dedicated IBANs to centralise your payouts from Amazon, Shopify, or other marketplaces. You retain control over the timing and the conversion rate, and you can pay your international suppliers directly from these accounts, without duplicate foreign exchange fees.

Do you sell internationally and want to regain control over your payouts? Speak with an OSolto expert to analyse your marketplace flows.

FAQ: international payments for e-commerce sellers

Can I avoid Amazon's automatic conversion? Yes, by configuring a local or multi-currency bank account in Amazon's payout settings, you receive your sales in their original currency rather than through Amazon's automatic conversion.

Does a multi-currency account work with several marketplaces at once? Yes, a single multi-currency account can centralise payouts from multiple marketplaces and sales channels, which also simplifies the accounting tracking of your international flows.