The Real Reason You’re Losing Freelancers (& What to Do)

Myth: If You Pay Eventually, That’s Enough

“We’ve seen this flawed assumption among businesses that as long as workers eventually get paid, they’ll stick around. The key word here is eventually. Many companies think payouts are a back-office function, something to optimize for cost or compliance. But in global workforces, how and when workers get paid shapes their perception of the job itself. A bad payout experience is a reason many digital workers walk away, or never work for a company in the first place.”

–Samuel Playford, Enterprise Account Executive, Airtm

What Competitors Often Get Wrong

Plenty of platforms claim they support payouts to 190+ countries. But in half of those, digital workers face rejected transfers, punishing conversion rates, or multi-day delays just to access their money.

Let’s break down what goes wrong with most “global” payout platforms:

1. The Illusion of “Global” Coverage: “We support payouts to 190+ countries.”

Sure, but how?

In well-banked regions (U.S., UK, EU), traditional payout platforms run on local rails: direct integrations with domestic banks or card networks. That’s why payouts are fast and cheap.

But what happens when local banking connections don’t exist?

When these platforms don’t have a direct integration in the destination country, they have to fall back on SWIFT, the old-school international banking infrastructure (and very expensive, slow, and deeply unreliable in emerging markets).

Here’s what that looks like:

1. The payout platform sends a transfer via SWIFT.
2. That transfer may route through 2–3 “correspondent banks” along the way.
3. Each one may charge fees, convert currency, or introduce delays.
4. There’s no visibility into the status or breakdown until it (hopefully) arrives.

Traditional payout platforms work great, if your workers live in their core markets. If not, you’re out of luck. Workers have to adapt to the platform, not the other way around.

And they pay the price. In lost time. In lost money. And sometimes, in lost trust.

2. Limiting opportunities with currency constraints.

Many traditional platforms lock payouts into rigid banking rails or specific currencies. If the freelancer can’t receive that currency or convert it affordably? They walk away.

Airtm recognized this challenge years ago, pioneering the use of stablecoins to offer true currency flexibility.

And it happens more often than most businesses realize:

• 65% of freelancers say they’ve lost income or turned down jobs because they couldn’t accept a non-compatible currency.
• Nearly 70% say accepting cryptocurrency (like stablecoins) would let them work with more clients globally.
• Over 1 in 4 freelancers worldwide have lost $20,000+ in potential earnings. In Latin America, 20% say that number exceeds $50,000.

And when payout options are limited, so is your talent pool.

“Regulated stablecoins like USDC provide freelancers with seamless, low cost access to global opportunities by enabling fast and secure cross-border digital dollar transactions. This increased accessibility to a stable value currency empowers freelancers to expand their client base and participate more fully in the global digital economy.”

 –Geetha Panchapakesan, VP, Business Development of Circle

3. Assuming everyone has a banking account. 

Most payout platforms make one big assumption: everyone has a bank account. Not just any account—one that’s compatible with their system, supports cross-border transfers, passes KYC, and doesn’t raise red flags with compliance.

In reality, 1.4 billion adults worldwide are unbanked. And millions more are underbanked, meaning their bank exists in name only, not in functionality.

In places like Nigeria, Pakistan, or Guatemala, freelancers often rely on mobile wallets, cash agents, or informal remittance networks to manage money. “Just add your bank account” doesn’t work when the nearest branch is 200 miles away.

Even when workers have bank accounts, those accounts might not be accepted. We’ve seen cases where:

1. Payments get rejected because a local bank doesn’t support cross-border wires.
2. Workers have to create entirely new bank accounts just to receive funds.
3. Withdrawals succeed but get held or frozen due to currency conversion mismatches.
   

Most platforms offer no alternative, no local-language support, and no help unless you’re a client with a dedicated account manager.

4. Designing for the business, not the worker.

Many payout platforms are designed with enterprise convenience in mind, not the freelancer’s experience. For the business, it’s easy to send funds (batch upload, simple dashboard, etc), but for the freelancer, it can be hard to receive or use the money due to bad conversion rates, delays, and missing support. 

