Airwallex fees: what cards, currency conversion and transfers cost a US company in 2026
Airwallex fees for a US company as of 5 November 2026: card and gateway rates, conversion at settlement and in the account, transfer fees since 12 October, refunds, chargebacks and plans, with worked examples and the rules for owners outside the US.
The short answer
On a US Airwallex account, a card issued in the US costs 2.8% + $0.30 and an international card costs 4.3% + $0.30, so a $100 sale costs $3.10 or $4.60. The Explore plan has no monthly fee, and these card rates are the same on every plan. The figures in this article come from the Airwallex US fee schedule, last updated 19 October 2026, and its US pricing page, both read on 5 November 2026.
Three costs are easy to miss:
- Failed payments. The $0.30 is a gateway fee charged on every attempt, so a failed payment still costs $0.30.
- Conversion on a sale. A sale that settles in a different currency from the one the customer paid in costs a flat 1%. The 0.5% on the pricing page, or 1% for other currencies, applies when you convert a balance in your account.
- International transfers. Since 12 October 2026, local transfers abroad cost $1 or more in most currencies on the free Explore plan.
These are US rates. Airwallex prices differently in other countries, and US pricing has its own eligibility rules for owners who live abroad. Both are covered below.
Airwallex payment gateway fees
These are the fees for accepting money from customers. They apply on the Explore, Grow, Accelerate and Custom plans alike.
| Fee | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| US card | 2.8% + $0.30 | Each Visa, Mastercard or American Express sale |
| International card | 4.3% + $0.30 | Each Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay sale |
| Local payment method | $0.30 + the method's fee | Each sale by a method such as WeChat Pay |
| Conversion at settlement | 1% | A sale settles in a different currency from the one paid in |
| Foreign currency settlement | 0.5% | A non-USD sale settles in that same currency |
| Refund | $0.30 + network charges | Each refund request |
| Chargeback | $15 + network charges | Each dispute |
| Subscription Management | 0.5% | Each successful recurring payment |
| Usage-based billing | 0.5% | Each successful transaction |
| Automatic tax calculation | 0.4% | Each successful invoice or subscription transaction |
| Custom URL payment link | $10 a month | Each custom link |
The percentage and the $0.30 are separate charges. The percentage is the payment method fee, and the $0.30 is the gateway fee, which includes fraud screening and 3D Secure. The pricing page lists invoicing as free.
The schedule says domestic and international without defining them, and this article reads domestic as a card issued in the US. It lists no international rate for American Express and charges 4.3% on all UnionPay cards.
Two smaller rules can apply. American Express costs 0.5% more for travel, entertainment and lodging businesses, and 0.3% more for restaurants, bars and caterers. Customers who completed Airwallex's due diligence before 1 December 2025 pay 0.4% rather than 0.5% for Subscription Management.
By default Airwallex is your payment processor, so you remain the seller, and sales tax or VAT is your responsibility. The merchant of record comparison explains when that matters. A Merchant of Record add-on is in early access for some digital sellers, and the US fee schedule does not price it.
What a sale costs
These examples apply the published rates to the sale amount and show the result in US dollars. "International" means a card issued outside the US. Any network charges would be extra.
| Sale | Fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| $100, US card | $3.10 | $96.90 |
| $100, international card, paid in USD | $4.60 | $95.40 |
| $100 equivalent, international card, converted at settlement | $5.60 | $94.40 |
| $100 equivalent, international card, settled in the sale currency | $5.10 | $94.90 |
| $29 subscription, US card | $1.26 | $27.74 |
| $29 subscription, international card | $1.70 | $27.30 |
| $1,000, international card, paid in USD | $43.30 | $956.70 |
The subscription rows include the 0.5% Subscription Management fee. The converted row counts only the 1% fee, not any difference in the exchange rate itself. To test your own prices, use the Airwallex fee calculator.
