Contractor Onboarding Guide
Collect compliance docs, set payment preferences, and run your first international payroll in under an hour.
Explore the global contractor payments platformContractor onboarding typically breaks down at two points: collecting the right compliance documentation (W-8BEN for non-US, W-9 for US contractors) and setting up payment preferences across different countries and currencies. Bitwage automates both with a single onboarding link sent to each contractor.
When you add a contractor to Bitwage, they receive an email with a self-service onboarding flow. They create an account, submit identity verification (KYC), fill out their required tax form, and configure their payment preferences — local bank, USDC wallet address, Bitcoin, or a split. This typically takes contractors 10–15 minutes.
Once onboarded, contractors appear in your dashboard ready for payroll inclusion. Their payment preferences are stored and auto-applied to every future run. You never re-enter their details. For large teams, Bitwage supports bulk invite via CSV — upload a list of contractor emails and they all receive onboarding links simultaneously.
What Bitwage Handles
- Contractor KYC and compliance verification
- W-8BEN and W-9 collection through self-service onboarding
- OFAC sanctions screening on every payment
- FX rate lock at payment approval
- Local rail routing and settlement tracking
Related Country Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Non-US contractors complete a W-8BEN foreign contractor form form (IRS foreign person declaration), provide a government-issued ID for KYC verification, and set their payment method — bank account details or crypto wallet address.
The self-service flow takes contractors 10–15 minutes. KYC verification is typically approved within minutes for most countries. Contractors are ready for their first payroll run the same day in most cases.
Yes. Upload a CSV of contractor emails and Bitwage sends each one an onboarding link. You can track completion status in the dashboard and send reminders to contractors who haven't completed setup.
Contractors can update their payment preferences at any time through their Bitwage account. Changes take effect on the next payroll run. You see updated preferences reflected in the payroll review screen before approving.
Ready to implement this?
Explore the global contractor payments platform or browse all guides.