When a foreign client pays you through Cashfree International, the money still ends up in an Indian bank account, and your Export Declaration Form obligation follows that money. In practice, the bank that receives the settlement into your account is usually the bank to talk to about your EDF, and it will want the invoice details plus payment evidence that links each settlement to your invoices. How Cashfree International collects, converts and settles, and what documents it provides, is set by Cashfree, so check its current India help pages for the specifics.
Key takeaways
- Using a cross-border payment provider does not remove the EDF. You still file one monthly EDF covering your foreign invoices.
- Your AD bank is normally the bank where the foreign money lands. Confirm with that bank how it treats provider settlements.
- Get whatever payment advice or remittance certificate the provider and your bank issue, and check the purpose code.
- Provider fees and conversion margins reduce what reaches you. Your net realisable value should reflect known deductions.
- Settlements often bundle several client payments. Keep the settlement report so you can map each one to an invoice.
How the money moves, in general terms
Cross-border collection services typically work like this:
- You raise an invoice to your foreign client.
- The client pays using a method the provider supports, such as a card, a local bank transfer or a payment link.
- The provider collects the funds, converts them if needed and settles rupees into your Indian bank account, often through a regulated banking partner.
- You receive a settlement report from the provider and a credit in your bank statement.
The details, including which partner bank is involved, settlement timing, fees and documentation, are Cashfree International's to describe. We are not going to guess at them. Read Cashfree International's current India help pages and your merchant agreement, and keep a copy of the version that applied when you signed up.
Who is your AD bank for the EDF?
Under the 2026 regulations, services exporters outside an SEZ file the EDF with their AD bank, which is normally the bank where the foreign money lands. With a payment provider in the middle, two banks may be involved: the provider's partner bank and your own bank that receives the settlement.
Ask your own bank, in writing: "My foreign clients pay through Cashfree International, which settles into this account. Should I file my monthly EDF with you, and what payment evidence will you accept to close EDPMS entries?" Also ask Cashfree what documentation it provides for inward remittances. If the two answers point in different directions, get both to confirm before you file. Our article on using multiple banks for exports covers the general principle.
Matching settlements to invoices
Providers often settle in batches: one bank credit may cover several client payments, net of fees. Your bank, however, thinks in invoices. Bridge the gap with a simple mapping.
| Settlement credit | Provider reference | Client | Invoice no. | Invoice amount | Net settled | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Nov 2026 | Batch A | Fernway Studios (Canada) | AD/26/118 | CAD 2,400 | ₹1,43,100 | Fees + conversion |
| 12 Nov 2026 | Batch A | Kiwi Outdoors Ltd (NZ) | AD/26/121 | NZD 1,900 | ₹93,600 | Fees + conversion |
| 19 Nov 2026 | Batch B | Lindqvist AB (Sweden) | AD/26/124 | EUR 3,100 | ₹2,93,200 | Fees + conversion |
Keep this sheet with the settlement reports and your EDF. When you ask the bank to close entries, or give your periodic realisation declaration, you can point straight to it.
Fees, conversion and net realisable value
Every provider charges something: a percentage, a fixed fee, a currency conversion margin, or a mix. Those deductions mean the rupee amount you receive is less than the invoice value converted at a mid-market rate.
On the EDF, each Part 2B row has an amount (the invoice value in its currency) and a net realisable value (NRV), the amount you expect to realise after known deductions. Ask your bank how it wants provider fees reflected. Our guide to net realisable value in the EDF explains the logic.
Keep one more point in mind: the invoice amount is what you billed, not what reached you. Do not reduce invoice values on the EDF to match settlements; explain the difference instead.
Worked example
Aster Design Co, a Kochi design studio run as a partnership firm, invoices small overseas clients and lets them pay through Cashfree International. Suppose that in November 2026 it raises three invoices, all paid within the month, as in the table above, totalling about ₹5,35,000 at invoice value.
Its process:
- Before filing: confirm with its own bank that it should file the EDF there, and which settlement documents the bank accepts.
- 5 December: fill the November EDF with three Part 2B rows, using "Internet" for mode of delivery and "Others" for mode of realisation.
- Part 4: keep "has been received" since all three are paid, and attach the settlement mapping sheet.
- Quarter end: include all three invoices, each under ₹10 lakh, in its periodic realisation declaration so the bank can close the entries.
The firm should also download each settlement report and payment advice the provider offers and file them by invoice number.
Purpose codes and GST evidence
Each inward remittance should carry a purpose code that matches your service. For design work, the right code may differ from software or consulting codes. Check what code appears on the payment advice or remittance certificate and ask your bank to correct it if needed. The purpose code finder helps you shortlist the likely code before that conversation.
For GST, export of services requires payment in convertible foreign exchange (or INR where RBI permits) among the Section 2(6) conditions. Ask your CA whether the documents you get from the provider and bank are sufficient evidence for your export and refund position. The EDF does not change GST or income-tax obligations. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice, and it does not describe Cashfree International's own policies.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to file an EDF if my clients pay through Cashfree International?
If you are a business exporting services, yes, assume so. The payment route does not change the obligation. File one EDF per month covering foreign invoices dated in that month, with the bank your own bank confirms as your AD bank.
Which bank is my AD bank when I use a payment provider?
Normally the bank where the foreign money lands, which is usually your own bank receiving the settlement. Confirm with your bank in writing, and ask the provider what remittance documentation it issues.
Can I get a FIRA for payments collected through Cashfree International?
Check Cashfree International's current India help pages and ask your bank. Providers and banks issue different types of payment advice or certificates; what matters is that the document shows the amount, remitter or payer, date and purpose code.
Should my EDF show the invoice amount or the amount settled after fees?
Show the invoice amount in the amount column, and reflect known deductions in the net realisable value as your bank prefers. Explain differences from fees and conversion with your settlement records.
What if one settlement covers several invoices?
Map each part of the settlement to its invoice using the provider's report, and give your bank that mapping when closing entries or making your periodic realisation declaration.
Bottom line
Paying through Cashfree International changes how money reaches you, not whether you file. Confirm your AD bank, keep settlement reports mapped to invoices, and build your monthly form with the free EDF form generator.
This guide is general information for Indian businesses, not legal or tax advice. Rules and bank processes change — confirm specifics with your AD bank or chartered accountant.