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Global payment expansion: Currency & payment methods

Maximize global subscription conversion rates by offering local currency pricing and popular regional payment methods like SEPA Direct Debit, iDEAL, Pix, and UPI AutoPay.

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Currency & payment methods

The single biggest lever for conversion in a new market isn't a discount — it's letting customers pay the way they already do.

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Why local currency and local methods win

Customers judge a checkout as foreign or familiar in seconds. A price in an unfamiliar currency or a payment method they don't recognize both read as friction, and friction shows up directly in conversion.

92%
Prefer local currency
Most customers prefer to buy in their own currency over a foreign one.
30%
Abandon USD-only pricing
Nearly a third of customers will abandon a purchase priced only in USD.
+12%
Revenue lift
Merchants see a revenue increase when they offer relevant local payment methods.
Unpredictable renewal costs drive churn

If you bill international customers in a single currency, foreign exchange rate fluctuations mean your subscribers see a different charge on their bank statement every billing cycle. Offering fixed local-currency pricing keeps renewal costs predictable and prevents billing-related cancellations.

Local methods worth knowing

Card networks dominate in the US, but many markets lean on other rails entirely. A few examples of local methods that carry meaningful volume in their home markets:

SEPA Direct Debit

A euro-denominated direct debit scheme used across the SEPA zone. Popularity varies widely by country — strong in the Netherlands and Belgium, lighter in Italy.

Europe

iDEAL

The default online payment method in the Netherlands. Most Dutch shoppers expect to see it at checkout.

Netherlands

Pix

Brazil's instant payment scheme. Widely adopted for its speed and lack of fees for individual customers.

Brazil

UPI AutoPay

India's bank-mandate rail for recurring payments. Built to meet the Reserve Bank of India's recurring-payment rules.

India
Currency and payment method are two separate switches

Enabling a currency doesn't automatically enable the local payment methods tied to it. Recurly supports 140+ currencies, but each payment method still needs its own setup at the gateway and plan level. Check gateway support before you promise a launch date.


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