“Businesses optimize for their own ease, not the workforce’s outcome. And that’s exactly what drives churn. Workers don’t want bells and whistles. They want control, predictability, and a payout method they can actually use.”

–Mila Fernandez, Key Account Manager, Airtm

Few platforms ask the questions that matter:

1. Can they access the money? Does the worker have a compatible account or wallet? Are they being told to open a new one just to get paid? Did the transfer quietly fail with no explanation?
2. Are they losing 10–15% in conversion? Most platforms auto-convert to local currency, often at predatory or outdated rates. 
3. Do they even trust the method? Many freelancers in the Global South have had payments frozen, blocked, or reversed by platforms they can’t contact and don’t control. Trust isn’t a given. It’s earned (and often earned through peer communities, not platforms themselves).

Meanwhile, the employer thinks everything’s going smoothly. The dashboard says “Payment sent.” So it must be fine. 

One platform. Every payout. Access the Global South where others can’t. Talk to us →

How Limited Payouts Hurt Your Business

Payment problems can silently erode your talent pool, operational efficiency, and bottom line. The damage rarely appears on a dashboard, but it plays out everywhere else.

1. Talent loss you can’t track.

This is the silent churn problem. 

Freelancers don’t always tell you when they’re frustrated; they just stop replying. 70 % of independent digital workers say a bad payout experience (slow payments, high fees, etc) would make them quit or rethink working with a company. Nearly a third have already considered switching platforms for that reason, and among content creators, that number jumps to 44%.

You may never see the exit, but you’ll feel the loss.

Source.

2. Reduced output, even when you’re paying on time.

 Financial stress changes how people work. Nearly 40% of freelancers reduce their hours when payments are late. Even a short delay can push them to pause your project and take on one that pays faster.

You’ve approved the spend, you’ve scoped the project, but poor payout infrastructure costs you missed milestones, slower delivery, and weaker ROI on every freelance engagement.

3. Currency mismatch means missed talent.

65% of freelancers have either lost money or left earnings on the table because they couldn’t accept work in a compatible currency. If the payout method doesn’t work for them, many won’t even consider the job.

That’s a big opportunity loss for your business.

You may be overlooking high-skill, in-demand talent in emerging markets, not because they’re unavailable, but because your platform can’t meet their payout needs.

Source.

4. Traditional platforms can inflate your costs. 

Even when payments go through, traditional payout platforms chip away at them. They auto-convert USD or EUR into local currencies and apply poor exchange rates with hidden markups. Add in platform fees, and freelancers can lose 10–15% before they ever touch the money. 

That loss doesn’t go unnoticed. Nearly half of freelancers say payout fees are too high. In Latin America, 40% cite currency volatility as a barrier to working internationally when currency is not held in USD or USDC. 

This results in workers walking away or raising their rates to make up the difference. Either way, the money you intended for your team ends up covering structural inefficiencies, not talent.

5. You become a client they avoid working with.

Global freelancers are no longer passive about how they get paid. 93% say they want to receive at least part of their income in crypto or stablecoins. Nearly two-thirds prefer it over local currency. That preference jumps to over 80% in countries like the UAE and Argentina.

If your platform doesn’t offer these options or makes them difficult, you can seem untrustworthy. And that makes it harder to attract top talent, especially in markets where flexibility matters most.

How Airtm Gets It Right, From the Worker’s Perspective

Most platforms are built for the payer. Airtm was built for the paid. Our priority is this: getting money to digital workers in countries where traditional systems fail them. And helping those workers stay engaged, respected, and earning more over time.

1. More Than Coverage: Deep Functionality in the Global South

Plenty of platforms say they support 190+ countries. Airtm does too. But coverage alone doesn’t mean the experience works. 

Our deep-rooted experience with stablecoins, cultivated over years, means we understand the nuances of global payouts. In the Global South, banking is often slow, expensive, or simply unavailable. Airtm gives contributors real options:

• Banking isn’t a given: Contributors can receive funds through mobile money, crypto, or peer cash-out agents.
• Stablecoins hold fiat-pegged value: In inflation-prone economies, workers can hold funds in USDC and choose when to convert.
• Local payout methods: Airtm integrates with real tools people use—wallets in Nigeria, mobile apps in Bangladesh, cash agents in Venezuela.
• Fast access: Payouts arrive in minutes, not days.
  

