Airwallex vs Polar: card fees, sales tax and payouts for a US LLC selling software or services
Airwallex is a payment processor with a multi-currency business account; Polar is a merchant of record for developers. Fees on the same sale, who handles sales tax and VAT, how each pays you out, and who can open an account from Egypt or the Gulf.
The short answer
Airwallex and Polar solve different problems. Airwallex is a payment processor attached to a multi-currency business account: it charges your customer's card on your behalf, you are the seller, and the money lands in balances you can hold in several currencies. Polar is a merchant of record, meaning it is the company that legally sells your product to the buyer. Because it is the seller, it charges the card, calculates and remits sales tax and VAT, and then pays you what is left. Polar is built for developers selling software, digital products and subscriptions.
On a $100 sale paid with a US card, Airwallex keeps $3.10 and Polar's free Starter plan keeps $5.50, as published on 28 September 2026. That $2.40 gap is roughly what you pay Polar to take tax registration and filing off your hands.
The deciding factor is sales tax and VAT. If you sell digital products to consumers in many countries and do not want to register for tax in each of them, Polar's higher rate buys that. If you sell services to businesses, invoice clients, or want to hold and move money in several currencies at a lower rate, Airwallex fits better.
How they differ at a glance
| Airwallex | Polar | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Payment processor + multi-currency business account | Merchant of record for software and digital products |
| Standard card rate | 2.8% + $0.30 (US cards) | Starter 5% + $0.50; Pro 3.8% + $0.40; Growth 3.6% + $0.35; Scale 3.4% + $0.30 |
| International cards | 4.3% + $0.30 (+1.5%) | +1.5% on all plans |
| Currency conversion | 0.5% above interbank for major currencies, 1% for others | Not charged to the merchant in our model |
| Subscriptions | Billing product not priced in our figures | No separate subscription fee on the new plans |
| Sales tax / VAT | You register, collect and file | Polar calculates, collects and remits |
| Payouts | Balances held in several currencies; local transfers free to many countries, SWIFT has a fee | Through Stripe Connect at cost: $2 per month with a payout + 0.25% + $0.25 per payout; cross-border 0.25%–1% |
| Monthly fee | Explore plan $0; paid plans add features | Starter $0; Pro $20; Growth $100; Scale $400 |
| Who can open | Businesses registered in Airwallex's eligible countries | Sellers in many countries who can receive Stripe Connect payouts |
Fees on the same sale
These figures use Airwallex's standard online card pricing and Polar's free Starter plan, as published on 28 September 2026.
| Scenario | Airwallex | Polar (Starter) |
|---|---|---|
| $100 US card | fee $3.10 / net $96.90 | fee $5.50 / net $94.50 |
| $100 intl card | fee $4.60 / net $95.40 | fee $7.00 / net $93.00 |
| $100 intl card + FX | fee $5.60 / net $94.40 | fee $7.00 / net $93.00 |
| $100 intl subscription | fee $4.60 / net $95.40 | fee $7.00 / net $93.00 |
| $29 US subscription | fee $1.11 / net $27.89 | fee $1.95 / net $27.05 |
| $29 intl subscription | fee $1.55 / net $27.45 | fee $2.39 / net $26.61 |
| $1000 intl card | fee $43.30 / net $956.70 | fee $65.50 / net $934.50 |
| Charge needed to net $100 (US card) | $103.19 | $105.79 |
"Intl" means a card issued outside the US. "+ FX" means the customer pays in another currency and the gateway converts it. Airwallex adds its conversion margin; Polar does not charge the merchant for conversion in our model, so its figure does not change. Airwallex's subscription figures carry no surcharge because its billing product is not priced here; check its pricing page if you plan to bill recurring payments through it.
The gap comes from what each fee covers. Airwallex's rate pays for processing the card. Polar's rate pays for processing plus acting as the seller, which includes calculating, collecting and remitting sales tax and VAT. The gap narrows on Polar's paid plans, where the percentage and fixed fee fall in exchange for a monthly fee, but Polar's payouts also carry Stripe Connect costs that Airwallex's balances do not. Run your own numbers in the Airwallex fee calculator, the Polar fee calculator or the all-gateways fee comparison.
Airwallex in practice
Airwallex combines card acceptance with a business account that holds balances in several currencies. You can collect in USD, keep a GBP or EUR balance for suppliers, and pay out locally without converting every payment into dollars first. As published on 28 September 2026, its US pricing lists 2.8% + $0.30 for US cards and 4.3% + $0.30 for international cards. Conversion costs 0.5% above the interbank rate for major currencies such as GBP and 1% for others; the Saudi riyal, the UAE dirham and the Egyptian pound fall in the second group.
Local transfers are free to many countries, while SWIFT transfers carry a fee. Chargebacks cost $15. The Explore plan has no monthly fee, and paid plans add features.
