How to pay freelancers in Pakistan

How to pay freelancers in Pakistan

Hiring freelancers is a strategic way to get support for various business tasks whenever you need it. Whether you require assistance with anything from IT and transcription, to web design and editing, there are freelancers from around the world who are willing to take on contract work and help you successfully complete projects.

Thanks to online platforms, it’s easier than ever to connect with talented freelancers from just about any country, including Pakistan. Before you dive in, though, check out our short guide on paying freelancers from abroad.

How to pay an international invoice

1. Negotiate currency exchange rates

Talk to your remote employees to find out if they would be willing to accept payment in your domestic currency. For example, if you’re a business in the United States and you need to pay a company in China, you may find that many businesses are happy to be paid in dollars.

2. Find a money transfer provider that works for you

Paying for an international invoice to a freelancer in Pakistan doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With the right provider, you can transfer your money easily online, and at a better rate. We’ll compare two popular options for making an international money transfer later in this article.

3. Mitigate your currency risk

Currency risk is the risk that a business or individual’s financial performance or position will be impacted by fluctuations in the exchange rate. Depending on the provider you choose, you can access tools to help mitigate risk like forward contracts to protect against any unfavourable currency movements. This will help with offering consistent pricing if you need to pay freelancers in Pakistan regularly.

How to transfer money to freelancers in Pakistan

Hiring freelancers from Pakistan is half the process; the other half involves paying them on time.

Here are two popular methods you can use to send payments to freelancers in Pakistan and how they compare:

Transferring using a bank

Paying your Pakistani freelancers via a bank transfer might seem like a good idea at first, the convenience of using your regular provider for this transactions as all your other transactions is nice. However, this can be an expensive payment method because banks charge such high margins and fees. So, when it comes to having your money converted into the Pakistani rupee, and sending that money internationally to Pakistan, you’re actually better off avoiding banks.

Transferring using an International Money Transfer (IMT) provider

And IMT provider like OFX is often a more affordable option that allows you to securely and swiftly transfer your money to a Pakistani freelancer who’s completed a project for you. And the best part is that you can do it all online whenever you want.

With lower margins and fees, OFX can help you save money when hiring freelancers from abroad. Beyond that, you can rest assured that your transfer will usually only take a couple of days, so you don’t have to worry about being late when paying an international invoice.

Let’s compare:

	Fixed fees	Exchange rates margins	Support
OFX	Low to no fixed fees, depending on where you’re sending from.	A small margin that’s typically lower than the banks’ margins.	Available 24/7 over the phone to provide helpful human support for all currency-related enquiries.
Standard bank	Hefty fixed fees, sometimes around $30, just to make a transfer.	Many banks can charge up to a 5% margin on the interbank rate, depending on how much you’re transferring.	Banks operate within certain hours of the day, so you can’t always get the support you may need.

What your business should look for in a global money transfer provider

Using the right global money transfer provider can make all the difference when you’re paying freelancers in Pakistan. Here’s why OFX stands out against the competition:

Speed

Your freelancer expects to get paid on time, and you want your invoices to be paid on time as well. In addition to moving money swiftly, OFX is also available 24/7 online and over the phone. This means that, with OFX, you can transfer money even in the middle of the night, which in today’s fast-moving and technologically enabled world, is very common for businesses operating globally.

Good rates

Getting hit with high margins and fees just to pay Pakistani freelancers kind of undoes the point of hiring those workers from abroad to save money, doesn’t it? With OFX, you can keep more money in your account, not only because we don’t charge excessive fees and margins, but also because we offer tools that you can use to strategically plan transfers. Those include currency charts, forward contracts, and limit orders.

OFX’s Forward Exchange Contracts give you the option of locking in a preferred exchange rate for up to 12 months. That way, even if you don’t need to make a transfer right away, you can rest assured that you’ll be protected against unstable exchange rate fluctuations, ensuring consistent payments for your freelancers.

Limit Orders can also help you protect your business against problematic exchange rate fluctuations. Basically, you tell us your target rate. Then, when it’s triggered, we’ll contact you so you can put your transfer through at a time that suits your business.

Human service

As mentioned above, OFX is available online and over the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can rest easy knowing that there’s always someone available to help whenever you need them. The currency specialists is there to answer your questions and address your concerns at any time.

Legal and tax requirements for paying overseas freelancers in Pakistan

If you aren’t hiring workers from Pakistan as your employees, you can pay them on a per-project basis as freelancers. And this means that you might not need to worry about withholding any taxes for them either.

Instead, the freelancers will be required to set money aside to pay any taxes that they’re responsible for, based on their local laws. On your end, you’ll need to keep track of your expenses related to your Pakistani freelancers so that you, too, can report those expenses, as needed, on your own tax returns.

The best places to find freelancers in Pakistan

Hiring freelancers in Pakistan is easy, thanks to the many resources that are available. We’ve listed a few examples below to help you get started on your search for the most talented individuals:

Hire freelancers in Pakistan to take your business to new heights

More and more people in Pakistan are choosing to take the freelance route to earn a full-time income or to earn extra cash through a side gig. This means that business owners from across the globe can take advantage of the large pool of talent in Pakistan to achieve their goals.

IMPORTANT: The contents of this blog do not constitute financial advice and are provided for general information purposes only without taking into account the investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs of any particular person. UKForex Limited (trading as “OFX”) and its affiliates make no recommendation as to the merits of any financial strategy or product referred to in the blog. OFX makes no warranty, express or implied, concerning the suitability, completeness, quality or exactness of the information and models provided in this blog.