How to Send International Payments Using Strike's Lightning Network

Sending $200 to family in the Philippines through a traditional money transfer service might cost you $12 to $20 in fees, plus unfavorable exchange rates that quietly shave off another few percent. The transfer takes one to three business days. Strike does the same thing in seconds for a fraction of the cost, routing your payment through Bitcoin's Lightning Network without requiring anyone to touch cryptocurrency.

This isn't theoretical. Strike now supports Send Globally in over 100 countries, and the process is remarkably straightforward once you understand what's happening behind the scenes.

What Actually Happens When You Send Money Through Strike

Here's the flow: You fund your Strike account with regular cash from your bank or debit card. When you send an international payment, Strike converts that cash to bitcoin, routes it instantly through the Lightning Network, and converts it back to local currency at the destination. Your recipient receives pesos, naira, or piastres directly in their bank account or mobile money wallet.

The key insight is that neither you nor your recipient ever handle bitcoin. You're using Bitcoin's payment rails for speed and low cost, but the experience feels like any other money transfer app. This sidesteps the volatility concerns and tax complexity that come with holding cryptocurrency.

Step-by-Step Guide to Sending Your First International Payment

1. Download and Set Up Strike

Strike is available on iOS and Android. Download the app, create an account, and complete the identity verification process. This typically requires a government ID and takes a few minutes.

2. Fund Your Account

Link your bank account or debit card. You can add funds directly or send from your existing balance when making a transfer. There's no minimum balance requirement to maintain.

3. Start a Send Globally Transfer

Tap "Send" in the app, then select "Send Globally." You'll see a list of supported destination countries. As of early 2026, this includes Mexico, the Philippines, Nigeria, Vietnam, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, and many others, with Strike continuously expanding coverage.

4. Enter Recipient Details

You'll need your recipient's phone number and bank account details or mobile money information, depending on the destination country. Some countries support direct deposit to mobile wallets like M-Pesa, which is particularly useful in regions where traditional banking is less accessible.

5. Confirm the Amount and Exchange Rate

Strike shows you the exact amount your recipient will receive in local currency, including the exchange rate. Review this carefully. The rate typically includes a spread of 0.3% to 1%, which is how Strike makes money on the transaction.

6. Send and Track

Confirm the transfer. In most cases, your recipient will have the funds within seconds to a few minutes. Strike provides a confirmation and transaction history in the app.

Fee Comparison With Traditional Services

Traditional remittance services typically charge 6% to 10% for cross-border transfers when you factor in both explicit fees and exchange rate markups. On a $500 transfer, that's $30 to $50 that doesn't reach your recipient.

Strike's approach cuts this significantly. The Lightning Network itself has negligible transaction fees (fractions of a cent), and Strike's exchange rate spreads run between 0.3% and 1%. On that same $500 transfer, you're looking at roughly $1.50 to $5 in total cost.

The speed difference matters too. Traditional wire transfers take one to five business days. Money transfer services like Western Union or Remitly might be faster but often charge premium fees for speed. Strike settles in seconds, every time.

What You Should Know Before Sending

Country and amount limits vary. Vietnam, for example, has a per-transaction range of $6 to $500. Check the app for current limits on your destination country.

Recipients need to provide accurate details. Unlike sending to a Lightning Address (more on that below), Send Globally requires correct bank or mobile money information. Mistakes can delay or complicate transfers.

Not every country is supported yet. Strike continues expanding, but if your destination isn't listed in the app, you'll need to wait or use an alternative service.

This works for cash-to-cash, not bitcoin-to-cash. If you want to send bitcoin that you already hold to a recipient who will receive local currency, that's a different workflow. Send Globally is designed for people who want to send from their regular cash balance.

Lightning Addresses for Person-to-Person Transfers

If your recipient also uses Strike or another Lightning-compatible wallet, you can skip the bank details entirely. Strike provides Lightning Addresses in the format username@strike.me, which work like email addresses for instant payments.

This is particularly useful for regular payments to someone who's comfortable with the Lightning ecosystem. The recipient can convert to local currency themselves or hold the bitcoin, depending on their preference.

Who This Works Best For

Strike's Send Globally feature makes the most sense for regular remittance senders, particularly those sending money to Africa, Asia, and Latin America where traditional transfer fees eat into meaningful portions of the amount sent. If you're sending $200 monthly to family and saving $15 each time, that's $180 annually that actually reaches your family instead of transfer services.

It also appeals to anyone frustrated with the multi-day delays of traditional international transfers. Instant settlement isn't just convenient; for recipients who need funds urgently, it can be genuinely important.

The tradeoffs are real but manageable. You're trusting Strike as an intermediary, not all countries are supported, and recipients need valid bank or mobile money accounts. For many use cases, though, the combination of speed, cost savings, and simplicity makes Strike worth considering as a primary international payment tool.