Airwallex Pricing 2026: Every Plan, Fee and Hidden Cost Explained

Airwallex pricing starts at £0 per month on the Explore plan. Sounds great until you factor in FX conversion fees, SWIFT transfer charges, card processing costs and the conditions attached to that free tier.

If you're a founder handling international payments, paying overseas contractors, or accepting multi-currency transactions from global customers, getting the full pricing picture before you commit matters.

This guide breaks down every Airwallex plan, transaction fee and potential hidden cost for UK businesses in 2026.

What is Airwallex?

Airwallex is a global financial platform built for businesses that operate across borders.

Founded in Melbourne in 2015 and now headquartered in Singapore (backed by Tencent), it provides multi-currency business accounts, international transfers, corporate cards, expense management and payment processing from a single dashboard.

The platform is FCA-regulated in the UK and serves over 150,000 businesses worldwide. For founders, the appeal is simple: hold, convert and send money in 20+ currencies without the painful FX markups that traditional banks charge.

Airwallex Pricing Plans at a Glance

Airwallex uses a tiered subscription model with three plans. Here's what each costs:

Monthly fees are charged per business legal entity (not per account), and all prices exclude VAT. The subscription cost is only part of the story though. Transaction fees for FX, transfers and payment processing apply on top.

Explore Plan: The Free Tier (With Conditions)

The Explore plan is designed for small businesses and startups. It's genuinely free if you meet one of two conditions:

• Deposit at least £10,000 per month through bank deposits, direct debits, or payment processing volumes
• Hold a minimum balance of £10,000 across your combined wallets at the end of each billing period

What's Included in Explore

The Explore plan covers all the fundamentals:

• Multi-currency accounts with local bank details in 20+ currencies (GBP, USD, EUR, AUD, SGD, and more)
• Free local transfers to 120+ countries via local payment rails
• Free domestic UK transfers via Faster Payments
• Access to interbank FX rates (0.5% markup on major currencies, 1% on others)
• Up to 10 company cards with zero international transaction fees
• 5 free spend users per month (additional users cost £5/month each)
• Batch bill payments for paying multiple suppliers at once
• Integrations with Xero and QuickBooks for automated bank feed syncing
• Online payment acceptance via card and local payment methods globally
• Payment links for no-code invoice collection

Grow Plan: For Scaling Teams

At £49 per month, the Grow plan adds features that matter once you have employees spending company money.

What Grow Adds Over Explore

• 50 company cards (versus 10 on Explore)
• Customisable multi-conditional approvals for spend
• Rules-based automation for bills
• Approval workflows for vendors
• Remittance advice for bills

The spend user pricing changes on Grow. You still get 5 free spend users, but additional users cost £12 per month (not £5 like Explore). A "spend user" is anyone who holds an employee card, submits/approves expenses, or handles bills.

If you're a solo founder or have a team under five, Explore likely covers you. Once you're hiring, managing multiple expense cards and processing vendor invoices at scale, Grow starts to justify itself.

Accelerate Plan: Enterprise Scale

Starting at £999 per month, Accelerate is built for larger operations with complex financial workflows.

What Accelerate Adds

• Unlimited company cards
• Centralised management across global entities
• Single sign-on (coming soon)
• Purchase orders and requests
• Advanced rules-based automation for expenses
• NetSuite integration (in addition to Xero and QuickBooks)
• HRIS platform integrations
• Dedicated account manager
• Onboarding support
• Custom API implementation

For most indie founders and early-stage startups, Accelerate is overkill. It's designed for businesses with multiple international entities, complex approval hierarchies and enterprise accounting needs.

Transaction Fees: Where the Real Costs Live

The monthly subscription is often the smaller part of your Airwallex bill. Here's where transaction-level fees apply:

FX Conversion Fees

Airwallex charges a markup above the interbank (mid-market) rate:

• 0.5% for major currencies: USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, SGD, HKD, CNY, CAD, CHF, NZD, JPY
• 1% for all other currencies

This is competitive compared to traditional banks (which typically charge 2.5-3.5% in total FX costs) but slightly higher than Wise's 0.33-0.6% variable rate on most corridors.

Example: Converting £10,000 to USD at Airwallex costs roughly £50 in FX markup. The same transaction through a traditional bank could cost £250-£350.

Transfer Fees

• Local transfers: Free to 120+ countries via local payment rails
• Domestic UK transfers: Free
• SWIFT transfers: £10-£20 per transfer (depending on SHA or OUR option)

The big win here is free local transfers. If your suppliers or contractors can receive payments via their local rails (ACH in the US, SEPA in Europe, Faster Payments in the UK), you avoid SWIFT fees entirely.

Card Payment Processing Fees

If you use Airwallex to accept customer payments (via checkout, payment links, or ecommerce plugins), here's what you'll pay:

For UK-focused ecommerce, the 1.30% + £0.20 rate on domestic cards is competitive with Stripe (1.5% + 20p) and cheaper than PayPal.

Employee Card Fees

• Explore: 10 free cards, then £5/additional card user/month
• Grow/Accelerate: 5 free spend users, then £12/additional spend user/month

Cards themselves have no international transaction fees. Spend in USD, EUR or any supported currency without the typical 2.99% foreign transaction fee that high-street banks charge.

