End-to-end flow

Freelancer: receive in dollars and spend with a card

FreelancerReceivingUSDCard

From international payment to card, in one flow: how to receive in dollars, hold, convert and spend without losing on FX or IOF.

Receive from any client or platform

You get US bank details, an account number and routing number: and share them with your client or platform to receive directly in USD, with no fee to receive and without the bank’s expensive FX. These details accept ACH, RTP (instant settlement) and Wire, for fiat or digital dollars, with instant access. The same details let you receive from:
  • Marketplaces: Upwork, Fiverr and similar.
  • Payroll platforms: Deel, Rippling and others.
  • Direct clients: just share your details.
For the business setup, see how to receive USD as a business.

Hold and convert on your time

Instead of converting everything on arrival, hold the dollar balance and convert to reais only when you need (from 0.5% for individuals, 0.3% for businesses, always with 0% IOF). You decide the best FX moment.

Spend with the card

Whatever is in dollars, software, ads, travel, subscriptions, you pay directly with the Ruvo card: dollar spending is free, 0% IOF. It works with Apple Pay and Google Pay, and the physical card is sent on request. See the full card fees and how a dollar card works.

Pay vendors and send

Need to pay someone abroad or send dollars? Ruvo sends via ACH, wire and RTP for 0.5% to 1% (reais to dollars). Receiving, holding, converting, spending and sending all happen in one account.

What you keep at the end of the month

Picture a freelancer receiving US$3,000 a month. The traditional path, via bank and SWIFT, costs 6% or more all-in (FX + fees + IOF), about US$180 a month gone before you use the money. With Ruvo:
  • Receiving: free.
  • Spending in dollars on the card (tools, subscriptions, travel): free.
  • Converting to reais only what you need: from 0.5% (individual) or 0.3% (business), no IOF.
So instead of losing ~US$180 a month, you pay only on the part you convert, and keep the rest in dollars.

All in one flow

With Ruvo, the whole cycle lives in one place:
  • Receive in dollars, free.
  • Hold in your dollar balance.
  • Spend directly with the card.
  • Convert or send only when you need to (sends via ACH, wire and RTP for 0.5% to 1%).
No hopping between a bank, a broker and an FX app.

Tax and IRPF: what to set aside each month

Foreign income received as an individual (PF) is subject to carnê-leão — a monthly self-assessment where you calculate and pay IRPF on income received from foreign sources. The applicable rate depends on your total monthly income and follows the standard progressive table. A reasonable planning rule: set aside 20–27.5% of gross foreign income each month for carnê-leão and the annual IRPF declaration, then adjust with your contador once the actual deductions are clear. Ruvo's transaction statements are exportable by month so you can reconcile easily.

Frequently asked questions

Freelancer: receive in dollars and spend with a card.

Talk to support
  • You share the details of a dollar account (ACH) with the client or platform and receive directly in USD, without the bank’s expensive FX.

  • No. You hold the dollar balance and convert only what you need (from 0.5% for individuals, 0% IOF), spending the rest directly on the card.

  • Yes. At Ruvo, receiving, holding, converting and spending happen in the same account.

  • From marketplaces like Upwork and Fiverr, payroll platforms like Deel and Rippling, and direct clients, just share your dollar-account (ACH) details. Receiving is free.

  • Yes. Foreign income received by an individual (PF) must be reported monthly via carnê-leão, using the PTAX exchange rate on the payment date. It is also included in your annual IRPF declaration under "rendimentos recebidos do exterior." Failing to declare can result in malha fina penalties. If you receive as PJ, income is declared under your company's tax regime instead.

  • Yes. Ruvo lets you send a Pix payment funded from your dollar balance — the conversion happens at the time of the Pix, and the recipient receives reais instantly. This removes the extra step of converting to reais first and then paying. It is useful for paying local freelancers, service providers or rent from the same balance where your dollar income sits.

Ready to Ruvo?

Start using Ruvo today and take control of your money.