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● Interest in international payments for ecosystem services (IPES) is increasing within both the public and private sectors. ● IPES agreements are most likely to focus on ecosystem services that deliver significant public benefits across national boundaries, such as carbon storage and sequestration, certain hydrological services, or biodiversity conservation. ● On the demand side, 'importers' of ecosystem services could include businesses and governments. Prospects for significant private sector demand are likely to depend on the pace and breadth of voluntary corporate action, and/or intergovernmental agreements. ● On the supply side, potential 'exporters' of ecosystem services could include: (1) private or non-governmental landowners; and (2) governments, either national or subnational. _ Motivations to engage in IPES transactions vary across categories of buyers and sellers. Efforts to develop IPES will need to respond to this range of motivations.