Airwallex vs Stripe for agentic commerce: 2026 Singapore guide

Key takeaways:

• Both Airwallex and Stripe now support the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP).

• Stripe's agentic commerce rollout is currently centred on the US, with several key capabilities still limited to US merchants. Airwallex has announced a global waitlist for its agentic commerce products that businesses in Singapore can sign up for.

• Agentic commerce still relies on existing payment infrastructure, so businesses should evaluate whether their payment provider supports the payment methods, currencies, and markets where they operate.

When comparing Airwallex vs Stripe for agentic commerce, the biggest difference isn't protocol support; it's whether Singapore merchants can actually access the features they need.

Both Airwallex and Stripe support the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), but Stripe's rollout has largely been US-first. Some of its flagship capabilities, including Shared Payment Tokens (SPTs), are currently documented as being available only to US agents, customers, and merchants. That means Singapore businesses may be waiting for features that aren't yet available in their market.

Airwallex, by contrast, is offering its Commerce Suite, Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, and Airi through a global waitlist that includes businesses in Singapore and other APAC markets.

This guide compares both platforms across agentic commerce capabilities, payment infrastructure, multi-currency settlement, and overall suitability for Singapore merchants.

The bottom line: Airwallex vs Stripe for agentic commerce

If you need a quick answer: Stripe has played an important role in developing ACP and currently has the largest public ecosystem around the protocol. However, much of its rollout remains US-focused.

For Singapore merchants evaluating agentic commerce solutions, Airwallex offers Commerce Suite, its MCP server, and Airi through a global waitlist that allows businesses in Singapore and other APAC markets to register their interest.

The rest of this guide explains exactly where each platform pulls ahead.

Airwallex vs Stripe for agentic commerce: At a glance

Here's how the two platforms compare across their agentic commerce infrastructure:

What are ACP and UCP? ACP (Agentic Commerce Protocol) is an open standard for AI agents to discover merchants and complete payments securely on a customer's behalf.

UCP (User Context Protocol) is a complementary standard for securely sharing user context and preferences between AI applications.

This information is based on publicly available information accessed on 29 June 2026. Information reflects Airwallex's own research and has not been independently verified.

Protocol support: what AI agents can actually do

Both platforms support the same core protocols. Where they differ is in what's built around them, and whether that infrastructure actually suits a Singapore-based business.

Agentic Commerce Protocol and Shared Payment Tokens

Stripe co-created ACP with OpenAI and has live partnerships with Anthropic, Perplexity, Vercel, Meta, and Google. If your customers shop through AI assistants built on those platforms, Stripe's existing relationships mean less friction to get set up.

Stripe's Shared Payment Tokens (SPTs) let a consumer hand a specific AI agent one-time payment authority: the agent checks out on their behalf without them re-entering card details.

One caveat: at the time of writing, Stripe documents SPT availability as limited to agents, customers, and sellers in the US¹. Singapore merchants should confirm regional availability before building around this feature.

Information in this section is based on Stripe’s official website as of 29 June 2026.

Airwallex Commerce Suite and MCP server

Airwallex's MCP server lets AI agents interact directly with payment infrastructure through natural language: checking payment status, triggering transactions, and managing settlement without a human stepping in.

The Commerce Suite handles the merchant side: getting products in front of AI shopping agents, managing tokenisation, and completing checkout through ACP- and UCP-compliant endpoints.

Airi, Airwallex's agentic wallet, handles the consumer side with one-click checkout and delegated spend controls coming soon. These three components (the MCP server, Commerce Suite, and Airi) work as a connected stack rather than a standalone integration.

Compared to standard card payments, Airi delivers a 3x faster checkout, increasing conversion by up to 14%. Learn more about Airi or sign up to access it now.

Multi-currency settlement and FX handling

Airwallex like-for-like settlement

Airwallex settles like-for-like in 14 currencies, including SGD, USD, EUR, GBP, and major APAC currencies. What you collect in SGD stays in SGD; what you collect in USD stays in USD. There's no automatic conversion between collection and payout.

For businesses selling across APAC, that means you can keep revenue in the original currency, pay overseas suppliers from the same balance, and convert only when it makes commercial sense. This reduces your number of conversions and your FX fees. 

Stripe multi-currency settlement

Stripe also supports multi-currency settlement, but by default, payments are settled into your primary settlement currency. If you want to retain funds in another currency, you need to configure a separate bank account for each currency you want Stripe to pay out in.

