It was the last working day of the month, and Riya, a SaaS founder in Pune, was on a call with her CA. Two client payments had come in through Wise. One was small and simple. The other was a large milestone payment that had to be split into two transfers. Her CA asked for the FIRA for both. Only one was ready.

Why do Indian startups move away from Wise India? Wise India works well for small, early invoices. Startups often outgrow Wise Business when payments get larger, when they want more control over INR conversion, and when FIRA paperwork needs to be clean for the CA. This blog shows where that happens and what founders use instead.

Quick verdict

• Indian startups outgrow Wise Business because of the inward transfer cap, high transaction fees, and no dedicated support for Indian users.

• You should stay on Wise if your client insists on using Wise Business for receiving payments or if your invoices are irregular and high transaction fees do not matter that much.

• Move if you get large and regular international payments at lowest cost, need FIRA (for free) for every international payment, or want a person to call when something does not work.

• Move to Infinity if you want one all-inclusive fee (0.5%, no separate FX markup or GST) and a dedicated account manager for every international payment you deal with.

Is Wise Business still right for your startup? A 60-second check

Wise India suits you if you answer "yes" to two or fewer of the questions below. Four or more "yes" answers mean it is time to compare alternatives.

• Do you receive single payments above roughly ₹25 lakh (about $29,000)?

• Are you a registered company or LLP, not a freelancer or sole proprietor?

• Does your CA need a FIRA for every payment on time?

• Do you want to hold foreign currency instead of converting on arrival?

• Do you want a real person to call when a payment gets stuck?

• Does low transaction cost matter to you while receiving international payments?

The 5 stages where Wise India starts to pinch

Wise India fits the early stages well. The friction shows up as your volumes, invoice sizes and compliance needs grow.

Stage 1: Your first client invoices

Wise India works well here. Setup is quick, and the local-style account details let overseas clients pay easily. Most freelancers and early founders never need to look further at this stage.

Stage 2: Monthly volumes climb

Costs stay reasonable, but small charges repeat. Wise charges a small fee per digital FIRA, about $2 per certificate. With 20 payments a month, that is $40 to $50 a month on paperwork alone. Infinity generates the FIRA automatically at no extra charge.

Stage 3: Your first large milestone payment

The Wise India limit for inward payments is about ₹25 lakh (roughly $29,000) per transfer. A bigger invoice has to be split. Splitting means more transfers, more certificates and more reconciliation for your CA. Ask any platform for its per-transfer limit in writing before you switch.

Stage 4: CA and audit season

Your CA uses the FIRA as proof that a foreign payment came in. It supports your GST export claims and your records. Eligibility can also matter here, because Wise India business receiving has been limited by entity type. Infinity is an AD-1 certified, RBI-regulated platform, and it auto-generates a FIRA for every user.

Stage 5: Scaling the team and fundraising

Support and payment flexibility start to matter. Outward remittance for new India users on Wise is paused, so vendor payments need another route. Infinity gives every user a dedicated personal account manager for every international payment you receive.