A digital financial platform designed specifically for contemporary businesses handling cross-border payments and expenses is called Airwallex. It allows international transfers to more than 150 countries, supports payments in more than 20 currencies, and provides multi-currency business accounts with local bank details. Companies can use APIs to automate payments, integrate with widely used accounting software, and issue both physical and virtual company cards. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of the United Kingdom regulates the platform, guaranteeing security and adherence to regulations. Airwallex assists companies in streamlining international financial operations with competitive FX rates and effective payment processing.

The goal of this blog is to give UK companies a comprehensive grasp of Airwallex’s features, costs, and ways to streamline their international payment procedures.

Airwallex Platform Overview: What It Offers

The Chinese tech behemoth Tencent is one of Airwallex’s main backers. Together, they want to use Airwallex to empower marketplaces. The goal is to assist small and medium-sized business owners and internet vendors in growing their enterprises.

• Corporate & Employee Cards: Airwallex offers both physical and virtual multi-currency corporate cards that give companies real-time spending limits, the ability to freeze and unfreeze, and comprehensive expense tracking for workers all over the world.

• Payment Processing & Acceptance: Airwallex facilitates online payment processing via APIs, card payments, and payment links. For efficient financial operations, it easily integrates with well-known accounting and e-commerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Xero, and QuickBooks.

• Competitive Foreign Exchange Rates: Compared to most banks and PayPal, Airwallex offers FX rates that are typically 0.5% to 1% higher than interbank market rates. This helps businesses save money on currency conversions.

• Businesses can use the platform’s spend management tools to manage and track expenses in real-time while processing batch payments, which allow them to pay several suppliers or employees at once.

• The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) oversees Airwallex, which uses segregated client funds, two-factor authentication, and top-tier encryption to ensure security and compliance for international financial transactions.

Airwallex UK Pricing at a Glance

Pricing Aspect	Cost / Feature
Account Opening	Free
Explore Plan	£19/month (waived if £10,000+ balance held)
Grow Plan	£49–£99/month (varies by region/features)
Accelerate Plan	£999/month
Custom / Enterprise	Custom pricing (contact sales)
UK Visa / Mastercard Cards	1.3% + £0.20 per transaction
International Cards	3.15% + £0.20 per transaction
Local Payment Methods	£0.20 + method fee (e.g., Bacs, Faster Payments)
FX Conversion (major pairs)	0.5% above interbank
FX Conversion (other)	£10–£20/transfer
Employee / Company Cards	5–10 free (then £5 per card/month)
Batch Payments	Free (up to 1,000 transactions at once)
Cashback	1.5% on business card spending
Expense Management	Included

Key Features for UK Businesses

• Payment Processing: Accept cards, support 160+ local/global payment methods, and leverage payment links for clients.

• Expense Management & Batch Payments: Assign, control, and track company cards and employee spending in real time. Batch payment tools let you pay multiple suppliers, staff, or regulatory accounts in one go.

• API & Integrations: Seamless connection to Xero, QuickBooks, and NetSuite. API lets growing businesses automate reconciliation, mass payouts, or customer refunds.

• Security & Regulation: FCA-regulated, PCI-DSS, SOC1/2 compliance, tokenised card data, strong fraud monitoring.

Airwallex holds a 3.4 out of 5 Trustpilot rating from over 1,800 reviews, reflecting average customer satisfaction. Positive feedback highlights its multi-currency capabilities and user-friendly platform, praised especially by startups managing complex international payments.

Some users report challenges with customer support response times and account management complexities. Despite mixed reviews, Airwallex is recognised for robust features that serve growing global businesses effectively.

Airwallex Plans 

Explore Plan: Ideal for Small B2B Traders

The Explore Plan costs between £0 and £19 monthly, with fees waived if a minimum balance of £10,000 is maintained. It offers fundamental access to Airwallex’s multi-currency accounts, virtual and physical business cards, and payment capabilities suitable for small businesses or startups entering global markets.

Grow Plan: Designed for Scale-ups and SMEs

Priced between £49 and £99 per month, the Grow Plan is tailored for scaling businesses and SMEs. It includes enhanced spend controls, approval workflows, and increased transaction limits, providing additional security and flexibility for growing financial operations.

Accelerate Plan: For Large Enterprises

The Accelerate Plan, costing £999 monthly, targets large businesses or enterprises needing advanced features. It provides premium customer support, highly customisable workflows, and the largest allocation of free corporate cards, facilitating complex operations and higher-volume transactions.

Custom Plan: Tailored for High-Volume or Complex Needs

High-volume and complex businesses can opt for a custom plan offering bespoke pricing and features designed to fit their specific needs. These plans offer maximum flexibility and scalability, with pricing negotiable based on transaction volumes and service requirements.

Flexible Pricing and Volume Discounts

Airwallex’s fee structure scales according to transaction volume and service customisation. Larger enterprises benefit from negotiated volume discounts, ensuring cost efficiency aligns with business growth and operational complexity.

Here’s a quick summary:

Plan	Monthly Fee	Best For
Explore	£0–£19*	Small B2B Businesses
Grow	£49–£99	Scale-ups and SMEs
Accelerate	£999	Large Enterprises
Custom	Custom	High-Volume Businesses

Pros and Cons for UK Merchants

Pros:

• Airwallex offers competitive FX and payment fees, ideal for international businesses looking to save on currency conversion and transaction costs.
• It supports fast multi-currency payments with transparent real-time exchange rates, helping businesses avoid hidden fees.
• User-friendly batch payment and employee expense management tools streamline financial workflows.
• No hardware costs, as it provides virtual or physical business cards, reducing setup expenses.

Cons:

• The Explore Plan requires a £10,000 minimum balance to waive the £19 monthly fee, which may not suit smaller companies.
• Customer support is limited to chat and email, with no phone support available.
• Additional fees apply when issuing company cards beyond the free allowance.

A better alternative for UK businesses: Finexer

Finexer is a strong alternative for UK merchants seeking fast, secure, and low-cost payment solutions leveraging open banking.

Here’s why you should consider us:

• Finexer is an FCA-regulated UK open banking platform offering instant pay-by-bank payments covering 99% of UK banks.

• It enables near-instant settlements via Faster Payments, reducing costs by cutting card processing fees.

• Provides white-label solutions with customisable branding, ideal for SaaS and marketplaces.

• Features include bulk payouts, real-time transaction data, balance checks, and seamless API integration.

• Merchants choose Finexer for fast onboarding, cost efficiency, improved cash flow, and enhanced payment security compliant with PSD2.

Benefit from transparent pricing with no hidden fees and instant pay-by-bank transfers. Get in touch with us now!

Wrapping Up

Choosing the right payment platform depends on your business’s unique needs for fee transparency, payment speed, and regulatory compliance. As global payments evolve, it’s crucial to adopt a solution that offers scalability and control for international growth.

Airwallex is a comprehensive global payments platform offering multi-currency accounts, international transfers, and corporate spend management, trusted by over 150,000 companies worldwide. For UK businesses seeking a streamlined, cost-effective option, Finexer presents a strong alternative with its open banking technology, fast settlement times, and transparent pricing.

Explore Finexer today to optimise your payment workflows and reduce processing costs while ensuring compliance and security.