Stripe vs Airwallex: Compare fees, features and more (2026)

Key Takeaways:

• Stripe and Airwallex both provide payment acceptance and multi-currency capabilities, but they differ in the range of financial tools and payment infrastructure they offer.

• When comparing the two, look at transaction fees, local payment method coverage, multi-currency settlement, and FX costs.

• Airwallex charges lower transaction fees than Stripe on both domestic and international card payments, and has lower FX costs when currency conversion is required.¹

If you're a Singapore business comparing Stripe vs Airwallex, you're likely asking one question: which platform gives you more for your money?

This guide breaks down how they compare on fees, features, payment methods, integrations, security, and more, so you can make an informed decision for your business.

What is Stripe?

Stripe is a payment technology company that gives businesses the tools to accept payments online and in person. It's known for its developer-friendly APIs, extensive documentation, and broad ecosystem of integrations.

Beyond payment processing, Stripe offers a wide range of products:

• Stripe Billing handles subscriptions and recurring revenue.

• Stripe Radar uses machine learning for fraud detection.

• Stripe Terminal brings in-person payments to physical and hybrid businesses.

• Stripe Atlas helps startups incorporate in the US.

• Stripe Capital offers financing to eligible businesses based on their payment history.

These products are all available in Singapore, except Stripe Capital, which isn’t.

Information in this section is based on Stripe’s official website as of 17 Sep 2026.

What is Airwallex?

Airwallex is a financial platform built for businesses that move money across borders. Like Stripe, it lets you accept payments online via major card schemes and local payment methods.

It also brings together multi-currency accounts, international transfers, corporate cards, expense management, and bill pay, giving businesses tools to manage payments and financial operations from one platform.

Airwallex scales with how your engineering organisation wants to integrate, from fully customisable APIs and SDKs for in-house build teams, through to a pre-built checkout and no-code Payment Links where speed of deployment matters.

For Singapore businesses that sell internationally, pay overseas suppliers, or want to manage global finances without juggling multiple banking relationships, Airwallex is built around those needs specifically.

Compare Stripe and Airwallex in Singapore

Stripe and Airwallex both support payment acceptance in Singapore, but they differ in how they handle currencies, local payment methods, and settlement.

Payment methods

Both platforms support major card schemes as well as digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. Both also support PayNow, Singapore's real-time bank transfer network.

Where they diverge is breadth:

• Airwallex supports 160+ local payment methods

• Stripe only supports 100+ local payment methods²

On BNPL, both platforms offer options like Klarna. Airwallex supports BNPL for both domestic and international payments. Check each platform's documentation for the latest coverage by market.

Multi-currency settlement

This is one of the most significant practical differences between the two platforms for Singapore businesses.

With Airwallex, you can settle payments like-for-like in supported currencies directly into your Airwallex multi-currency wallet.

There’s no need to open separate foreign currency bank accounts. You hold balances in each currency and convert only when you need to, which helps you avoid unnecessary FX fees.

Stripe does support multi-currency settlement in Singapore, but you must set up a separate bank account for each currency you want to settle in.³ To receive EUR payments in EUR, you need a EUR bank account. To receive GBP in GBP, you need a GBP bank account.

Automatic Currency Conversion

Airwallex and Stripe both offer tools that let you present prices in your customer’s local currency while invoicing and settling in your preferred account currency.

Payment optimisation and approval rates

Both Stripe and Airwallex use AI and machine learning to improve payment approval rates and prevent fraud, but they package these capabilities differently.

Stripe offers payment optimisation through several products:

• Authorization Boost includes intelligent retries, network tokens, card account updates, and issuer-optimised payment requests.

• Radar provides AI-powered fraud detection.

• Radar for Fraud Teams adds more advanced fraud controls such as custom rules and adaptive 3D Secure.

In contrast, Airwallex Optimize 360 combines payment optimisation and fraud prevention in a single layer within its payments stack. It includes smart retries, intelligent routing, network tokenisation, and AI-powered fraud detection with Smart 3DS.

Airwallex reports up to 2.6% higher approval rates across 35+ markets.

Compare Stripe and Airwallex fees

Overall, Airwallex offers lower pricing on both domestic and international card payments compared to Stripe.

This information is based on publicly available information accessed on 21 Sep 2026. Information reflects Airwallex's own research and has not been independently verified.

On top of card payments, Airwallex can help reduce FX costs: our FX is priced at 0.4% to 0.6% above the interbank rate, compared with Stripe’s additional 2% currency conversion fee.

Integrations and developer tools

Both Stripe and Airwallex offer APIs and pre-built integrations, but they approach this differently.

Stripe

Stripe has a strong reputation among developers. Its APIs are extensively documented, and its SDKs cover most major programming languages. For businesses that need to build custom checkout flows, automate billing, or embed payments into complex systems, Stripe's developer tooling is hard to match.

Stripe also has a large app marketplace with hundreds of integrations, spanning eCommerce platforms, accounting tools, CRM software, and more. Pre-built plugins are available for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and Wix, among others.

Airwallex

Airwallex offers a full suite of APIs and SDKs for developers, including Airwallex.js for web integrations and a mobile SDK for iOS and Android.

