Cross-Border Payments

Use SpherePay to facilitate cross-border payments by using stablecoins as an efficient settlement layer. This can significantly reduce costs and settlement times compared to traditional international wire transfers.

How It Works

Cross-border payments with stablecoins follow a two-step process:

Sender (Country A): USD → [SpherePay On-Ramp] → USDC
    ↓
    [Blockchain Transfer - Near Instant]
    ↓
Recipient (Country B): USDC → [Local Off-Ramp] → Local Fiat

SpherePay handles the USD ↔ USDC conversion. You or your partner handles the local fiat off-ramp in the destination country.

Advantages

Traditional Wire	Stablecoin Settlement
3-5 business days	Minutes (blockchain) + local settlement
$25-50 wire fees	Lower fees
Opaque FX rates	Transparent on-chain
Limited visibility	Full tracking on blockchain

Current Limitations

Caution

Geographic Restrictions: SpherePay currently supports USD rails in the United States only. For cross-border payments, you'll need a local partner or alternative solution for the destination country's fiat off-ramp.

SpherePay can handle:

✅ USD → USDC conversion (on-ramp in US)
✅ USDC → USD conversion (off-ramp in US)
✅ Stablecoin transfers between wallets

You'll need to handle:

❌ Local fiat rails in other countries (EUR, GBP, MXN, etc.)
❌ Local regulatory compliance

Implementation Pattern

Step 1: On-Ramp (Sender Side)

Convert the sender's USD to USDC:

curl -X POST https://api.spherepay.co/v2/transfer \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "customerId": "customer_sender",
    "type": "onRamp",
    "sourceAmount": "1000.00",
    "sourceCurrency": "USD",
    "destinationCurrency": "USDC",
    "destinationNetwork": "solana",
    "bankAccountId": "bank_sender",
    "walletId": "wallet_settlement"
  }'

Step 2: Blockchain Transfer

Transfer USDC to the recipient's wallet (or your partner's settlement wallet):

curl -X POST https://api.spherepay.co/v2/transfer \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "customerId": "customer_sender",
    "type": "cryptoToCrypto",
    "sourceAmount": "1000.00",
    "sourceCurrency": "USDC",
    "sourceNetwork": "solana",
    "destinationCurrency": "USDC",
    "destinationNetwork": "solana",
    "sourceWalletId": "wallet_settlement",
    "destinationAddress": "recipient_wallet_address"
  }'

Step 3: Off-Ramp (Recipient Side)

If the recipient is US-based, use SpherePay to convert back to USD:

curl -X POST https://api.spherepay.co/v2/transfer \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "customerId": "customer_recipient",
    "type": "offRamp",
    "sourceAmount": "1000.00",
    "sourceCurrency": "USDC",
    "sourceNetwork": "solana",
    "destinationCurrency": "USD",
    "walletId": "wallet_recipient",
    "bankAccountId": "bank_recipient"
  }'

For non-US recipients, use a local partner or exchange for the final fiat conversion.

Use Case: Remittances

For remittance platforms:

Collect USD from sender in the US
Convert to USDC via SpherePay on-ramp
Transfer USDC to your partner's settlement wallet in destination country
Partner converts USDC to local currency and disburses to recipient

async function processRemittance(senderId, recipientCountry, amount) {
  // Step 1: On-ramp USD to USDC
  const onRamp = await createTransfer({
    customerId: senderId,
    type: 'onRamp',
    sourceAmount: amount,
    sourceCurrency: 'USD',
    destinationCurrency: 'USDC',
    destinationNetwork: 'solana',
    bankAccountId: senderBankAccount,
    walletId: settlementWallet,
  });

  // Wait for on-ramp completion
  await waitForTransfer(onRamp.id);

  // Step 2: Transfer to destination partner
  const partnerWallet = getPartnerWallet(recipientCountry);
  const cryptoTransfer = await createTransfer({
    customerId: senderId,
    type: 'cryptoToCrypto',
    sourceAmount: amount,
    sourceCurrency: 'USDC',
    sourceNetwork: 'solana',
    destinationCurrency: 'USDC',
    destinationNetwork: 'solana',
    sourceWalletId: settlementWallet,
    destinationAddress: partnerWallet,
  });

  // Notify partner of incoming settlement
  await notifyPartner(recipientCountry, cryptoTransfer.id, amount);

  return { onRamp, cryptoTransfer };
}

Compliance Requirements

Sender Side (US)

KYC verification — All senders must complete KYC
Source of funds — May require documentation for large amounts

Recipient Side

Local regulations — Partner must comply with local money transmission laws
KYC/AML — Recipient verification per local requirements
Reporting — Cross-border transaction reporting as required

Best Practices

Choose the right network: Use Solana or Base for lower fees and faster finality
Monitor FX rates: If converting to non-USD, track rates for pricing accuracy
Build redundancy: Have backup partners for destination countries
Track end-to-end: Poll transfer status and use blockchain monitoring for full visibility
Handle failures gracefully: Build retry and refund logic

Settlement Times

Leg	Time
USD → USDC (ACH)	2-3 business days
USD → USDC (Wire)	Same/next business day
USDC transfer (blockchain)	Seconds to minutes
USDC → Local Fiat	Depends on local partner

Total time with wire: As fast as same-day for the SpherePay portion.

Coming Soon

SpherePay is actively expanding international support. Check our Changelog for updates on:

Additional fiat currencies (EUR, GBP, MXN)
International customer support
Direct cross-border rails

Transfers API — Detailed transfer documentation
KYC Flow — Customer onboarding

Cross-Border Payments

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