How Airwallex beats Wise
Wise is built for consumers. Airwallex is built for growing businesses — with more currencies, more countries, zero international transfer fees on local rails, and a full suite of spend management tools.
Understand exactly what you'll pay
No hidden fees. Here's a plain-language breakdown of the key costs on each platform for US businesses.
| Account Setup | FX Conversion | Corporate Cards | International Transfer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | FREE | +0.5% (Major Currencies) | FREE to issue | $0 transfer fee (on local rails) |
 | 55 CAD one-time fee (to unlock local account details) | Mid-market + variable % | Available for a one-time fee | Fixed + Variable |
| Account Setup | |
|---|---|
| FREE |
| 55 CAD one-time fee (to unlock local account details) |
| FX Conversion | |
|---|---|
| +0.5% (Major Currencies) |
| Mid-market + variable % |
| Corporate Cards | |
|---|---|
| FREE to issue |
| Available for a one-time fee |
| International Transfer | |
|---|---|
| $0 transfer fee (on local rails) |
| Fixed + Variable |
*Check full feature breakdown for details
Reasons growing companies choose Airwallex
Wider global reach
Send to 200+ countries including 120+ via local payment rails — faster and cheaper than SWIFT. Wise covers just 73 countries, leaving major markets out of reach.
Zero international transfer fees
When sending via local rails, Airwallex charges no transfer fee — just a small FX margin. Wise charges a fixed fee plus a variable percentage starting at 0.33% on every transfer.
Full payment acceptance
Airwallex is a complete payment gateway. Accept cards and 160+ local methods in 180+ countries via Shopify, WooCommerce, payment links, or a fully custom API checkout. Wise can't do this.
Corporate cards & expense control
Issue physical and virtual cards for your whole team. Set spend limits, multi-layer approvals, and auto-sync with NetSuite, QuickBooks, or Xero. Wise doesn't offer cards in the US at all.
Airwallex vs Wise — full feature breakdown
What businesses are saying about Airwallex
“Airwallex is a really good example of how we’re investing in technology. While our previous solution for foreign payments was very slow, manual and outdated, Airwallex is quick, easy and efficient. Not only does Airwallex save the team time, it also saves us money – it’s a win-win.”
Laura Bowden
CFO at McLaren Racing
“Because of Airwallex, we’re enjoying significant cost savings and a more streamlined management of funds between different currencies, which is essential for our travel agency.”
Simon Russell
Authentic Vacations, CEO
“Everything just flows now - approvals, expenses, reimbursements. Managers feel trusted, the finance team is more visible, and we’re moving faster without losing control. Airwallex has completely changed the pace and perception of finance in the business.”
Nathan Humphreys
Financial Controller, Truvi
"One thing was clear: We needed a simple-to-use, truly global financial solution that allowed us to seamlessly accept money from customers in multiple markets convert it to other currencies only when needed, and pay vendors in different countries. In other words, we needed to trade globally - not just Australia.”
Richard Li
Co-founder & CEO, July
"We've had such a fantastic experience switching to Airwallex. Previously we were using a traditional bank to make all of our international transactions and they'd constantly lock us out of the account everytime we made a transfer, resulting in hours and hours of lost time on hold. Airwallex is secure, makes it super quick and simple to make and receive international payments."
Rupert
Managing Director, Perspective Pictures
You don't need a bank to run your business
Start winning new markets today. Open an account in minutes, and join thousands of businesses already using Airwallex to streamline their finances globally.
FAQs about upgrading from Wise
How do Airwallex and Wise fees compare for a Canadian-based business?
While Airwallex is free to open, Wise charges a 55 CAD one-time fee to unlock local account details for receiving payments. For payouts, Airwallex offers $0 transfer fees when sending to 120+ countries via local rails, whereas Wise charges fixed and variable fees for every transfer.
Can I issue cards to my Canadian-based team on both platforms?
Yes. Airwallex allows you to issue unlimited virtual and physical corporate cards with up to 1.5% cash back. While Wise offers cards in the US, Airwallex provides advanced multi-layer approval workflows and deep NetSuite integrations specifically designed for finance teams.
Which platform is better for accepting payments from global customers?
Airwallex is a complete payment gateway, allowing Canadian businesses to accept cards and local payment methods directly into their multi-currency wallet. Wise is primarily a payout service and lacks a merchant gateway for businesses to collect customer payments directly via checkout or eCommerce integrations.
Do these platforms integrate with US accounting software?
Both integrate with QuickBooks and Xero. However, Airwallex provides a deeper native integration with NetSuite, ensuring your global payouts, bill pay, and card expenses are automatically reconciled into your ERP.