A failed payment costs $0.30 with no sale behind it. Airwallex's fee documentation says the gateway fee applies whether a payment succeeds or fails, so 20 failed attempts cost $6. If you see many declines or repeated retries, count them in your cost per sale.
Fees are not the only thing that reduces what you can use straight away. Airwallex's payments terms let it hold a reserve from your settlements at its discretion, and its help article uses a rolling reserve of 10% for 30 days as an example. You cannot use reserved money until it is released, so allow for that in your cash flow.
Currency conversion: when it is 0.5% and when it is 1%
Airwallex charges different rates depending on where the conversion happens, and the pricing page shows only the rates for converting a balance. The fee schedule lists these:
| What happens | Fee |
|---|---|
| A sale settles in a different currency from the one paid in | 1%, whatever the currency |
| A non-USD sale settles in the same currency | 0.5% |
| You convert a balance in USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, CNY, HKD, JPY, NZD or SGD | 0.5% above interbank |
| You convert a balance in another currency, including EGP, AED and SAR | 1% above interbank |
| Auto conversion | 1% |
Which route a sale takes depends on your account setup and the payment method. Airwallex's settlement documentation has you configure principal settlement currencies, which settle like-for-like, and a fallback currency for everything else. A sale in any other currency converts into the fallback. The pricing page lists like-for-like settlement in more than 20 currencies.
Take a sale in pounds that you want to end up as dollars. If pounds are not a settlement currency on your account, the sale converts for 1%. If they are, settling costs 0.5%, and converting that balance to dollars later costs about another 0.5%. The percentages are close, but they start from different rates: a converted sale uses the card network's or payment provider's rate plus Airwallex's markup, while a balance conversion uses Airwallex's interbank rate plus 0.5%. Waiting to convert also leaves you exposed to the exchange rate.
Settling in the sale currency saves money when you keep the pounds and spend them as pounds, for example to pay a UK contractor.
Automatic Currency Conversion, which shows shoppers a local price at checkout, is a separate feature. Airwallex adds no merchant fee for it and charges the shopper a conversion fee, typically 2% to 4%. If the sale's currency is not configured for settlement, the usual conversion fee still applies.
The schedule does not say what triggers its auto conversion line. Airwallex's help centre uses the same name for a fee on card purchases, covered under corporate cards below. API customers who hold a quote also pay a further 0.04% to 0.30%, depending on how long the quote stays valid.
Airwallex transfer fees
Sending money out depends on the route, the currency and your plan. The fees for international local transfers took effect on 12 October 2026, and the schedule exempts Grow and Accelerate customers from them.
| Route | Explore | Grow and Accelerate |
|---|---|---|
| Local transfer within the US or Canada | $0 | $0 |
| Local abroad: GBP, EUR, AUD, SGD, HKD and 8 others | $1 | Not charged |
| Local abroad: AED, INR, CHF, NGN, PKR and 12 others | $2 | Not charged |
| Local abroad: HUF, ILS, RON | $3 | Not charged |
| Local abroad: JPY | $7 | Not charged |
| Local abroad: CNY, except FPS | 0.1% | Not charged |
| Local abroad: any other currency or network | $5 | Not charged |
| CHAPS, RTGS or Fedwire | $15 | Not charged |
| SWIFT, SHA | $15 | $15 |
| SWIFT, OUR | $25 | $25 |
With SHA, the recipient gets the amount less any fees taken by intermediary banks. With OUR, you pay those intermediary fees. Conversion is a separate charge if the transfer needs a different currency.
Airwallex's pricing page still advertises free batch transfers to more than 120 countries on Explore, and the fee schedule has no exception for batches. Check the fee your dashboard shows before you send a batch.
Paying yourself in Egypt or the Gulf
For a founder paying themselves from a US company, the route decides the cost. Airwallex's bank payout documentation lists these routes:
- Egypt: SWIFT is the only bank route listed, in USD, EGP and other currencies. That means $15 or $25 a transfer on every plan, plus 1% if you convert to EGP.
