Why are payment plans only in dollars - what about the UK market?

[Lewis Jones]

To pay for premium or standard, you can only pay in dollars. Meaning the users in the UK or other countries are either stuck with the free to use or have to pay in dollars.!?

[Viswanathan Ramachandran]

Hi @Lewis Jones 

The short answer? It comes down to risk, infrastructure, and compliance.

Here is the breakdown of why many platforms start (and stay) in USD:

1. USD is the "Universal Baseline" Currency

See Dollar Dominance Because most global cloud infrastructure, SaaS tools, and payment gateways charge businesses directly in USD, keeping revenue in USD acts as a natural hedge. It matches cost to income, protecting margins from foreign exchange volatility.

2. Multi-Currency Risk & Processing Fees

• FX Risk (Foreign Exchange)

• Payment Rails & Cross-Border Fees

3. Legal & Tax Compliance Traps

Billing locally often forces a business into local compliance. For example, charging in Euros or Pounds immediately triggers strict EU/UK VAT (Value Added Tax) rules and digital tax filings, requiring localised accounting systems or a Merchant of Record (MoR) service.

The Bottom Line

USD isn't used out of ignorance of global markets, it’s used to keep financial and legal operations lean early on.

That said, platforms that eventually add local payment methods (LPMs) and native currencies usually see a 20-30% boost in checkout conversions. It’s where the industry is moving, even if the transition takes time!

The Exception: True Currency Localisation

The only time you actually sign an agreement billed in your local currency is if the checkout explicitly lets you select GBP or EURO at the final payment step and lists that currency code on your receipt/invoice.
If the base currency of the plan says USD, your bank statement will always show a USD transaction converted to your home currency!