"You're burning money on every payment"
Every time your business pays a supplier abroad, receives an invoice in dollars or converts funds from a raise, money quietly leaks out. You probably don’t know how much.
Most scaling businesses lose a meaningful slice of their international payments to three hidden costs. There’s the FX margin, the gap between the rate you see on Google and the rate your bank gives you, typically 2–4% taken on every conversion without being disclosed. There are wire fees, which often come from three separate banks rather than one and compound with every transfer you make. And there’s bad timing: converting a large sum in one hit on an unfavourable day, or holding cash in the wrong currency for too long.
None of this is unusual, and all of it is fixable. In this practical session, Alex Lampert, Sales Director at Volopa, walks through real-world scenarios showing how these costs play out. One is a $500k US contract that lost £12,000 between pricing and payment. Another is a $2m Series A where the bank’s conversion quietly took nearly £50,000, the equivalent of six to seven weeks of runway.
You’ll leave with:
A clear understanding of the difference between the Google rate, broker spot rates and forward rates, and which one to use when
A simple framework to estimate your own annual hidden payment cost across FX margin, wire fees and timing
Three practical habits that close the gap, from pricing contracts properly to converting with a plan rather than by default
Whether you’re a founder, finance lead or investor wiring money into portfolio companies, you’ll come away with a real number you can act on.
About the speaker
Alex Lampert is a senior commercial leader at Volopa, with experience across fintech, payments, expense management and investment services. Before Volopa, he worked at Linear Investments, raising capital and supporting hedge funds and private companies. Today he focuses on helping businesses simplify international payments, control spend and use better financial infrastructure to support growth. Alex has built and scaled sales teams, developed sector-led go-to-market strategies, and worked with SMEs, mid-market businesses and partners across a wide range of industries.
About Volopa
Volopa helps businesses unlock their potential through faster, simpler and more transparent payment solutions.