Overview
Airwallex, at a glance.
Airwallex is an e-money institution headquartered in the United Kingdom, regulated by FCA, ASIC, FINTRAC and 11 other regulators. Business accounts cost from £0 a month. Opening an account takes 3–5 days.
Customer funds are safeguarded as the FCA requires, separate from Airwallex's own money.
Why businesses pick Airwallex
- Free local transfers in the UK and across SEPA
- FX at 0.5% on major currencies and 1% on the rest
- Local account details in 20+ currencies
- Free Visa company cards: 10 on Explore, 50 on Grow
Watch out for
- £19 a month on Explore unless you pay in or hold £10,000
- SWIFT transfers cost £10, or £20 if you cover all bank charges
- Companies from countries outside its list of 69 are not accepted
- Support is by email; no phone line is published
Business fit
Will Airwallex accept your business?
Four quick answers. Where your company is registered and what it does rule a provider in or out faster than anything else.
Based on Airwallex's published rules
Likely fit
Airwallex lists both United Kingdom companies and E-commerce as accepted.
Airwallex does not publish a minimum company age or turnover, so those two answers are not checked here.
This is one provider. Your profile checks all of them.
- Every provider that fits your business
- The reason behind each match
- Company age and turnover checked too
Who it works with
Accepted and not accepted.
What Airwallex publishes about the businesses it takes on.
Who Airwallex serves
- E-commerce
- Marketplaces
- SaaS
- Startups and SMEs
- Travel
Not supported
Industries and countries Airwallex does not accept, from its own published lists.
Industries
- Adult Content & Related Services
- Gambling Services & Games of Skill
- Illegal Drugs & Controlled Substances
- Counterfeit or Unauthorised Goods
- Weapons Manufacturing, Sales, & Supplies
- Payday & Predatory Lending
- Hate Speech & Discrimination
- Ponzi/ Pyramid Scheme/ Multi Level Marketing/ Telemarketing
- Sale, Distribution, & Trade of Endangered Animal Species
- Sale, Distribution, & Trade of Archaeological and Cultural Relics
- Sale of Access to Cyberlockers or Remote Digital File-Sharing Services
- Human Remains and Body Parts
- Transactions Made for No Genuine Commercial Purpose
- Offering of Regulated Financial Services
- Sale and Distribution of Unlicensed Products or Services
Countries
- Not published
Coverage
Where can you use Airwallex?
Coverage is a starting point. It does not confirm that every business in these markets is eligible.
Supported currencies
24 currencies
- EUR
- USD
- GBP
- CHF
- CAD
- AUD
- JPY
- AED
- CNY
- CZK
- DKK
- HKD
- HUF
- IDR
- ILS
- MXN
- MYR
- NOK
- NZD
- PLN
- RON
- SEK
- SGD
- ZAR
Payment reach
200+ countries
Local transfers to 120+ countries and SWIFT to 200+.
Who can apply
Company incorporation countries69 countries · show list
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- China
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- French Guiana
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Guadeloupe
- Hong Kong SAR China
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- South Korea
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao SAR China
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Martinique
- Mayotte
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Réunion
- Romania
- St. Martin
- Samoa
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Vietnam
- British Virgin Islands
- U.S. Virgin Islands
Owner nationality
Not publishedOwner residency
Not publishedCompany types
Limited companies, Limited liability partnerships, Partnerships, Sole traders
Pricing
What does Airwallex cost?
Look beyond the monthly fee. Your total cost depends on how many transfers you make, where they go and how much you convert.
Account cost
Opening fee
Free
Monthly fee
From £0
depends on plan
Explore
Lowest cost£19 per month
£0 setup · £228 in year one
Grow
£49 per month
£0 setup · £588 in year one
Accelerate
Custom
Priced for each business
Transaction fees
| Cost | Listed amount | How it is charged |
|---|---|---|
| Incoming | ||
| SEPA | Free | No charge |
| SEPA Instant | Free | No charge |
| Faster Payments (GBP) | Free | No charge |
| Outgoing | ||
| SEPA | Free | No charge |
| SEPA Instant | Free | No charge |
| Faster Payments (GBP) | Free | No charge |
| SWIFT / international | £10 | Fixed fee · £20 if you cover all bank charges |
| ACH / local USD | £1–2 | Fixed fee; varies by plan · £1 next day, £2 same day |
Ranges span the plans; higher plans pay the lower end.
Other fees
Currency exchange (FX)
| Cost | Listed amount | How it is charged |
|---|---|---|
| FX markup | 0.5–1% | Percentage of the amount; varies by plan · 0.5% on 11 major currencies, 1% on the rest |
Cards
| Cost | Listed amount | How it is charged |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual card issue | Free | No charge · Up to 10 company cards on Explore, 50 on Grow |
| Physical card issue | Free | No charge · Counts towards the same card limit |
| Card FX | 1% | Percentage of the amount |
Onboarding
From application to live account.
Opening an account typically takes three to five business days.
- 1
Online application
Choose your business type and enter the company's details.
- 2
Company documents
Upload incorporation documents and proof of business address.
- 3
Identity checks
Photo ID and home address for directors and owners of 25% or more, with a liveness check.
- 4
Account live
Airwallex reviews the application and opens the account.
Documents you need
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Memorandum and Articles of Association or equivalent constitution
- Partnership Agreement where applicable
- Recent proof of business address
- Photo ID and residential address for directors
- Photo ID and residential address for all 25%+ UBOs
- Liveness check for authorised applicant
Sometimes requested
- Authorisation letter where applicant is not a director
- Beneficial-ownership declaration where ownership is unclear
- Invoices, contracts or business plan for a new business if requested
- Financial-institution, high-value-goods, live-streaming or marketplace questionnaire where relevant
FAQ
Your questions, answered.
Is Airwallex a bank?
No. Airwallex (UK) Ltd is an e-money institution authorised by the UK FCA, reference number 900876. Customer funds are safeguarded.
How much does an Airwallex business account cost?
Opening is free. Explore costs £19 a month, or nothing if you pay in or hold £10,000 a month. Grow costs £49 a month. Local UK and SEPA transfers are free, SWIFT costs £10, and FX costs 0.5% on major currencies and 1% on others.
Which countries does Airwallex accept companies from?
Airwallex publishes a list of 69 countries and regions, including the UK, the EU, the US, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and the UAE. Companies registered elsewhere cannot apply.
Which businesses does Airwallex not accept?
Its unsupported industries include adult content, gambling, weapons, payday lending, multi-level marketing, counterfeit goods and regulated financial services.
Does Airwallex offer cards?
Yes. Airwallex issues virtual and physical Visa cards: up to 10 free company cards on Explore and 50 on Grow.
Where is Airwallex licensed?
Airwallex holds licences or registrations in the UK, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, the United States and several other countries.
Alternatives
How Airwallex compares.
If Airwallex is not the right fit, these providers work with similar businesses. Compare their listed licences and services below.
| Provider | Licensed in | Known for |
|---|---|---|
 AirwallexThis pageE-money institution |      +8 | Global accountsCompany cards |
 Wise BusinessE-money institution |  | Low FX costsStandard businesses |
 Revolut BusinessBank |  | Cards and spend controlsStartups and SMEs |
 WorldFirstE-money institution |  | Marketplace sellersTrade payments |
 PayoneerE-money institution |   | Marketplace payoutsMass payments |
Not sure which one fits? Your profile ranks them for your business, with the reason behind each.