The limit is that Airwallex is a processor, not the seller. You are the merchant, so sales tax in US states and VAT or GST in other countries remain your responsibility where you have an obligation to register. For a business selling services to other businesses this often matters less; for a seller of downloads or subscriptions to consumers in many countries, it can be a significant cost in time and advisers' fees.
Polar in practice
Polar is a merchant of record aimed at developers: it is built around selling software, digital products and subscriptions, and as the seller it handles the sales tax and VAT on each sale. As published on 28 September 2026, Polar's plans for organisations created from 27 May 2026 are Starter (free, 5% + $0.50), Pro ($20 a month, 3.8% + $0.40), Growth ($100 a month, 3.6% + $0.35) and Scale ($400 a month, 3.4% + $0.30). International cards add 1.5% on every plan, and the new plans have no separate subscription fee. A legacy Early Member rate of 4% + $0.40 plus 0.5% on subscriptions also appears in Polar's fees documentation.
Payouts go through Stripe Connect and Polar passes the cost on: $2 in any month with a payout, plus 0.25% + $0.25 per payout, and a cross-border fee of 0.25% to 1% when the payout crosses borders. Disputes cost $15 whatever the outcome, and transaction fees are not returned when you refund a sale.
The limits are scope and payouts. Polar suits software and digital products; a services business or a physical-goods store should confirm on Polar's site that its product qualifies. And because payouts run through Stripe Connect, you need to be able to receive Stripe Connect payouts in your country. Polar is not a business account for holding balances in several currencies.
Who can use each one from Egypt or the Gulf
Airwallex opens accounts for businesses registered in its eligible countries, and its US entity onboards US-registered companies. Whether a company registered in Egypt, Saudi Arabia or the UAE qualifies is answered on the eligible countries and territories page, which you should check for your company's country on the day you apply. The eligibility page also lists unsupported industries and states that Airwallex may decline customers outside its risk appetite.
Polar onboards sellers from many countries; check its site for the current list. Because it pays out through Stripe Connect, the practical test is whether you can receive Stripe Connect payouts where you or your company are.
A US LLC opens the US-priced accounts described in this article. Foundlie forms the US LLC; the account decision is then made by each provider after its own review, and neither approval is guaranteed.
Which one to choose
Choose Airwallex if:
- you invoice business clients or sell services, and sales tax on digital goods is not your main exposure;
- you want to hold USD, GBP, EUR or other balances and pay suppliers or contractors locally;
- you have a tax adviser, or a clear view of where you must register for tax, and the lower rate matters at your volume.
Choose Polar if:
- you sell software, licences, digital downloads or subscriptions to consumers in many countries;
- you do not want to register for and file sales tax or VAT yourself;
- you can receive Stripe Connect payouts and do not need a multi-currency account.
Using both can make sense: Polar as the checkout for your digital product, and Airwallex as the business account that receives other income, holds balances and pays suppliers. Check that the bank details you give Polar's Stripe Connect payout meet Stripe's requirements before relying on that route.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper for a $29 monthly subscription?
On the figures above, Airwallex keeps $1.11 on a US card and $1.55 on an international card; Polar's Starter plan keeps $1.95 and $2.39. Airwallex's figures leave out its billing product, which is not priced here, and Polar's include tax handling that Airwallex does not provide. Compare both calculators with your own price and plan.
Does Polar or Airwallex handle my sales tax and VAT?
Polar does, because it is the merchant of record: it is the seller on each transaction, so it calculates, collects and remits the tax. With Airwallex you are the seller, so registration and filing stay with you wherever you have an obligation.
Can I use Polar or Airwallex without a US company?
Airwallex opens accounts for businesses registered in its eligible countries, so it depends on where your company is registered; check its eligible-countries page. Polar onboards sellers in many countries, but you must be able to receive Stripe Connect payouts where you are. A US LLC opens the US-priced setups described here, subject to each provider's review.
Can Polar pay me in several currencies like Airwallex?
Not in the same way. Polar pays out through Stripe Connect to your bank account, with a cross-border fee of 0.25% to 1% when the payout crosses borders. Airwallex holds balances in several currencies inside the account and lets you pay out locally from them.
Is Polar's Pro plan worth $20 a month?
It lowers the rate from 5% + $0.50 to 3.8% + $0.40 per sale. Whether that covers $20 depends on your monthly volume; enter your figures in the Polar fee calculator with both plans.
What comes next
- Compare every gateway on your own price in the all-gateways fee comparison, or check one at a time with the Airwallex fee calculator and the Polar fee calculator.
- Read how Foundlie prepares a US LLC to accept payments from abroad, and which decisions stay with the payment providers.
- Weighing Polar against another merchant of record? Read Dodo Payments vs Polar; for Airwallex against a processor-only option, read Stripe vs Airwallex.
- Choosing where Airwallex fits among US business accounts: Mercury alternatives for a non-resident-owned US LLC.