Framar powers reliable payments across the US and Europe with Airwallex

A beauty brand built by listening to stylists

Framar makes professional hair tools that stylists are proud to use. However, the brand didn’t start with a product roadmap; it started with a haircut.

In the mid 1980’s, Maria Gallo worked in the back of her husband’s small salon in Niagara Falls, Canada, hand-cutting foils for clients. Foils are used to isolate sections of hair during coloring and highlights, and as the technique became more popular in salons, preparing them by hand proved slow and inefficient. Seeing the problem firsthand, Maria recognized a clear market gap and decided there had to be a better way.

That insight led her to become the first in Canada to produce foil specifically for professional hair stylists. What began with hand-packing orders grew into a broader business, expanding through distributors, trade shows, and online channels. Throughout its growth, Framar stayed close to its customers and built products shaped by real stylist feedback.

As Framar expanded beyond Canada, working with US partners and preparing to sell into European markets, the company began navigating a more complex set of payment requirements across countries and currencies.

The challenge: slow, complex payment workflows for a Canadian company selling globally

As a Canadian wholesale company working with US distributors, wholesale customers, and Amazon marketplaces, Framar encountered the growing pains of international expansion:

• Many US-based wholesale partners preferred to pay into US accounts, creating friction when sending funds to a Canadian entity.

• When payments moved cross-border, Framar’s bank often required forced conversions, resulting in foreign exchange (FX) losses and additional fees.

• Framar needed a way to receive and manage additional currencies as it prepared to launch Amazon Europe and Amazon UK in EUR and GBP, capabilities its bank didn’t support.

• Its existing cross-border workflow introduced operational risk and delays, particularly for Amazon Marketplace payouts.

• After COVID, more wholesale partners wanted to pay by ACH, but Framar didn’t have a straightforward way to accept ACH payments through its existing banking relationships.

Before Airwallex, Framar used Convera for parts of its cross-border workflow. Since Convera didn’t operate like a true bank account or business account, Amazon payments had to be manually forwarded, which created complexity when transfers didn’t land cleanly.

“With Convera, I experienced more delays and had to follow up frequently,” Maria said. “When an Amazon payment came through, I had to forward it manually. Sometimes the money was rejected and sent back, and then Amazon would shut you down.”

Framar also faced added constraints on the US side as payment expectations shifted.

“Prior to COVID, everything was received by check,” Maria explained. “COVID changed things. A lot of companies wanted to pay by ACH, and I didn’t have access to do that.”

Maria also noted that opening a Canadian bank account that supports ACH could incur significant monthly fees, another constraint Framar wanted to avoid.

The solution: multi-currency accounts and ACH receiving through Airwallex

Framar adopted Airwallex after hearing about it directly from another business in its network – one of Maria’s preferred ways to learn how other wholesale companies manage cross-border payments in practice.

At the time, Framar sought a solution that could support wholesale payments, marketplace payouts, and multiple currencies without adding operational complexity.

“I ran across another company and asked how they handled FX,” Maria recalled. “They told me they were using Airwallex. They had started a few months earlier and said they were very happy with it.”

With Airwallex, Framar set up business accounts that aligned with how the company was expanding:

• Local EUR and GBP accounts to support Amazon Europe and Amazon UK

• ACH receiving capability for US-based wholesale partners

• A bank account structure that reduced reliance on manual forwarding and intermediaries

Maria described the onboarding process as quick and hands-on.

“It happened fast,” she said. “The Airwallex onboarding rep was very helpful and stayed with me until we were set up.”

Framar is implementing a phased Airwallex configuration, with the initial setup providing the core capabilities needed to support international wholesale and marketplace collections.

Maria Gallo

Founder at Framar

“With Airwallex, payments are more reliable. That matters when you’re selling globally and relying on marketplaces like Amazon.”

The results: reduced payment friction and a clearer path to expansion

After switching to Airwallex, Framar improved the reliability and predictability of its cross-border payments.

• Fewer payment delays. Supplier and marketplace payouts are processed more consistently, reducing multi-day delays and giving Framar a clearer, more accurate view of when funds leave the business.

• More reliable Amazon Marketplace payouts. By reducing rejected or returned payments, Framar lowers the risk of payout interruptions, so teams spend less time troubleshooting and more time on day-to-day operations.

• Smoother day-to-day cash flow management. With fewer payment exceptions to resolve, Framar manages cash movement with greater predictability and confidence.

Mario Gallo

Founder at Framar

“Before Airwallex, delays could stretch to four or five days, sometimes even a week. Now payments arrive far more consistently.”

Together, these improvements enable Framar to continue expanding into new markets with greater confidence.

“Our plan has always been to open new markets,” Maria said. “Now the emphasis is really on pushing forward.”

What’s next: new markets, new channels, and faster global growth

Framar continues to expand its global footprint, with plans to launch online sales to a direct-to-consumer audience in the UK and EU. The brand is already distributed on Amazon in these markets and maintains an established presence in Australia and South America. Europe’s share continues to grow as the brand deepens its presence across the region.

Looking ahead, Framar plans to accelerate growth in Australia and South America while laying the groundwork for expansion into Mexico as local payment and currency requirements evolve.

For Maria, opening new markets remains central to Framar’s long-term strategy, particularly in an environment shaped by tariffs, cost pressures, and shifting global demand.

“Opening new markets directly affects your margin, your cash flow, how quickly you get to market, and your scalability,” she said. “It’s the whole picture.”

With Airwallex supporting Framar’s global collections infrastructure, the company is positioned to continue expanding internationally while staying focused on what has always driven its growth: turning customer ideas into products stylists love.