Khalti by IME has joined hands with global payment giant Stripe to let Nepali freelancers and entrepreneurs collect money from foreign clients straight into their local wallets. No foreign bank account needed and no waiting around.
Nepal has always had talented people doing great work for clients abroad. The problem was never the skill. It was getting paid. Sending money across borders meant dealing with SWIFT codes, waiting up to 30 days for bank transfers and losing a chunk of your earnings to fees along the way. That frustration is now over.
Khalti by IME, which became Nepal’s biggest digital wallet after Khalti and IME Pay merged in 2025, has announced a new partnership with Stripe to let users receive international payments directly into their Khalti wallets. The money arrives right away with no extra steps and no middlemen involved.
How It Works — Step By Step
A Direct Payment Link — No Foreign Bank Needed
Before this, Nepali freelancers had to use platforms like Payoneer, Wise or informal channels just to get paid. Each option came with its own set of risks, delays or unexpected charges. Now you just send a payment link and your client pays from their end using whatever method they prefer. The money shows up in your Khalti wallet almost immediately in Nepalese Rupees.
Stripe handles the checkout on the client’s side and supports over 100 payment methods. So whether your client is in New York paying by card or in London using Google Pay, the process feels natural for them and the result is fast for you.
“This service opens the door for Nepali entrepreneurs and digital talents to work in the global market and receive their earnings instantly. The ease of cross-border transactions with a native digital wallet will greatly contribute to the expansion of Nepal’s digital economy.”
Praveen Regmi, CEO of Khalti by IME
Global Options for International Clients
Every transaction goes through Stripe’s security systems and Khalti’s own ISO 27001:2013 certified setup, so both you and your client can trust the process. Before you can start receiving international payments, you do need to complete a KYC check inside the app. This is a Nepal Rastra Bank requirement for any foreign currency transactions.
Who Benefits Beyond Freelancers?
Khalti says any verified user can take advantage of this feature. That includes content creators who earn from global platforms, small business owners selling products or services overseas, hotels and trekking agencies collecting payments from tourists and families receiving money from relatives living abroad.
This also puts Khalti ahead of eSewa in the cross-border space. eSewa has a limited feature that works only with Indian UPI payments. The Khalti and Stripe setup supports currencies from around the world which is a much bigger step forward for Nepal’s digital payment space.
One thing to keep in mind: income from IT-related services exported to foreign countries is taxed at 5% under Nepal’s FY 2082/83 rules. That amount is treated as a final tax. So if you are a freelancer using this service, hold on to your transaction records for when tax season comes around.
Getting started is simple. Update your Khalti app to the latest version and complete the International Payment KYC process within the app. You do not need to download anything extra or sign up for any third-party service. Everything runs from inside Khalti.
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