Stripe vs Airwallex: Compare Fees, Features and More (2026)

Key Takeaways:

• Stripe is built around payment processing and developer tools. Airwallex goes further, combining payment acceptance with multi-currency accounts, corporate cards, expense management, and international transfers on one platform.

• When comparing the two, focus on transaction fees, local payment method coverage, multi-currency settlement options, and the broader financial tools each platform offers.

• Airwallex charges lower transaction fees than Stripe on both domestic and international card payments, supports 160+ local payment methods across 180+ countries and lets you settle in 20+ currencies.

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

Both are credible options. Stripe is one of the most widely used payment platforms in the world, known for its developer tools. Airwallex is a financial platform built for businesses that operate across borders, combining payment acceptance with multi-currency accounts, transfers, corporate cards, and expense management.

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 best 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.

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. But it goes beyond payment processing, giving you a multi-currency wallet, international transfers, corporate cards, expense management, and bill pay, all in one place.

Getting started is straightforward. Airwallex offers no-code options like Payment Links and a pre-built checkout, through to fully customisable API integrations for developers and larger engineering teams.

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 — Visa, Mastercard, American Express — 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 across 180+ countries

• Stripe only supports 100+ local payment methods

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 20+ major currencies directly into your Airwallex multi-currency wallet — no currency conversion required, and 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 local bank account for each currency you want to settle in. So to receive EUR payments in EUR, you need a EUR bank account. To receive GBP in GBP, you need a GBP bank account. That adds a lot of complexity and admin work.

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.

Compare Stripe and Airwallex fees

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

The information in this table has been reviewed to be accurate as of 26 March 2026. Stripe's international card fee is a surcharge applied on top of the standard domestic rate. Source: stripe.com/en-sg/pricing

Like Stripe, Airwallex charges a per-transaction fee for successful card payments, and fees vary depending on the payment method. For international transactions, Airwallex's combined rate of 3.6% + S$0.50 is lower than Stripe's effective rate of 3.9% + S$0.50 for international cards.

Where Airwallex can generate more meaningful savings is on FX. With Airwallex, you can avoid conversion fees by settling funds in the same currency you receive them, across 20+ major currencies. With Stripe, avoiding that conversion fee requires setting up a separate foreign currency bank account for each currency, which adds operational complexity.

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.

Where Airwallex differs from Stripe is scope. Its API isn't just a payments API: it gives developers programmatic access to multi-currency accounts, international transfers, card issuance, and expense management. For businesses building financial products or managing complex global operations, that broader API surface can be a significant advantage.

Security and compliance

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

Stripe

Stripe is PCI DSS compliant and uses 3D Secure authentication, tokenisation, and machine learning-based fraud detection via Stripe Radar. It holds regulatory licences across its operating markets, including an e-money institution licence under the Central Bank of Ireland for European operations and an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL).

In Singapore, Stripe operates under the relevant provisions of the Payment Services Act and is regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

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.

For Singapore businesses, both platforms are regulated and trustworthy. The practical difference is that Airwallex's Major Payment Institution licence covers a broader scope of payment services — including account issuance, domestic and cross-border transfers — which aligns with its wider product offering.

Settlement times

Settlement timing affects your cash flow, so it's worth understanding how each platform handles payouts.

Stripe

Stripe processes payouts on a rolling basis. For Singapore-based businesses, the standard payout schedule is typically T+3, meaning funds reach your bank account around three business days after the transaction date.

Stripe also offers instant payouts for eligible accounts, at a fee of 1% of the payout volume (minimum S$0.50), available any time including weekends and public holidays.²

Airwallex

Airwallex processes settlements periodically, with timing that varies depending on the payment method and card scheme rules. Funds settle into your Airwallex multi-currency wallet, where you can hold them, convert them, or transfer them out when needed.

We use local payment rails across 120+ countries for sending funds, which translates into faster settlement with no SWIFT fees. In fact, 93% of our transactions arrive on the same day, and 45% arrive immediately. Unlike Stripe, we do not charge extra fees for instant payouts.

Customer support

Stripe

Stripe offers 24/7 phone, chat, and email support on its standard plan, along with an extensive help centre and developer support via Discord. For businesses that need dedicated account management, Stripe offers managed support plans, but these come at an additional cost and are priced separately from the standard transaction fees.

Airwallex

Airwallex provides support via its Help Centre and email on all plans, with a dedicated account manager and onboarding support available on the Accelerate plan. As a MAS-licensed Major Payment Institution in Singapore, Airwallex operates a local entity, which can be helpful for businesses navigating Singapore-specific regulatory and payment requirements.

Subscription and billing

Both platforms support recurring billing, but with different strengths.

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. For SaaS businesses or any company with complex recurring revenue needs, Stripe Billing is a solid tool.

Airwallex

Airwallex also offers subscription management, covering the full customer lifecycle from signup to cancellation, including trials, invoicing, and automated recurring billing. It supports a range of business models including SaaS, services, education, and media.

Where Airwallex has a practical edge for international businesses is in how recurring revenue is handled across currencies. Because Airwallex settles into a multi-currency wallet, subscription revenue collected in foreign currencies can be held, converted, or transferred without forced conversions — reducing FX drag on recurring income streams over time.

Why Singapore businesses choose Airwallex

For Singapore businesses that operate across borders, Airwallex covers more ground than Stripe. Here's what that looks like in practice:

• You pay lower transaction fees on both domestic and international card payments — 3.3% + S$0.50 domestically, versus Stripe's 3.4% + S$0.50.

• You get access to 160+ local payment methods across 180+ countries.

• You can settle in 20+ currencies directly into your Airwallex multi-currency wallet, with no need to open separate foreign currency bank accounts for each currency.

• You can hold multi-currency balances and convert only when needed, reducing unnecessary FX costs.

• Beyond payments, you get global transfers, multi-currency corporate cards, expense management, and bill pay — all on one platform, without stitching together multiple providers.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Does Airwallex support PayNow in Singapore?

PayNow is available on both Stripe and Airwallex in Singapore. Stripe charges 1.3% per successful PayNow transfer. Check Airwallex's payment methods documentation for the latest PayNow pricing and availability.

How do Stripe and Airwallex handle multi-currency settlement?

With Airwallex, you can settle payments in 20+ major currencies directly into your multi-currency wallet — 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.

How long does settlement take on each platform?

Stripe's standard payout schedule for Singapore businesses is typically T+3. Instant payouts are available at an additional fee of 1% of payout volume. Airwallex settles funds into your multi-currency wallet, with 93% of transactions settling within one day via local payment rails across 120+ countries.

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. For businesses with international subscribers, Airwallex's multi-currency wallet means recurring revenue in foreign currencies can be held and converted without forced FX conversions.

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 20+ major currencies directly into its multi-currency wallet. With Stripe, like-for-like settlement is more troublesome, as you need to set up a separate bank account for each currency.

Is Airwallex or Stripe better for international businesses?

Both platforms support international payments, but they approach it differently. Stripe is strong on payment processing and developer integrations. Airwallex is built around cross-border financial operations — combining payment acceptance with multi-currency accounts, FX management, international transfers, and spend management. For Singapore businesses with significant international activity, Airwallex covers more of the financial stack in one place.

Sources:

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

2. https://docs.stripe.com/payouts/multicurrency-settlement?account-country=SG

This publication does not constitute legal, tax, or professional advice from Airwallex, nor does it substitute seeking such advice, and makes no express or implied representations / warranties / guarantees regarding content accuracy, completeness, or currency. If you would like to request an update, feel free to contact us at [[email protected]]. Airwallex (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (201626561Z) is licensed as a Major Payment Institution and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.