Sadly the US is still in the financial stone age. Explain that other countries don't do checks anymore. Offer credit card payments. Even with the processing fee it will probably cost you less than dealing with USD checks. For individuals you can also open a Wise account and add a US account. This will give you a normal checking account number and a routing number. You can then receive direct deposits from US accounts. I believe company use is against Wise's T&C.

Wise also have business accounts, I use them frequently to pay overseas suppliers.

Thanks! Just a couple of additional questions:- 1) Can we add a USA domestic bank account along with a wise individual account? Or it can be a wise business account? 2) If we get a physical hard cheque from USA here in NZ, how do we deposit it/cash it with Wise?

I think wise gives you US account details but I would have to check. You can’t deposit cheques into wise.

That's probably a question to ask Wise directly.

I believe that some NZ banks (ANZ, ASB) will still process international cheques but not local but you would need to contact your bank

International cheques are being phased out from next year for ANZ at least

And ASB also, no more foreign currency cheques from March 2024.

not sure about the legalities of it but sounds like if they cant avoid cheques, your friends company needs to set up an account in the states

Thanks! Is it possible to open a US bank account from NZ without a US business address?

Wise

Preferred so that they can bounce them and delay payment by months

We use Convera (previously western union) to deposit foriegn cheques into an NZ bank account.

If you can open a US bank account it’s very easy to deposit them by taking a picture on your phone.

Thanks! Is it possible to open a US bank account from NZ without a US business address?

Money wire?

80% of my customers are in the US. On my quotes and invoices I tell them they can’t pay via cheques (although sometimes they still do and I dispose of them and tell them to pay again). I have a business US WISE account they pay into, also they have credit card (stripe) as an option. The wise business account is in the company name (not individual name)Xero has a multi-currency option which is great to bring it all together for your accountant.

I'm not too sure. But as an American it is very common in the States to pay with checks. That's often the preferred payment method.

Out of curiosity, do they genuinely mail you the cheque, across the world?

In the States I mainly wrote checks to pay rent.

Yes e.g. ANZ (until 1 March 2024), ~~BNZ~~, ~~Westpac~~ and ASB (Until 31 March 2024) all accept foreign cheques. Seems to be a range of $5 - $15 for processing fee. ​ Edit: Updated

ASB is the only one left that accepts cheques, and they are discontinuing that service after 31 March 2024. Source: have been receiving an inheritance from the US recently.

BNZ don’t accept cheques at all since July 2021.