Global payments
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My friend had been using Razorpay for close to two years to collect UPI and card payments from Indian customers. So, when a client of his in London wanted to pay him in GBP, he used the same dashboard. All he had to do was switch on Razorpay’s international option, send the payment link, and get paid. When he actually received the payment, he noticed that the settlement amount was considerably lower than what was expected. He lost around 5% of the invoice amount, which included platform fee, GST and conversion fee as well.
When I got to know this from him, I actually sat down and compared what Razorpay’s international payments product is built for versus what a platform like Infinity is built for. I have prepared a detailed blog on Razorpay international payments vs Infinity. Let’s have a look at it.
TL;DR
Razorpay International is primarily a payment gateway. It charges customers by card on your website, app, or payment link. It is excellent for that job, but it isn't designed specifically for Indian freelancers, exporters, and SMBs receiving international payments in India.
Razorpay’s international card route costs around 3% plus 18% GST, plus a forex conversion markup. This typically pushes the real cost to about 5% of the invoice value.
Razorpay also offers a MoneySaver Export Account at 1% plus GST for bank transfers. This is cheaper, but the compliance process still remains manual through the bank.
Infinity is built specifically for receiving international payments into India. Infinity charges a flat 0.5% all-inclusive fee, with no separate FX markup, no GST on top, and free auto-generated FIRA.
If you are charging customers on your own website or app, Razorpay fits that flow well. If you are a freelancer, exporter, agency, or SaaS business invoicing overseas clients, Infinity is built for exactly that.
The Quick Answer
If your business model involves customers paying you directly on a website or app, checkout page, or payment link, Razorpay’s international payment gateway is a solid, well-integrated choice, especially if you already use Razorpay for your domestic payments. But if you are a freelancer, consultant, exporter, or agency who raises an invoice and waits for a foreign client to pay it into your Indian bank account, Infinity is designed around that exact use case, with a simpler fee structure and none of the layered costs that show up on Razorpay’s card route.
The short version: Razorpay International is a payment gateway with an international option. Infinity is an international payments platform, full stop. That difference in purpose is what drives most of the fee and feature gap below.
What is Razorpay International Payments
Summary
Razorpay International lets Indian businesses that already use Razorpay’s payment gateway accept payments from customers outside India. It works through two main routes: international card acceptance (the “export flow”) and the MoneySaver Export Account, a bank-transfer-based route aimed more at freelancers and exporters.
Pros
Accepts cards from 130+ currencies, working with major global networks
Deep integration if you already use Razorpay for domestic UPI, cards, or net banking
Fast, developer-friendly setup for website and app checkout
RBI PA-CB licence adds regulatory backing for cross-border flows
MoneySaver Export Account route works out considerably cheaper than the card route
Cons
The card route’s real cost is higher than the headline rate once GST and forex markup are added
FIRA on the standard flow typically needs to be requested through your bank, not auto-generated
International settlement can take longer than domestic settlement
Built primarily around checkout and card acceptance, so freelancers and exporters raising simple invoices are not the core use case
Two different products (card gateway vs MoneySaver) with two different fee structures can get confusing to track
Fees
Route | Fee | Effective cost |
International card payments | 3% + 18% GST on fee | Approx. 3.54%, plus forex conversion markup (commonly 1-2%), so around 5% all-in |
MoneySaver Export Account (bank transfer) | 1% + 18% GST on fee | Approx. 1.18% |
International Checkout | Similar to card route | Around 3-4.5% MDR plus conversion |
Is Razorpay good for Indian freelancers and exporters?
It can work, particularly through the MoneySaver Export Account, which is priced cheaper. But you are still working within a payment gateway that was designed for card acceptance first, so things like FIRA generation are not as automatic, and you are choosing between two different products depending on how the client is paying you.
Source:Reddit
What is Infinity
Summary
Infinity is an AD-1 certified, RBI-regulated platform that is built specifically to help Indian freelancers, exporters, agencies, and SaaS businesses receive international payments. Infinity is designed to make international payments as easy as domestic payments in India. Infinity provides multi-currency accounts in more than 50+ currencies and supports 160+ countries.
Pros
Flat 0.5% all-inclusive fee, no hidden layers
No separate FX markup and no GST charged on top of the fee
FIRA is auto-generated for every transaction, which is actually needed for compliance and tax purposes
Payments settled within 24-hours
Built-in purpose code finder tool so you are not guessing which RBI purpose code applies to your payment
Dedicated personal account manager for support, rather than a generic ticketing queue
AD-1 certified and RBI regulated
A dedicated mobile app for easy usage.