Hidden Costs and Fine Print

A few things worth knowing before you sign up:

The £10k Threshold on Explore

If your business doesn't consistently process £10,000 per month, budget £19/month for the Explore plan. The threshold is calculated at the end of each billing period, so one slow month means you'll be charged.

Incoming Transfer Fees (Regional Variations)

Airwallex doesn't charge incoming fees for most currencies. The exception is Korean Won (KRW), which carries a 0.6% incoming fee due to local regulations.

Some reports mention a 0.3% fee on incoming transfers from non-owner accounts in Hong Kong. This hasn't been documented for UK accounts, but worth checking if you're receiving payments from that region.

No ATM Access

Airwallex cards don't support ATM withdrawals. If your team needs to withdraw cash abroad, you'll need a separate solution.

Fair Use Limits

Airwallex's spend features are designed for up to 500 bills (Bill Pay) and 250 active spend users monthly. Exceed these limits and you'll be contacted about moving to a custom high-volume plan.

Real-World Cost Scenarios

Let's run some numbers for typical UK founder use cases:

Scenario 1: Solo Founder Paying 3 Overseas Contractors

• Monthly transfers: 3 x $2,000 USD to US contractors
• FX conversion: £6,000 equivalent at 0.5% = £30
• Transfer fees: Free (via ACH local rails)
• Plan: Explore (free if £10k threshold met, otherwise £19)
• Total monthly cost: £30-£49

At a traditional bank with 3% FX fees and £25 per wire, the same transfers would cost £180 + £75 = £255.

Scenario 2: Ecommerce Seller with £20k Monthly Revenue

• Card processing: £20,000 at 1.30% + £0.20 (averaging 200 transactions) = £260 + £40 = £300
• FX conversion: £5,000 in supplier payments at 0.5% = £25
• Plan: Explore (free with £10k+ deposits)
• Total monthly cost: £325

Comparable to Stripe but with the added benefit of holding and converting currencies without forced conversions.

Scenario 3: Startup with 10 Employees and International Team

• Plan: Grow at £49
• Employee cards: 10 users (5 free, 5 at £12) = £60
• FX conversions: £15,000 at 0.5% = £75
• SWIFT transfers: 2 at £15 = £30
• Total monthly cost: £214

Airwallex vs Wise Business vs Revolut Business

The three main contenders for UK founders handling international money. Here's how they compare:

Best for:

• Airwallex: Founders who need payment acceptance, local accounts in many currencies, and team expense management in one platform
• Wise: Freelancers and small businesses who want the lowest FX rates and don't need card issuing or payment gateway
• Revolut: Startups wanting a familiar app-based experience with basic multi-currency and card features

Who Should Use Airwallex?

Airwallex makes the most sense for:

• Ecommerce sellers receiving payments in multiple currencies and paying international suppliers
• SaaS founders with global customers paying in USD, EUR or other currencies
• Agencies and consultancies invoicing international clients
• Startups with remote teams paying contractors in different countries
• POD sellers receiving marketplace payouts (Amazon, Etsy) in foreign currencies

It's less ideal for:

• Purely domestic UK businesses with no international payments (traditional banks or Starling might suffice)
• Micro-businesses processing under £5k/month (the £19 Explore fee eats into thin margins)
• Anyone needing ATM cash access (Airwallex cards don't support withdrawals)

How to Open an Airwallex Account

The signup process is entirely online:

1. Register with your business email and basic company details
2. Verify identity by uploading incorporation documents and director ID
3. Complete KYC with information on business activities and expected transaction volumes
4. Get approved (typically within a few days for straightforward applications)

Airwallex accounts are available to UK-registered businesses. Non-resident businesses may need to provide additional proof of operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Airwallex a bank?

No. Airwallex is an Electronic Money Institution regulated by the FCA (Firm Reference Number: 900876). Your funds are safeguarded in separate accounts with licensed banks, but you don't have FSCS deposit protection like you would with a full banking licence.

Can I earn interest on my Airwallex balance?

Airwallex offers a Yield feature on AUD and USD balances (currently around 3.26-3.53% returns). This isn't available on GBP yet.

Does Airwallex work with Shopify?

Yes. Airwallex has payment plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce and other ecommerce platforms. You can accept payments at checkout and settle in multiple currencies.

Can I get a GBP sort code and account number?

Yes. Your Airwallex Global Account comes with local UK bank details (sort code and account number), so UK customers can pay you via Faster Payments as if you had a standard UK business account.

What's the difference between Airwallex and Stripe?

Stripe is primarily a payment processor. Airwallex is a broader financial platform that includes multi-currency accounts, FX, corporate cards and expense management alongside payment acceptance. You might use Stripe for checkout and Airwallex for treasury, or use Airwallex for both.

Airwallex pricing is competitive for UK founders operating internationally. The Explore plan is genuinely free if you're processing decent volume, the FX rates beat traditional banks by a mile, and the combination of global accounts, payment processing and expense management in one platform saves juggling multiple providers.

The main watch-outs are the £10k threshold for free Explore access, the SWIFT fees on non-local transfers, and the higher spend user costs on the Grow plan. For most early-stage international businesses, though, the maths works out significantly cheaper than the alternatives.

Last updated: March 2026. Pricing and features may change. Check Airwallex's official pricing page for the most current information.