For businesses that want to get started quickly without writing code, Airwallex also offers a pre-built Checkout page, Payment Links, and plugins for major eCommerce platforms including Shopify, WooCommerce, SHOPLINE, Shoplazza, and Magento.

On the accounting side, Airwallex integrates with Xero and NetSuite. For businesses already using these tools, payments, expense data, and reconciliation can flow directly into your existing workflows.

Security and compliance

Both platforms meet high security standards and hold the regulatory licences required to operate in Singapore.

Stripe

Stripe is PCI DSS Level 1 certified and uses 3D Secure authentication, tokenisation, and AI-powered fraud detection through Stripe Radar.

It holds regulatory licences across its operating markets, including an electronic money institution licence under the Central Bank of Ireland for European operations and an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL).

In Singapore, Stripe Payments Singapore Pte. Ltd. holds a Major Payment Institution (MPI) licence under the Payment Services Act, covering account issuance, domestic and cross-border money transfer, merchant acquisition, and e-money issuance.

Airwallex

Airwallex is also PCI DSS compliant and supports 3D Secure authentication. It holds multiple financial licences across its operating markets. In Singapore, Airwallex (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. is licensed as a Major Payment Institution by the MAS (Licence No. PS20200541), which is one of the highest licence tiers under Singapore's Payment Services Act.

Airwallex also meets SOC1 and SOC2 compliance standards, and your funds are safeguarded in line with MAS requirements, held with leading global financial institutions.

Settlement times

Settlement timing affects your cash flow, so it’s worth understanding both when funds become available and when each platform sends payouts.

Stripe

For Singapore users, Stripe states that the default payout speed is T+7 calendar days,⁴ meaning funds generally become available for payout seven calendar days after the transaction time.

This does not mean funds are automatically sent to your bank account on day seven, as the actual bank payout also depends on your payout schedule. You can choose daily, weekly, monthly, or manual payout schedules where supported.

Airwallex

For businesses registered in Singapore, card payments typically settle into the Airwallex Wallet three business days after payment capture.

Once funds are available in your Wallet, you can transfer them to your own bank account, use them for card spending, or send them to other recipients.

For Singapore bank accounts, Airwallex supports FAST payouts that typically arrive within 0–1 business days, while GIRO transfers typically take 1–2 business days.

Subscription and billing

Both Stripe and Airwallex offer subscription billing, with tools for managing recurring payments, invoicing, and the customer lifecycle.

Stripe

Stripe Billing is a mature, feature-rich product built for businesses that rely on subscriptions. It supports tiered pricing, usage-based billing, free trials, automated retries for failed payments, and a range of subscription models.

Airwallex

Airwallex also offers subscription management, covering the customer lifecycle from signup to cancellation, including trials, invoicing, and automated recurring billing.

For businesses already using Airwallex for payments and financial operations, subscription billing sits within the same platform as multi-currency accounts, cards, expense management, and international transfers.

Why Singapore businesses choose Airwallex

For Singapore businesses comparing Airwallex with Stripe, the main differences come down to payment method coverage, multi-currency settlement, and FX costs. Here’s what you get with Airwallex:

• Broader local payment coverage: Accept payments through 160+ local payment methods across, compared with Stripe’s 100+ payment methods.²

• Multi-currency settlement without separate bank accounts: Settle payments in supported currencies directly into your Airwallex multi-currency wallet. Stripe requires a separate supported bank account for each settlement currency you configure.³

• Lower currency conversion costs: When conversion is required, Airwallex charges 0.4% to 0.6% above the interbank rate, compared with Stripe’s additional 2% currency conversion fee.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Does Airwallex support PayNow in Singapore?

Yes, Airwallex supports PayNow for businesses registered in Singapore. Customers can pay through a dynamic PayNow QR code using their participating bank or financial institution's app, with payments processed in SGD. PayNow payments typically settle into your Airwallex Wallet on T+1 calendar day.

How do Stripe and Airwallex handle multi-currency settlement?

With Airwallex, you can settle payments in 14 major currencies directly into your multi-currency wallet, with no separate bank accounts needed. With Stripe, multi-currency settlement is available in Singapore, but you must set up a separate local bank account for each currency you want to settle in.

Do both platforms support subscription and recurring billing?

Yes. Stripe Billing is a mature product that supports tiered pricing, usage-based billing, and automated retries. Airwallex also supports subscription management across a range of business models.

What is like-for-like settlement?

Like-for-like settlement means the currency your customer pays in is the same currency that lands in your account, with no conversion. If a customer pays in EUR, you receive EUR. This helps you avoid FX fees and gives you more control over when you convert funds. Airwallex supports like-for-like settlement in 14 major currencies directly into its multi-currency wallet. With Stripe, you need to set up a separate bank account for each currency for like-for-like settlement. To learn more, read our guide on what is like-for-like settlement.

Sources:

1. https://stripe.com/en-sg/pricing

2. https://stripe.com/en-sg/payments/payment-methods

3. https://support.stripe.com/questions/add-a-bank-account-for-payouts

4. https://stripe.com/en-sg/legal/singapore-disclosures