In international trade,the collection stage always comes with little hiccups—especially when the customer insists on not covering the bank charges,making the clauses on the PI (pro-forma invoice) feel a bit toothless.Take an Indonesian client who wired money twice: the PI showed RMB 27,875,but only RMB 27,840 arrived; another transfer of RMB 1,110 netted just RMB 1,075,each short by a few dozen yuan.The client claims the remitted amount matches and that any deduction is the fault of the Chinese bank,adding that they already paid local fees.You want to convince them that an intermediary bank took its cut,yet you fear souring the partnership—so what do you do?Don’t worry,this is common.Let’s unpack the logic behind it and share a few practical tricks so your next collection goes more smoothly.

The “invisible hand” behind the fee differential

International remittances aren’t as straightforward as domestic transfers; they usually run on SHA (shared-cost) terms,so the sender’s bank,any intermediary,and the receiver’s bank can all take a cut.The customer wires the full amount,no problem,but the intermediary—often in the U.S.or Europe—skims a fee,so you ultimately receive a bit less.Clients figure,“That’s Bank of China’s issue,not mine,” yet this is standard along the payment chain: they pay their local charges,you absorb the inbound ones.Fairly speaking,both sides shoulder a slice of the blame.Customers still refuse to accept it,usually because of cultural gaps or plain stinginess,convinced the extra cost isn’t worth it.

Fretting over a few dozen yuan simply isn’t worth it.In trade,the handling fee on a big order is negligible; for small orders,you have to take the long view—keep the customer happy,they’ll place more orders,and that little bit of money will have come back many times over.

Solutions: From Communication to Price Adjustments

Don’t push back hard—try these softer moves instead: they keep the relationship intact and keep you from losing out in the long run:

• Agentleexplanation+shiftingtheblametothebank:DropalinebyemailorWhatsApp:“Internationaltransfersoftenincurintermediary-bankfees;that’sjusthowthebankingsystemworks,notanyone’sfault.OurPIclauseisstandard:‘Allbankingcharges/commissionsareforbuyer’saccount’—youcovertheoverseasfees,wetakethedomesticones.Weknowyourlocalbankchargedyouaswell,andnexttimewecanbrainstormwaystostreamlineit.”Thatshowsyou’rebeingreasonable,andtheclientwon’tdwellonit.
• Add"InvisibleSolution"tothequotation:Forthenextcontract,simplybuildtheestimatedhandlingfee(say,aflatUS$40)intotheclause,orquietlyfolditintotheunitprice.Big-accountcustomerswon’tblink;forsmallorders,callit“amodestdiscounttosupportyou”—theyswallowiteasily.OnaUS$3–4korder,ifweslipitintotheunitprice,nooneevercomplains.
• Flexibleclause:ChangethePIto“ALLBANKCHARGESOUTSIDECHINAWILLBEONTHEACCOUNTOFTHEBUYERS,”makingitclearthatoverseasfeesarebornebythecustomerwhileyoucoverthedomesticones.Thisisstandardpracticeandhardforthecustomertodispute.
• Internalcoordination:Thecompany’srequirementstoostrict?ChatwithFinance—askforawaiverorhaveittakenoutofcommissions.Atradingfirmwholesalesinvolume;justsmooththislittlefeeintotheprofitmarginandyou’reset.
• Preventionisthepriority:Largeordersonly,thefeeisfixed(USD100–200);small-orderclientsdesignatetheremittancemethodandconfirmthefeemodelinadvance.Forexample,someclientsarechargedUSD15eachtime,andthecompanyneverquibbled—soforthreeyearsthey’veonlyplacedorderswithus.

These little tricks help you sidestep arguments and make big money instead.A few dozen yuan in handling fees in exchange for customer loyalty—totally worth it!

Conclusion

Although it’s annoying when the customer refuses to bear the bank charges,a soft tone,a tweaked quotation,and a flexible clause usually smooth things out.International trade is all about balance—don’t let a trifle break the goodwill.May these ideas make your collections easier and your cooperation ever sweeter!