Otherwise, Stripe converts the funds before settlement. For merchants using Stripe Connect, non-primary currency payouts incur a 1% fee per transaction (or a minimum fee, depending on the currency and bank account country)³.

Information in this section is based on Stripe’s official website as of 29 June 2026.

Developer experience and integration

Airwallex's Commerce Suite is designed to work with the rest of the Airwallex platform. If you already use Airwallex for Payments, Global Accounts, or FX, you can add agentic commerce capabilities without introducing another payments platform.

Similarly, Stripe's agentic commerce capabilities are designed to work with Stripe's broader payments platform. If you're already using Stripe, adding these features can be a natural extension of your existing integration.

For a practical overview of how agentic commerce works end-to-end, see our agentic commerce guide.

How to choose between Airwallex and Stripe for agentic commerce

Not sure how to choose between Airwallex vs Stripe? Here’s how to decide:

Can you actually use the features?

If you're evaluating agentic commerce today, first check whether the capabilities you need are available in your market. Some of Stripe's newest agentic commerce features are currently limited to US users, whereas Airwallex allows interested businesses to sign up through a global waitlist.

Your currency mix

The most useful starting point is your currency mix. If you collect meaningful volume in SGD, MYR, HKD, or AUD and want to retain those funds without conversion, Airwallex's like-for-like settlement has a direct impact on your margins.

If your revenue is primarily in USD and your customers shop through AI platforms in Stripe's partner network — ChatGPT, Perplexity, or similar — Stripe is the more natural fit.

Your existing stack

Merchants already using Airwallex for Payments, Global Accounts or FX will find the Commerce Suite extends what they have with minimal additional integration work.

Information in this section is based on Stripe’s official website as of 29 June 2026.

Get started with agentic commerce on Airwallex

If you're a Singapore merchant looking to sell through AI agents, Airwallex is the fastest way to get started. Here's what you get with Airwallex Payments:

• Local infrastructure from day one: native SGD collection, FAST, and PayNow, backed by a full MAS Major Payment Institution licence

• Like-for-like settlement in 14 currencies: keep SGD as SGD, USD as USD, with no forced conversion eating into your margins

• An end-to-end agentic commerce stack: the MCP server, Commerce Suite, and Airi work together so you're not stitching together multiple integrations

• A faster checkout experience: Airi, Airwallex's AI-powered checkout, gives your customers a one-click, agent-ready checkout built on Airwallex's regulated Singapore payment infrastructure.

• A platform that grows with you: if you're already using Airwallex for global accounts or FX, agentic commerce extends your existing setup

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Does Airwallex support ACP like Stripe?

Yes. Both platforms support ACP and UCP. Stripe co-created ACP with OpenAI; Airwallex implements it through its Commerce Suite and MCP server. Neither platform has a hard protocol lock-in advantage over the other.

What is Airi and how does it compare to Stripe Link?

Airi is Airwallex's AI-powered wallet and checkout experience for consumers. It enables one-click checkout and lets customers authorise AI agents to make purchases on their behalf within spending limits and permission controls. Stripe Link offers similar one-click checkout capability, while Shared Payment Tokens support delegated AI purchases. The key difference is that Airi combines these capabilities in a single consumer experience, while Stripe offers them as separate products.

What is a Shared Payment Token and is it available in Singapore?

A Shared Payment Token (SPT) is a Stripe feature that lets a consumer grant a specific AI agent limited, time-bound payment authority to complete purchases on their behalf. Stripe currently documents SPT availability as limited to agents, customers, and sellers in the US.¹ Singapore merchants should verify regional availability directly with Stripe before building around this capability.

How do Airwallex and Stripe handle foreign exchange for Singapore merchants?

Airwallex supports like-for-like settlement in 14 currencies, allowing merchants to retain collected funds in the original transaction currency with no forced conversion. Stripe supports multi-currency acceptance, but payments convert to your default settlement currency unless you manually configure a separate bank account for each currency you want to retain. Non-primary currency payouts carry a 1% fee.³

Is Airwallex licensed in Singapore?

Yes. Airwallex (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. is a licensed Major Payment Institution regulated by MAS (Licence No. PS20200541).

Is Stripe licensed in Singapore?

Yes. Stripe Payments Singapore Pte. Ltd. holds a Major Payment Institution (MPI) licence issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

Sources:

1. docs.stripe.com/agentic-commerce/concepts/shared-payment-tokens

2. stripe.com/en-sg/legal/singapore-disclosures 

3. docs.stripe.com/connect/multicurrency-settlement