- Saudi Arabia: SWIFT is the only bank route listed, in USD, SAR and other currencies, at the same fees. Converting to SAR costs 1%.
- UAE: a local route in AED, $2 a transfer on Explore, or SWIFT in AED, USD and other currencies. Converting to AED costs 1%.
Your own bank may charge separately to receive the money, so ask it before you decide how often to transfer.
Receiving money into the account
Opening a global account is free, and receiving money is free in most currencies. The exceptions are $15 for an incoming US Fedwire and 0.6% on KRW, VND, BRL and MYR collections. Some SWIFT deposits are rejected and returned to the sender: Airwallex lists restricted sending countries for its Denmark-based global accounts, including Egypt and the UAE, and for one Hong Kong bank code, including the UAE.
Monthly plans: Explore or Grow
Explore and Grow fees are charged per legal entity, and Accelerate is priced per organization. All of them come on top of the transaction fees above.
| Plan | Monthly fee | Spend users |
|---|---|---|
| Explore | $0 | Up to 10 free |
| Grow | $12 per active Spend user, plus a platform fee based on team size | Up to 250 |
| Accelerate | Custom | Not stated |
You pay only for Spend users active that month, meaning a cardholder or someone who submits, approves or pays expenses or bills.
Card rates, conversion and SWIFT fees do not change between Explore and Grow. For a small seller, the fee difference is mainly that Grow removes the international local transfer fees. Neither the pricing page nor the fee schedule states the platform fee, so ask Airwallex or check the plan screen in your dashboard to find the break-even point. With at least one active Spend user, that user alone costs the same as twelve $1 transfers, so a handful of $1 or $2 transfers a month costs less on Explore. At higher transfer fees the break-even comes sooner. With no active Spend user, the comparison depends on the platform fee.
Refunds and chargebacks
A refund costs $0.30 plus any network charges for each refund request. Neither the fee schedule nor the fee documentation says whether the original 2.8% or 4.3% comes back when you refund, so ask Airwallex and budget as if it does not until you have an answer. If the original sale was converted, the refund is converted again: the payments terms apply the FX Conversion Fee, 1% on the schedule, at the prevailing rate, and you carry any rate movement.
A chargeback costs $15 per dispute plus any network charges. The fee documentation adds that the charge is made once per dispute and varies by payment method. It also lists further charges for some cases, such as Visa fraud chargebacks on payments without 3D Secure and Mastercard pre-arbitration.
Two related services have their own prices. Visa's Rapid Dispute Resolution costs $15 a case. Airwallex's AI Dispute Automation takes 25% of the disputed amount, up to $200, and only when your challenge is accepted and the money is paid out to you.
Airwallex corporate card fees
Some people searching for Airwallex card fees mean the cards they spend on, rather than the cards their customers pay with. The pricing page lists unlimited multi-currency corporate cards on Explore, with no international fees and up to 10 free Spend users. The fee schedule has no line for issuing a card. Up to 2% cash back on local USD spend is advertised, subject to its terms.
No international fee does not mean no exchange cost. Airwallex's help article on card conversions says a purchase comes straight out of the matching balance only if the currency is on its direct billing list and the balance covers it. Otherwise, with auto-conversion on, Airwallex takes it from another balance at the prevailing rate plus an auto-conversion fee. With it off, a purchase in a direct billing currency is declined if that balance is short, but a purchase outside the list still comes from your primary balance with that fee. That help article gives no percentage; the US schedule's auto conversion line is 1%. EGP, AED and SAR are not on the direct billing list, so purchases in them convert either way.
Who can get US pricing
The US fee schedule applies to customers of Airwallex US, LLC. A company has to be registered in a location on Airwallex's eligible list, and Airwallex says it cannot process an application from a location that is not listed. On 5 November 2026 the list included the United States and did not include Egypt, Saudi Arabia or the UAE.
