How Creators Get Paid Internationally Without PayPal

Why creators increasingly search for alternatives to PayPal

A creator in Nigeria may have an audience in the United States and Europe but still struggle with payout limitations. A freelancer in Pakistan may rely on several disconnected payout systems simply to receive international client payments. A creator in Brazil may operate globally through subscriptions while still depending heavily on region-specific financial infrastructure.

PayPal helped make online payments mainstream.

The creator economy evolved far beyond the internet PayPal was originally designed around.

Modern creators increasingly operate through:

• subscriptions

• remote work

• digital products

• global audiences

• mobile-first communities

• cross-border commerce

That creates pressure around:

• withdrawal flexibility

• cross-border accessibility

• settlement speed

• payment identity

• processor dependency

• global payout participation

Spondula is being built around a different direction: a wallet-first global payments network where creators, freelancers and businesses can send, receive, hold, accept and participate through wallets and S-Handles rather than depending entirely on fragmented payout infrastructure.

The creator economy became global. Many payout systems still remain regionally fragmented.

Why many creators experience PayPal friction

PayPal remains one of the world’s most recognised digital payment systems.

Its strengths include:

• consumer familiarity

• easy onboarding

• merchant recognition

• global brand awareness

However, many creators increasingly experience friction involving:

• withdrawal delays

• payment holds

• cross-border restrictions

• currency conversion layers

• processor reviews

• country limitations

Those challenges often become more visible across:

• Nigeria

• Pakistan

• Philippines

• Brazil

• Mexico

• South Africa

where creator participation in the global internet economy expanded faster than payout infrastructure evolved.

How creators usually receive international payments without PayPal

Many creators currently rely on combinations of:

• Payoneer

• Wise

• bank transfers

• marketplace payouts

• subscription platform withdrawals

• wallet-based systems

Those systems help creators participate internationally.

However, many creators still experience:

• processor dependency

• withdrawal timing issues

• cross-border settlement friction

• regional payout limitations

• currency conversion costs

The broader issue remains fragmentation.

Many creators still operate across several disconnected payout systems rather than one portable payment identity.

“Modern creators increasingly operate globally while payments still often depend on fragmented processor ecosystems.”

Why portable payment identity matters

Creators already build audiences around:

• handles

• profiles

• usernames

• social identity

• digital communities

Traditional payment infrastructure still often revolves around:

• bank details

• routing numbers

• IBANs

• processor-specific accounts

That creates friction between:

• internet-native creator behaviour

• traditional financial infrastructure

Spondula positions the S-Handle as a portable payment identity layer connected to wallet infrastructure.

Instead of requesting complicated banking details, creators could potentially:

• share an S-Handle

• receive payments online

• send payment links remotely

• participate through wallet-first infrastructure