Khalti just made getting paid from abroad easier for Nepali freelancers

Getting paid from abroad has always been one of the messiest parts of freelancing from Nepal. Receiving money quickly, easily, and in a format that works locally has often been the bigger problem. Now, Khalti by IME says it's changing that. Through a new partnership with global payment infrastructure company Stripe, Khalti has launched a service that lets Nepali freelancers and digital entrepreneurs receive international payments directly into their Khalti wallet. 

According to reports on the launch, users can send a Payment Request to foreign clients through the app, and those clients can then pay using options such as Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and supported e-banking methods. Khalti says the amount is then settled into the user’s wallet in real time.

What Stripe is and why it matters

Stripe is one of the world’s biggest online payment platforms. More accurately, it is a global payments infrastructure company that helps businesses accept money online through different payment methods and across different countries. Stripe officially supports categories like cards, bank debits, bank redirects, bank transfers, real-time payments, and digital wallets.

That is what makes this partnership useful. Instead of asking a foreign client to manually figure out a bank transfer or rely on less convenient payment routes, a Nepali freelancer can now send a more professional payment request through a system global clients are already familiar with. On the client’s side, the payment flow is also simpler, since they can use common digital payment methods instead of dealing with direct banking friction.

What kinds of payments can be made through Stripe?

Why this matters for Nepali freelancers

Nepal’s freelance economy has grown significantly in visibility since the Covid era, especially as more remote work opened up globally. Today, Nepali professionals working for overseas clients are not limited to just coding or software jobs. The freelance pool now includes developers, UI/UX designers, graphic designers, video editors, motion graphics artists, SEO specialists, digital marketers, writers, consultants, and AI-related service providers, while software and technology work still remains one of the strongest categories.

For these workers, getting paid is often the least glamorous but most frustrating part of the job. So in practical terms, this new service can help a wide range of Nepali professionals who earn from overseas clients and want a more direct collection route into a local wallet.

How this is different from a dollar card

A dollar card is mainly used for making international payments. For example, paying for software subscriptions, cloud tools, domain renewals, online ads, or other foreign services. This new Khalti + Stripe setup is about receiving money from foreign clients. So while a dollar card helps Nepali users spend in foreign currency, this service is designed to help freelancers and businesses collect foreign payments more easily.

Also Read: How to get a dollar prepaid card in Nepal

What about tax in Nepal?

Under Nepal’s FY 2082/83 tax provisions, income earned by individuals in Nepal from IT-related services exported to foreign countries is subject to a 5% tax, and that amount is treated as a final tax for qualifying income. 

That 5% final-tax treatment is specifically tied to IT-related service exports, so it may not automatically apply to every kind of freelance income. If someone earns from broader consulting, creative media work, or other non-IT services, the treatment may differ depending on how that income is classified. 

The bigger picture

Nepal has had the talent for remote global work for years. The bigger gap has often been the infrastructure around that talent; especially when it comes to payment collection, convenience, and compliance.

If Khalti’s Stripe integration works smoothly in practice, it could remove one of the most annoying barriers for Nepali freelancers and digital entrepreneurs. It does not create the freelance economy, but it could make that economy much easier to operate from Nepal.