Adyen vs. Airwallex: Choose the Right Global Payments Partner

Adyen and Airwallex are two of the most popular names in global payments, each offering businesses unique ways to expand across borders. Adyen is known for its enterprise-grade platform powering major brands worldwide. Airwallex brings agility and focuses on international transfers and multi-currency accounts.

Our article conducts an Adyen vs. Airwallex comparison. We compare their fees, features and use cases in detail. Read on to decide which of the two is suitable for your business’s sustainable international growth. We'll also discuss the Wise Business account. The global account that can help your company with all things cross-border.

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Adyen vs. Airwallex: Quick Overview

Adyen vs. Airwallex: Key Features

When choosing a payment solution, you must be familiar with their features. Both Adyen and Airwallex have distinct strengths, which we look at in detail below.

Adyen

Adyen provides a highly configurable platform that supports both online and in-person payments. Businesses can manage terminal settings at multiple levels: company, merchant account, store and individual device.

Terminals accept major global cards by default and allow additional payment methods such as local debit cards, wallets and gift cards. Customization features include:

• Setting default and secondary languages
• Defining amount formats
• Enabling or disabling signatures
• Applying branded themes and logos

Similarly, key payment features include setting minimum and maximum transaction limits, manual key entry, mail order and telephone transactions, tipping, pre-authorizations, delayed capture and unreferenced or offline refunds.¹

Terminals also support offline payments with configurable limits and store-and-forward transactions. Integrations extend through Terminal API, WebSocket and dynamic currency conversion. Plus, Adyen has API endpoints and plugins for ERP, eCommerce platforms and POS systems.²

Adyen also supports advanced capabilities, such as pay-at-table, cashback, beacons for mobile POS, tax-free shopping and tokenization for recurring payments.

The platform also emphasizes operational reliability. Updates apply automatically during scheduled restarts or can be triggered manually. Customer support also enables more specialized functions, from manual key entry to advanced tax-refund configurations.

Airwallex

Airwallex offers a modern business account built for companies operating across borders. Firms can open local currency accounts in more than 20 currencies, and over 60 currencies are supported for foreign exchange with access to interbank rates that cut conversion costs by as much as 80%.⁵

Expense management is also fully integrated. Businesses can issue unlimited physical and virtual cards to employees. They can also apply real-time spending limits and manage reconciliation directly in the platform.

Multi-user access and built-in controls support teams of different sizes. So finance managers can oversee transactions without relying on multiple disconnected tools.

Security is also treated as a priority, with licensing and regulatory oversight in all operating regions. Accounts include data encryption, continuous fraud monitoring and compliance safeguards.

Airwallex is made for quick adoption, as accounts can be opened online in minutes, without requiring a branch visit. Once active, users get mobile and web access to send, receive and reconcile payments.

Adyen vs. Airwallex: Fees

Adyen and Airwallex approach fees differently. Here’s a comparison of their fees.

Adyen Fees

Adyen uses a straightforward model. Every transaction includes a fixed processing fee of $0.13 plus a variable fee based on the payment method. For example, payments through Alipay are charged at $0.13 plus 3%, ACH Direct Debit (US.) costs $0.13 plus $0.27 and Visa/Mastercard run at $0.13 plus Interchange+ plus 0.60%.

Alternative methods vary widely. For example, Cash App Pay is $0.13 + 2.90% + $0.30, while paysafeguard can range from 10% to 12% plus $0.13.⁴

Airwallex Fees

Airwallex offers three core plans structured around the size and needs of a business.⁵

• Explore: Free
• Growth: The plan comes at $99 per month and builds on Explore with international batch transfers.
• Accelerate: It’s the most expensive plan, starting at $999 per month.

For card payments, Airwallex charges 2.8% + $0.30 for domestic cards and 2.8% + $0.30 for international cards. Local payment methods carry a base $0.30 fee plus the method-specific rate. International transfers are free for local rails, while SWIFT transfers cost between $10 and $30, depending on the method.

Adyen vs. Airwallex: Pros and Cons

Adyen

Airwallex

Which is Best: Adyen or Airwallex?

The choice between the two depends on what a business values most. Adyen is suitable for companies that process high volumes of global transactions and want advanced payment technology, strong integration with eCommerce and reliable support at scale.

In contrast, Airwallex is best for businesses that want a modern financial platform to handle more than payments, such as virtual cards, global transfers, multi-currency accounts and spend controls.

In short, Adyen excels in global payment processing power, while Airwallex is an all-in-one financial operations hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Airwallex so popular?

Airwallex is popular because it combines global payments, multi-currency accounts and expense management in one platform to reduce international transaction costs.

Is Adyen bigger than Stripe?

No, Stripe processes higher volumes overall and serves a broader market of small to large businesses. Meanwhile, Adyen focuses more on enterprise merchants and complex global transactions.

Is Airwallex better than Stripe?

Airwallex suits businesses prioritizing multi-currency accounts and international transfers, while Stripe is stronger for online payment acceptance and eCommerce integrations.

Save Time and Money On Overseas Payments With Wise Business

Wise Business can help you save big time on international payments.

Wise is not a bank, but a Money Services Business (MSB) provider and a smart alternative to banks. The Wise Business account is designed with international business in mind, and makes it easy to send, hold, and manage business funds in currencies.

Signing up to Wise Business allows access to BatchTransfer which you can use to pay up to 1000 invoices in one go. This is perfect for small businesses that are managing a global team, saving a ton of time and hassle when making payments.

Some key features of Wise Business include:

• Mid-market rate: Get the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees on international transfers

• Global Account: Send money to countries and hold multiple currencies, all in one place. You can also get major currency account details for a one-off fee to receive overseas payments like a local

• Access to BatchTransfer: Pay up to 1000 invoices in one click. Save time, money, and stress when you make 1000 payments in one click with BatchTransfer payments. Access to BatchTransfer is free with a Wise Business account

• Auto-conversions: Don't like the current currency exchange rate? Set your desired rate, and Wise sends the transfer the moment the rate is met

• Free invoicing tool: Generate and send professional invoices

• No minimum balance requirements or monthly fees: US-based businesses can open an account for free. Learn more about fees here

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