More than the headline FX rate suggests, because the spread is usually buried in it. If you collect in one currency and pay out in another, you are paying it twice. On meaningful international volume the annual figure surprises most finance teams.

Usually yes, once a market matters. Shoppers convert less well when they see a foreign currency and cannot tell what they will actually be charged. The complication is that local pricing creates FX exposure you then need to manage.

Not exactly. There is overlap, but the distinct value is holding and moving money across currencies rather than accepting a card payment. Many brands run it alongside a gateway rather than instead of one.

Probably not for sales. It can still be relevant if you pay overseas suppliers, since that is a cross-border flow whether or not your customers are. If neither applies, this is not your problem to solve.

Four to eight weeks including onboarding, which is the slow part because it involves compliance checks. The connection to commerce and finance systems is straightforward once accounts are open.