The freelancer whose client only pays in USDT: what to do
A sole trader in Nairobi, Lagos, Accra or Dakar with a client who will only settle in USDT — how to accept it as a business, cash out to M-Pesa, MTN MoMo or a bank, and keep the invoices straight.
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The short answer. Open a Storspay business account as a sole trader, apply for Exchange, give the client your USDT address on Tron, and cash out to your own mobile money or bank at 2% all-in the same business day — with an invoice behind every deposit.
A sole trader is a business
You trade in your own name, you invoice, you deliver — that makes you a business on Storspay, and Exchange is open to you on a paid plan after the enhanced review. The one test that never changes: every payment is a business transaction, never a personal transfer.
The client who only pays in USDT
Agencies in the Gulf, platforms in Asia and some US and European startups settle contractors in USDT because it is what they already hold. Give them the asset and the network in one sentence — “USDT on Tron, to this address” — and a small test payment first if they are unsure.
Cashing out to M-Pesa, MTN MoMo or your bank
From the USDT balance, Run Payroll pays your own mobile money in minutes or your bank the same business day at 2% all-in, with the rate shown before you confirm. Keep part of the balance as digital dollars if your rent is next month and the shilling is moving.
Paying another freelancer
If a collaborator is on Storspay, pay them from balance to balance — free and instant, in the currency you choose. If they want USDC in a wallet, pay the address for the network fee. If they want cedis, pay that at 2% all-in.
How it works, in four steps
- Apply once. A verified business on a paid Storspay plan applies from the Exchange tab: a few questions about what it will trade and why, a one-time identity check for a director, the wallets it plans to use. Reply within one business day.
- Receive or convert. A client sends USDT or USDC to the address in your business name, or you convert dollars or euros from your balance at 0.75% all-in.
- Trade or hold. Keep the balance, convert between USDC and USDT at 0.25%, or trade with other verified businesses on the P2P market — taker 0.5%, makers free, settled the instant the buyer confirms.
- Cash out or send. Pay your local bank or mobile money the same business day at 2% all-in, or send to any wallet address for the network fee only.
What it costs
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Receive USDC or USDT | Free |
| P2P market — taker | 0.5% (makers free) |
| Convert US dollars or euros ⇄ USDC or USDT | 0.75% all-in |
| Convert USDC ⇄ USDT | 0.25% |
| Send to a wallet address | Network fee only |
| Cash out to a local bank or mobile money | 2% all-in (1% · min US$2 to India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand) |
Who this is for — and who it is not for
Businesses, and a sole trader counts: every movement is a business transaction with an invoice, a contract or work delivered. Traders are welcome as businesses and should expect what the page says plainly — verified counterparties, instant settlement and a cash-out to their own business account, not the tightest spread on the internet. Personal accounts, gifts and family transfers are not what this is.
Keep your invoices and statements for your records and ask a local accountant how income in digital dollars is taxed where you live.
Read next
- Storspay Exchange — hold, convert and trade digital dollars
- Digital dollars for African businesses
- Storspay Exchange vs P2P exchange apps
- Can a freelancer hold USD, EUR, GBP or CAD?
Storspay Exchange is in early access — apply from the Exchange page. Fees and availability are as published there on the day you read this.
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