Airwallex: The All-in-One Financial Platform for Cross-border Sellers
One account for multi-currency receiving, virtual credit cards, cross-border remittance, and DTC store payment gateway. Licensed in multiple jurisdictions, Airwallex is the versatile financial hub for Asia-Pacific e-commerce sellers.
Why Choose Airwallex?
- Global Multi-Currency Account: Hold USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, JPY, HKD, SGD and 11+ currencies in a single account โ no need to open separate accounts per currency. Convert between currencies at the mid-market rate anytime.
- Payment Gateway for Your Store: Airwallex offers a proprietary payment gateway supporting Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Asia-Pacific local payment methods (Alipay, WeChat Pay, GrabPay). Rates start at 1.5% โ lower than Stripe's 2.9%.
- Virtual Credit Cards: Generate multiple Visa virtual cards for free. Use them to run Facebook Ads, Google Ads, TikTok Ads, or subscribe to overseas SaaS tools (ChatGPT Plus, Shopify monthly fees) โ perfect for cards that get declined by mainstream processors.
- Licensed & Regulated: Holds financial licenses in the US, UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and more. Funds are held in segregated accounts โ far safer than unlicensed payment tools.
- Supports Chinese Mainland Entities: Unlike Stripe, Airwallex allows Chinese mainland companies to open accounts and use core receiving and remittance features without registering an overseas entity.
Airwallex vs Stripe: DTC Store Processing Cost
Assume your store processes $10,000/month (200 orders, $50 AOV).
Using Stripe: Rate 2.9% + $0.30/transaction. Monthly fee = 2.9% ร $10,000 + $0.30 ร 200 = $350.
Using Airwallex: Rate from 1.5% (Asia-Pacific routes). Monthly fee โ 1.5% ร $10,000 = $150.
Save $200/month, $2,400/year. For low-AOV, high-volume stores, Airwallex's fee advantage is especially compelling.
Airwallex Account Setup Guide
Choose Your Entity Type
Based on your business structure
Overseas Entity (US LLC / Hong Kong Ltd): Unlock more features (virtual cards, payment gateway) with faster approval. Recommended path: register a US Wyoming LLC first, then open the Airwallex account.
Submit KYC Documents & Activate
Approval typically takes 1-3 business days
Important: The website you submit must be live and match your business. For DTC stores, ensure it has complete product pages, contact info, and a return policy. The review team will manually visit your site to verify your business.
Configure Payment Channels
Based on your business scenario
DTC Store Gateway: Integrate Airwallex Payment Gateway โ Shopify via payment provider integration; WooCommerce via the Airwallex plugin; custom builds via API or Hosted Checkout.
Virtual Cards: After account approval, apply for virtual Visa cards in the "Cards" menu โ use them for ad spend and SaaS subscriptions.
๐จ Airwallex Usage Tips
โ ๏ธ Gateway Requires Separate Approval
Base accounts only support receiving and remittance. To use Airwallex as your store's payment gateway, you must separately apply for Payment Gateway permission โ stricter review requiring historical transaction data and a business description.
โ Virtual Card Risk Control
When using virtual cards for ad spend, avoid sudden large charges or frequent changes to the linked ad account โ this can trigger risk control freezes. Start small and scale gradually.
โ Leverage Multi-Currency Conversion
Airwallex's currency conversion fee is only 0.5%-0.6%, far lower than traditional banks' 2%-3%. Don't rush to withdraw after receiving foreign currency โ convert strategically within the account for better rates.
Ready to Open an Airwallex Account?
Best combo for DTC stores: Airwallex for Asia-Pacific + Stripe for Western markets + Wise for low-cost profit repatriation