Airwallex publishes specific rules for owners who live outside the US. You can apply through a US-registered company wherever you live, subject to these conditions:
- No SSN or ITIN for a company. An LLC or corporation applies with its EIN, and a non-US owner verifies with a passport or other government photo ID. A sole proprietorship does need an SSN or ITIN.
- A real US place of business. The company needs a genuine, physical US location where it is managed and operated. PO boxes and virtual mailboxes are not accepted. A registered agent's address is accepted only if the business sells goods online or was incorporated within the last year. Our guide to registered agent and virtual addresses explains the difference.
- Owner residence. Airwallex looks at where each owner lives rather than their nationality, and cannot onboard a business with an owner in a restricted country. Its help article points to the eligible list for this, but that list shows registration locations. Its US service agreement defines a restricted jurisdiction as one under comprehensive sanctions. Neither says how it treats an owner living in Egypt or the Gulf, and we could not confirm that from its public pages.
- Possible extra documents. A foreign-owned company may be asked during review for a US bank statement from a brick-and-mortar bank (Mercury statements are not accepted), contracts with US businesses, invoices from US customers, evidence of US employees, or a coworking lease.
Airwallex says it cannot confirm eligibility before you apply and that applying does not guarantee approval. A service business older than one year, with only a registered agent's address, may not qualify at all, whatever the fees look like.
Card acceptance is a further step. After the account is approved, you submit a separate Payments application in the dashboard, so account approval alone does not switch on card payments.
Foundlie forms the US LLC and prepares the company documents. Airwallex makes its own decision on each application.
Airwallex fees outside the US
Rates and plans depend on which Airwallex entity serves your company. The table shows prices from each country's pricing page on 5 November 2026, in that country's currency.
| Country | Domestic card | International card | Explore plan | SWIFT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | 2.8% + $0.30 | 4.3% + $0.30 | $0 | $15–$25 |
| UK | 1.3% + £0.20 | 3.15% + £0.20 | £0 with £10k monthly deposits or balance, otherwise £19 | £10–£20 |
| Australia | 1.65% + A$0.30 | 3.45% + A$0.30 | A$0 with A$5k monthly deposits or A$10k balance, otherwise A$29 | A$10–A$30 |
| Singapore | 3.3% + S$0.50 | 3.6% + S$0.50 | Free | S$20–S$35 |
The UK also has a separate 2.4% + £0.20 rate for cards issued in the EEA. Conversion margins can differ too: Singapore lists 0.4% above interbank for major currencies and 0.6% for others.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Airwallex charge on a $100 sale?
On a US account, $3.10 for a US card and $4.60 for an international card. If an international-card sale also converts at settlement, the fee is $5.60.
Does Airwallex charge a monthly fee?
Not on the US Explore plan. Grow costs $12 per active Spend user a month plus a platform fee. In the UK and Australia, Explore can carry a monthly fee unless you meet a deposit or balance condition.
Does Airwallex charge for failed payments?
Yes. The $0.30 gateway fee applies to each attempted transaction, whether or not it succeeds. The percentage fee applies only to successful payments.
How much does it cost to send money from Airwallex to Egypt?
$15 or $25 a transfer by SWIFT, the only bank route Airwallex lists for Egypt, plus 1% if you convert to EGP. Your Egyptian bank may charge separately to receive it.
Can I open an Airwallex account from Egypt or the Gulf?
Not with a company registered there, because Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are not on the eligible list. A company registered in the US can apply under the rules above, and Airwallex makes the decision after its own review. We could not find on its public pages how it treats an owner living in those countries.
What comes next
- Run your own prices through the Airwallex fee calculator.
- Compare it with other providers in Stripe vs Airwallex and PayPal vs Airwallex. If you would rather not handle sales tax yourself, read Airwallex vs Dodo Payments and Airwallex vs Polar.
- If you want Airwallex mainly as a business account, read Mercury alternatives for a non-resident-owned US LLC.
- For how a US company fits into provider applications, and which decisions stay with the providers, read accepting payments from abroad.