Airwallex review 2026

The Melbourne fintech helps you keep costs down when your local business gets global.

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Matthew Boyle

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Aussie platform Airwallex was founded in 2015 and has now expanded across 20 international offices in 11 different territories (and has raised over $900 million). The company allows businesses to open multi-currency accounts with monthly fees that can be waived so that they can trade globally. From time to time, Airwallex runs promotions for new account holders that are worth viewing.

Airwallex’s business account

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To make comparing even easier we came up with the Finder Score. Fees, features and customer service across 20+ of the most popular banks are all weighted and scaled to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score the better the account – simple.

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What is Airwallex?

Airwallex lets you open accounts in different currencies, without going anywhere near a bank (let alone a bank in another country). This allows you to receive, hold and spend money in a different currency, without having to convert the money to pounds. In turn, that means avoiding unnecessary currency conversion fees where banks traditionally love to nibble at your profit margin.

Example

Let’s say you’re a UK-based business, but you sell a lot of goods/services to customers in Italy, and you also have to pay a few overheads there too.

Without Airwallex, £2,000 of sales in euros might incur a 3% forex fee and land in your sterling UK bank account as £1,940. Let’s say you then have to send the equivalent of £500 in euros to contractors or service providers in Italy. Because of that 3% forex fee, this actually ends up costing you just over £515.

So whatever profit you would have made, it’s now £75 lighter.

With Airwallex, the £2,000 of sales in euros go straight to your Airwallex euro account. You then pay your Italian contractors or service providers in euros from this account. Let’s say you then decide to convert the remaining £1,500 worth of euros, moving it across to your sterling Airwallex account at Airwallex’s favourable exchange rates. This costs you around £7.50.

So by using Airwallex, your currency conversion has cost you £7.50 rather than £75. Not too shabby!

What currencies can I hold with Airwallex?

Airwallex allows businesses to open accounts with local banks details in over 23 currencies, including those below:

  • Euros (EUR)
  • US dollars (USD)
  • Australian dollars (AUD)
  • Hong Kong dollars (HKD)
  • British pounds (GBP)
  • Swiss francs (CHF)
  • Chinese yuan (CNY)
  • Singapore dollars (SGD)
  • Japanese yen (JPY)
  • New Zealand dollars (NZD)
  • Canadian dollars (CAD)

It also allows businesses to collect payments in over 130 currencies. Plus, it enables payouts to over 150 countries.

For each currency account you’ll get standard local account numbers/codes provided by Airwallex – all you need to send and receive funds in that currency.

Payments can also be collected into what’s known as a Global Account, from platforms like PayPal and Amazon, as well as from merchants and clients. Collected funds are transferred into your relevant currency Airwallex account.

Airwallex calculator: How much does it cost to send money with Airwallex?

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Connect your Airwallex account to Xero at no additional cost. Plus, generate Airwallex payment links to share with your customers anywhere in the world so they can pay in the currency and payment method of their choice. T&Cs apply.
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Finder Score for international money transfer services

To make comparing even easier we came up with the Finder Score. Fees, features and customer service across the most popular international money transfer services are all weighted and scaled to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score the better the service – simple.

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Please note: You should always refer to quotes you receive from transfer services themselves directly for exact amounts as they may vary from our estimates.

How long do Airwallex international transfers take?

Most Airwallex transfers arrive within a few hours – around 90% of transactions arrive on the same day.

What else can Airwallex do?

Airwallex customers can also benefit from the following account features:

  • Foreign transactions. As well as holding local currencies in the multi-currency accounts themselves, customers can also transfer funds in more than 60 currencies to more than 150 countries, at competitive exchange rates.
  • Multi-currency cards. Create virtual employee and expense cards for your business in just minutes. You will be able to track spending and set spend limits for individual cards, as well as pay with your multi-currency balance with no international card transaction fees.
  • No fees under certain conditions. Monthly account fees can be waived if you deposit at least £10,000 a month or keep a minimum balance of £10,000 in your account.
  • Integrate with online stores. Connect your currency accounts with platforms such as Amazon, eBay, Shopify and WooCommerce.
  • API integration. Automate key financial processes, such as payment workflows, and streamline account management.
  • Collect customer payments. You can also receive online payments from customers by creating a link in Airwallex and sending it to customers. Get paid in the currency and payment method of their choice.
  • Xero integration. Link your Airwallex and Xero accounts easily to ensure your Xero transaction records are up to date for your accountant or bookkeeper.

Airwallex rates and fees

What fees are there?

One of the big benefits of Airwallex is that account set-up and management fees can be waived if you deposit at least £10,000 a month or hold a minimum balance above £10,000. UK domestic transfers are also fee-free, providing they are carried out via Airwallex’s payment network. Any payments that are made via the SWIFT network will incur a fee of £10–£20.

When exchanging currencies, Airwallex charges a 0.5% to 1% fee above the interbank foreign exchange rate. For card transactions, customers will pay the interbank rate, plus a small margin for certain currencies.

How to apply

To apply, simply click the “Get Started” button at the top of the Airwallex website. You will need to be a private limited company, limited partnership, general partnership or sole trader. Investment firms, arms dealers, gambling companies, pharmaceutical companies and charities will not be accepted.

Is Airwallex safe?

Airwallex is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and holds an Electronic Money Institution licence. This means customer funds must be held in a ring-fenced account. Should Airwallex cease trading, funds held in the account will be protected from other creditors making a claim against the company.

Is Airwallex a bank?

No. And because Airwallex isn’t a bank, funds are not protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which covers deposits of up to £120,000.

What do customers say about Airwallex?

87% of customers we surveyed in 2026 would recommend Airwallex to a friend.

It provides a reliable and secure business banking experience with an easy-to-use interface. Customers appreciate the platform for helping their businesses grow and keeping their funds safe, with several praising the overall trustworthiness of the brand.

While the core services are highly rated, feedback on customer support is somewhat mixed, and a few users noted that interest rates have become less competitive over time.

AI-generated summary from the text of customer reviews on Finder.

Airwallex and Finder Awards

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Our Finder Awards celebrate brands that truly stand out in their field. Airwallex was named our 2025 Multi-currency Business Account Provider of the Year Award winner!

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Avoid currency conversion fees by holding balances and receiving payments in local currencies.
  • Enjoy super-competitive foreign exchange rates.
  • Monthly account fees can be waived.
  • Integrate with online stores like Amazon and Shopify.
  • Sync your accounts with Xero and other accounting tools to make accounting quicker and easier! (read "less hellish")

Cons

  • If your business only operates in the UK, in British pounds, you probably don't need the functionality of a multi-currency business account.
  • For now you can only hold 20+ currencies (although that's similar to competitor services).
  • Not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Our verdict

If your business regularly trades internationally, Airwallex is an option well worth exploring. With competitive foreign exchange rates, multi-currency cards that can be used by your employees, and no monthly account fees, Airwallex has a lot of plus points. However, always do your research, and compare fees and currencies against other accounts to ensure that it’s the right choice for you and your business.

If you want to sign up for an Airwallex account, you can get started by visiting its website. If you have read this review and decided that Airwallex’s account is not for you, you can also compare other business accounts on the market.

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Frequently asked questions

We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Defaqto. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.

Sources

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Matthew Boyle is a banking and mortgages publisher at Finder. He has a 7-year history of publishing helpful guides to assist consumers in making better decisions. In his spare time, you will find him walking in the Norfolk countryside admiring the local wildlife. See full bio

Matthew's expertise
Matthew has written 213 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Helping first-time buyers apply for a mortgage
  • Comparing bank accounts and highlighting useful features
  • Publishing easy-to-understand guides
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