Payment Logic scales global payments to 200+ countries with Airwallex

Payment Logic launched over a decade ago with a vision to make American Express a more accessible payment option for small to mid-sized businesses. Together with its brand Yak Pay, it quickly evolved into a comprehensive business-to-business payments platform, enabling SMEs to pay any supplier domestically using credit or debit.

We spoke with Sam Plowman, co-CEO, about how Airwallex helped Payment Logic respond to growing customer demand for foreign exchange (FX) services, adding in-demand international payment capabilities that have positioned the business for continued growth.

Sam Plowman

Co-CEO, Payment Logic

“We were looking for a partner with a local presence but truly global capabilities and ambitions. Airwallex stood out from other providers in the market, and its embedded solutions gave us exactly what we needed to deliver key products seamlessly within our own offering.”

Innovation through an aligned payment partner

Payment Logic began with a simple but pressing customer problem: helping American Express (Amex) cardholders overcome the challenge of non-acceptance when paying their domestic suppliers.

“We initially started processing Amex for small business cardholders that wanted to use their card for everyday business payments, but found that suppliers weren’t set up to take it,” Sam explains.

From that base, the platform quickly expanded. Visa and Mastercard payments were added, followed by debit card support and then rewards. 

This is when a new challenge cropped up: clients began asking whether the same convenience could extend to international payments. 

“A recurring question from our clients was whether we could also support FX payments. They wanted the ability to process both domestic and international payments in the same place and earn rewards while doing it,” Sam says.

Sam Plowman

Co-CEO, Payment Logic

“We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. Instead, we sought a best-in-class partner whose FX capability we could embed directly into our platform.”

The team decided that building a solution to do this in-house wasn’t viable. The complexity of managing fast and secure FX transactions called for specialist expertise.

He adds, “For us, it was about keeping the same simplicity for customers, while ensuring the underlying solution was robust, compliant, and effortlessly integrated.”

The team was aware of Airwallex as a reputable player in the FX space, and the functionality, speed, and security of its platform stood out. It offered a clear alternative to the traditional business banking experience – one that was faster, more cost-effective, and far easier.

Sam Plowman

Co-CEO, Payment Logic

“From day one, Airwallex’s technology, commercial and compliance teams have been approachable, transparent, and collaborative. They have a solutions-focused mindset, working with us to overcome challenges and move quickly.”

Adding global capabilities

Adding international payments to the platform has made Payment Logic’s solution even more valuable for customers. Businesses no longer need to manage multiple providers as both domestic and international payments can be made from one place.

“Having international payments as an offering makes the platform stickier for our customers. They don’t have to go somewhere else and can make all of their payments from one spot,” Sam says. “The clients who’ve picked it up are already giving us great feedback about how easy it is.”

Airwallex’s powerful whitelabel allows Payment Logic to offer customers the Airwallex multicurrency wallet and global payout infrastructure. Now, Payment Logic customers can enjoy seamless global payments. They can send funds to over 200 countries, and transact in nearly 1,000 currency pairs across 64+ currencies.

Shaping future growth

Apart from powering its own brands, Payment Logic also delivers the underlying technology, such as Amex’s acquiring solution, for other businesses. This gives businesses a seamless way to accept card payments. At the same time, Amex operates AccessLine, a product that competes directly in the B2B payments space.

Rather than seeing this dual role as a challenge, Payment Logic positions it as a strength.

“We wear two hats, as a partner powering solutions for global brands like Amex, and as a competitor, running our own platforms,” Sam explains.

“That dynamic pushes us to innovate in ways that benefit everyone. When we build new functionality, we’re thinking about how it serves our customers today and how it could add value for our partners tomorrow.”

Sam is excited about the partnership with Airwallex, which he believes has lots of potential. For example, the team is currently exploring Airwallex’s cards solution to improve its spend management processes.

“There are so many opportunities for us to leverage Airwallex's capabilities and do more. Whether that’s through acquiring, credit issuance, international expansion, or even acting as a conduit to help build deeper relationships with partners like Amex, this is just the first step in what we see as a very exciting partnership.”

Disclaimer: The information contained herein is factual only and is not intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product.