Paying contractors in South Africa and LatAm, compared.
If your team is in Cape Town, São Paulo, Mexico City or Bogotá, how you pay them matters. Here's how the main options compare.
Wise and PayPal are familiar, general-purpose ways to send money abroad. Stripe is built for businesses taking payments and paying out through their own platform. Petl Pay is built for paying contractor teams: free wallet to wallet in USDC, then withdrawals to ZAR, BRL, MXN or COP, with KYC on every worker.
Fees and coverage change often. Check each provider's own site for your route. We don't list their prices here.
At a glance
| Option | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Wise | Simple transfers on supported routes | Coverage and limits vary by country |
| PayPal | Small payments to people already on PayPal | Currency conversion costs and holds |
| Stripe | Platforms paying out to their own users | Built for developers, not a payment run |
| Petl Pay | Paying contractor teams across SA and LatAm | KYB needed before using USDC |
Payout routes with Petl Pay
| Country | Currency | How contractors withdraw |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | ZAR | To a local bank, in about 45 seconds |
| Brazil | BRL | PIX |
| Mexico | MXN | SPEI |
| Colombia | COP | Local rails |
What makes Petl Pay different
- Free wallet to wallet payments, settled near instantly.
- 0.4 to 1.4% end to end when money changes currency.
- Invoices, approvals and payouts in one record, pushed to Xero.
- KYC on every worker and KYB on every vendor.
- Petl Pay never holds your funds.
Frequently asked
How do contractors in South Africa get paid?
You pay them in USDC and they withdraw to rand at a local bank, in about 45 seconds.
Is Petl Pay cheaper than Wise or PayPal?
It depends on the route and volume. Petl Pay is free wallet to wallet and 0.4 to 1.4% end to end when money changes currency. Compare against current pricing for your route.
Tell us where your money needs to move.
Share where your clients pay from and where your team gets paid. We'll set you up with the right accounts and corridors.
Petl Pay never holds your funds. Payments are carried out by licensed, regulated payment partners. Petl Pay calculates and tracks CIS deductions and doesn't file returns itself; have them filed with an accountant. Tax rules change, so check the latest guidance at gov.uk.