Cons
Newer brand recognition compared to an established name like Razorpay
Best suited to receiving payments, not for businesses that need a full domestic-plus-international payment gateway stack
Fees
Route | Fee | Effective cost |
International payment receiving | 0.5% all-inclusive | 0.5%, no FX markup, no GST |
Is Infinity good for Indian freelancers and exporters?
Yes, this is exactly who Infinity is built for. If you invoice overseas clients and just need that payment to land in your Indian bank account with minimum cost and automatic compliance paperwork, there can’t be a more direct and easier way to do that.
Source: Reddit
Razorpay vs Infinity: Head-to-Head
The following is a head-to-head comparison between Infinity and Razorpay to give you a clear picture:
Factor | Razorpay International | Infinity |
Core purpose | Payment gateway with international card acceptance | Dedicated international payments receiving platform |
Fee (typical) | 3% + GST on cards (~5% all-in with forex); 1% + GST on MoneySaver | 0.5% all-inclusive |
Forex markup | Yes, on the card route | None |
GST on fee | Yes | None |
FIRA | Manual, via bank, on the standard flow | Auto-generated, free |
Settlement | Slower on the card route, faster on MoneySaver | Within 24 hours |
Regulatory status | RBI PA-CB licence (Dec 2025) | AD-1 certified, RBI regulated |
Best suited for | Businesses charging customers by card on their own site or app | Freelancers, exporters, agencies, SaaS businesses invoicing overseas clients |
Support | Standard support | Dedicated personal account manager |
The above table clears most of the doubt related to the Infinity vs Razorpay difference and where each stands.
For more information, read: Razorpay alternative in India
Real Cost Comparison: $1,000 Invoice
Say a foreign client owes you $1,000 for work delivered.
Route | Fee | GST on fee | Forex markup | Total deduction | You receive |
Razorpay (International Card) | $30 | $5.40 | ~$15 (1.5%) | ~$50.40 | ~$949.60 |
Razorpay (MoneySaver Export Account) | $10 | $1.80 | None advertised | ~$11.80 | ~$988.20 |
Infinity | $5 | None | None | $5 | $995 |
On a single invoice, this gap looks manageable. Scale it to $10,000 a month in overseas income, and the difference between Razorpay’s card route and Infinity works out to roughly ₹42,000 or more a year, purely in fees.
Which One Should You Actually Use: Infinity or Razorpay?
This is not really a “which is better overall” question; it depends on what you are collecting payments for.
You run a website, app, or online store and want international customers to pay by card at checkout: Razorpay’s international payment gateway is the natural fit, especially if you already use Razorpay for domestic payments.
You are a freelancer, consultant, exporter, or agency who raises invoices and waits for a client abroad to pay into your Indian bank account: Infinity is built specifically for this, with a lower, simpler fee and automatic FIRA.
You do both: some businesses keep Razorpay for domestic and website checkout needs, and use Infinity separately for receiving invoice-based international payments, since the two are not mutually exclusive.
If your main pain point is getting paid by overseas clients without losing a chunk of the invoice to layered fees, then Infinity is a right choice as it is built to solve this specific problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Infinity’s international payment fees?
Infinity charges just a single flat fee of 0.5% (inclusive of all). It does not charge GST or forex markup separately. FIRA is free of cost and is generated automatically after every successful transaction.
What are Razorpay’s international payment fees?
Razorpay charges 3% plus 18% GST on international card payments, and a conversion fee is added too. So this makes it around 5%. MoneySaver Export Account, a bank-transfer route, is priced at 1% plus GST, or about 1.18% effective.
Is Razorpay good for freelancers and exporters receiving international payments?
Razorpay can work reasonably well through the MoneySaver Export Account. This is because it is reasonably priced. However, Razorpay’s core design is around card acceptance and checkout, so freelancers and exporters are not its primary use case. Also, for FIRA requirements, you need to manually request it from the bank, so that's another hassle.
What is the best Razorpay alternative for international payments?
Infinity is a strong alternative for anyone receiving international payments in India. It was built specifically for freelancers, exporters, agencies, and SaaS businesses.
Razorpay or Infinity: which is better for international payments in India?
The answer to this question depends on the use case. Razorpay’s international payment gateway is well suited if you are charging customers by card on your own website or app. Infinity is specifically built for Indian freelancers, exporters and SMBs who receive international payments directly from their global clients on a regular basis.
Does Razorpay charge GST and forex markup on international payments?
Yes. Razorpay charges 18% GST on its processing fee. It also charges an FX markup on the card route. Although these charges are not shown upfront, they are included in the conversion rate.
Does Infinity charge GST or forex markup?
No. Infinity charges just a single flat fee of 0.5% (inclusive of all). It does not charge GST or forex markup separately.
