If you are just starting out as a digital nomad or have been doing it for years, one thing that would have crossed your mind is financing.
There is no argument that digital nomads have a different set of priorities and requirements compared to non-nomads at least when it comes to expenses.
Traveling full time whilst working is not an easy feat that surely requires planning, effort, and learning, and a big part of it is getting your finances right.
Thankfully there are many online tools and services available to help you out and manage your finances.
Here are the top financial products picks for digital nomads…
Xe
One of the most popular currency conversion applications used by people worldwide. Xe is an absolute essential for digital nomads to manage the currency conversion rates of various countries they visit.
The app updates its prices every 60 seconds so you get the latest rates at any given instant and supports over 130 countries plus cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin.
The app also features a send/receive option allowing you to either send or receive cross-currency money transfers. Although this feature is limited to a few countries only and requires you to create an account and undergo KYC.
The app is free to use.
Revolut
A favorite of users pertaining to the EU and US, Revolut offers travel cards with zero/minimal cross-currency fees.
This saves digital nomads traveling to various countries the headache of paying hefty bank fees for currency conversion at POS or ATM withdrawals.
It also offers cross-currency money transfer services at reasonable exchange rates.
It offers 4 plans each with varying benefits and limits:
— Standard: Free
— Plus: £2.99/month
— Premium: £6.99/month
— Metal: £12.99/month
Revolut is currently operational in European Economic Area (EEA), Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Blockonomics Invoice
For all digital nomads accepting bitcoin as payments for their services, Blockonomics Invoice offers digital nomads the ability to create and send invoices in bitcoin.
Its simple and user-friendly interface allows you to create an invoice in a matter of minutes.
And the best part is that the bitcoin price is updated every 10 minutes so you will receive the latest bitcoin equivalent to the USD amount.
The invoice service is completely free to use and the invoices can be shared via a link easily online.
Wise
A popular money transfer service, Wise [formally TranferWise], has managed to capture a huge chunk of this market by offering low transfer fees and mid-market currency conversion rates.
Available of more than 80 currencies, wise offers one of the most robust and diverse currency selections that allows anyone around the world to send or receive money with ease.
Wise also offers multi-currency accounts for people looking to accept payments in currencies different from their home currency. Popular local accounts include USD, Euro, GBP, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar.
One of its latest features includes a debit card that allows users to spend money abroad without worrying about exorbitant exchange fees.
The products and services offered vary by country so do check the requirements before opting to use Wise.
Payoneer
One of the sought-after digital payment services, Payoneer rose to popularity by offering digital businesses worldwide the option to receive payments outside their home currency at local prices.
Payoneer was one of the first few companies that started offering multi-currency accounts at minimal fees empowering online merchants worldwide.
Payoneer also integrates with marketplaces such as Airbnb, Etsy, Fiveer, Upwork, etc that allows users to receive payments from all over the world.
For all the digital nomads looking to receive international payments or integrate a payment gateway to your website, Payoneer has you covered.
Receiving funds to a currency account is free while withdrawal attracts a small fee.
As for receiving digital payments on marketplaces, the fee is varied based on the marketplace used.
Spreadsheets
Google Spreadsheets need no introduction, used by individuals, students, businesses, entrepreneurs, it is one of the most versatile, popular, and useful tools available to everyone.
For digital nomads, spreadsheets can a useful tool to manage expenses, work, and lifestyle.
This product by google is free to use and user-friendly, although some basic computer skills are definitely required.
Mint
An expense tracking app, Mint gives digital nomads the power to track and monitor their expenses in the palm of their hands.
This intuitive and well-designed app gives you the power to manage your expenses while on the road with its budgeting features that tell you exactly how much money you have spent and how much is left in your budget.
Additional features include:
- Bill Negotiation
- Alerts
- Financial Coaching
- Free Credit Score
It's a free-to-use app.
Zoho Books
Zoho Books is an online accounting software offered by Zoho that allows businesses and entrepreneurs to manage finances, inventory, sales, and automate workflows.
Freelancers and digital nomads that are running their own business and surely use Zoho books to manage their finances and sales.
Zoho Books offers and host of features for its users including:
- Invoicing
- Billing
- Sales
- Inventory Management
- Automation
- Banking
- Estimates
As for pricing, Zoho Books is surely one of the affordable options available in the market today.
It has 4 plans
— Free: For annual revenue below 50K
— Standard: $10/month
— Professional: $20/month
— Premium: $30/month
QuickBooks
Yet another popular accounting software, QuickBooks is a simple-to-use software for small businesses, freelancers, digital nomads, and anyone looking for a safe and secure cloud platform to manage their accounting.
Similar to Zoho Books, Quickbooks comes with a myriad of features including:
- Invoicing
- Sales
- Expenses
- Inventory management
- VAT/GST
- Banking
- Analytics
As for pricing, there are 3 plans available:
— Simple Start: $4.8/month
— Essentials: $7.5/month
— Plus: 10.5/month
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://insights.blockonomics.co/top-financial-products-for-digital-nomads-2022-27c39413f099/