A recent case study with Circle demonstrates how Airtm helped businesses reduce cross-border payout costs by 35%, while enabling workers to receive USDC payouts in minutes and convert them to local currency on the same day.

2. Trusted by Contributors, Chosen by Communities

Most platforms are adopted top-down. A business chooses the provider. Workers adapt.

With Airtm, it often works the other way around. Workers tell other workers: “Use Airtm. That’s how we always get our money.”

A contributor in Kenya gets paid without issues and shares it with their network. A WhatsApp group in Ecuador starts recommending Airtm after another provider fails to deliver. Trust spreads, one payout at a time.

In some cases, companies adopt Airtm because their workforce is already using it.

That kind of bottom-up growth only happens when a product works, especially in regions where others don’t. And when contributors trust a platform, they stay longer, deliver more, and bring others with them.

Quote from an Airtm user: “Airtm allows me to receive payments for my work without complications, without borders” Thiago, Designer, Brazil

3. One Platform. Consistent Results Across Regions.

Managing global payouts often means juggling multiple vendors, currencies, and systems. That creates complexity for finance teams and friction for contributors.

Airtm gives you one platform to pay your team, whether they’re in Turkey, Nigeria, or anywhere in between. Airtm routes funds using local wallets, stablecoins, or peer networks, depending on what works best for each contributor.

4. No Bank Account Needed

Most platforms assume workers have a bank account. Many don’t. 

Even when they do, those accounts may not support cross-border transfers or may be subject to fees, delays, or rejection.

Airtm doesn’t require a bank account. After passing a KYC verification process, workers can receive funds in USDC and choose when, or if, to convert. They can cash out through mobile money, local bank transfers, or peer agents, depending on what works in their country.

In Nigeria, Airtm’s P2P network continued working even when crypto exchanges were restricted. In Venezuela, it helped workers avoid frozen transfers from failing banks. 

In places where financial infrastructure is unreliable, those details matter. They’re often the difference between a contributor sticking with a platform or dropping off entirely. Airtm reduces that risk by meeting workers where they are, not where it’s convenient for us.

5. A Community That Supports Contributor Retention and Quality

Nobody cares about your digital workforce like we do. 

The Airner community is Airtm’s growing network of skilled digital workers, many with backgrounds in AI and BPO companies, as well as niche freelance marketplaces. They span regions, languages, and creative and technical skill sets. What unites them is that they’re connected, active, and ready to earn.

We’re helping them find opportunities, stay engaged, get paid better, all through a community built around peer support, economic access, and digital opportunity.

For enterprises, that means:

• Access to a high-signal talent pool: Engage with local talent and experts across a global community. 
• Brand Trust: Improve credibility to workers building upon Airtm’s trust within our community members. 
• Faster onboarding: Access talent and onboard to your project, platforms, or roles without delay.
• Longer retention: Airtm’s fair and flexible payouts help reduce drop-off and keep your top performers engaged.
• Opportunities to engage: Companies are able to connect with specific segments of the community, run targeted campaigns, and build brand presence from within.

Build trust, access your ideal profiles, and onboard new talent into your business or marketplace today. Our Airners community is one you can tap into, right when you need it most.

Pay Fairly Everywhere

Most platforms treat global payouts as a technical afterthought. But for digital workers, especially in underbanked regions, how they get paid is the job. If it’s slow, expensive, or unreliable, they’ll leave. And often, they won’t tell you why.

Airtm is built for these realities. Our unparalleled experience with stablecoins has taught us precisely how to navigate these challenges. We don’t assume access to stable banks. We don’t force conversions at bad rates. We don’t ignore regional barriers. We meet workers where they are, so they can keep working, earning, and staying loyal to the companies that treat them fairly.

That’s why contributors recommend Airtm to others. And it’s why companies that listen to their workforce often choose us, too.