Comparison · Updated September 15, 2026
Airwallex vs Revolut Business
Airwallex
B
A global business account and payment platform with published rates, no lock-in contract and unusually cheap FX. Strong for cross-border sellers; weaker as a plain domestic card processor, and not an option for high-risk merchants.
Revolut Business
B
Revolut Business is the merchant-acceptance arm of Revolut, the London fintech founded in 2015 by Nik Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenko. It is unusual in this directory for a simple reason: it publishes a complete rate card. A merchant can read, before speaking to anyone, that in-person domestic consumer Visa and Mastercard transactions cost 0.8% + £0.02, that the same cards online cost 1% + £0.20, that commercial and international cards cost 2.6% + £0.02 in person and 2.8% + £0.20 online, that a Revolut Terminal is £169 + VAT and a Lite Terminal £129 + VAT, and that a chargeback dispute resolved in the merchant's favour returns £15. Acceptance is a sub-account of a Revolut Business account rather than a separate merchant account with a separate provider, so settlement lands in the same balance the business already banks from, in as little as 24 hours. The important limit is geographic: Revolut has offered acquiring across the UK and continental Europe since 2020–21 — its own January 2021 announcement put the count at 29 European countries, a figure it has not refreshed since — and launched a full merchant-acquiring suite in Australia during 2026. It publishes no United States card-acceptance rates. In March 2026 Revolut exited the Bank of England's mobilisation phase and received a full UK banking licence, roughly twenty months after being granted one with restrictions in July 2024.
VS
Overview
Airwallex and Revolut Business both sell a multi-currency business account with card acceptance bolted on, both publish their rate cards, and both earn a B on Payment Review. Compared on their UK rate cards — the only basis on which both publish acceptance pricing — Revolut is cheaper on the domestic consumer cards most UK shops and websites actually take, settles next day including weekends, and has real terminals and 24/7 chat. Airwallex charges more on those cards but less on commercial and EEA cards, converts currency at 0.5% with no allowance to run out, and can accept card payments in the United States, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore as well as the UK and Europe, which Revolut cannot. Revolut is the better fit for a UK or European business selling mostly to local consumers; Airwallex for one operating across several countries or one that is not in Revolut's acquiring footprint at all.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Revolut charges 1% + £0.20 on domestic consumer Visa and Mastercard online and 0.8% + £0.02 in person; Airwallex's UK card rate is 1.30% + £0.20 online, with in-person rates unpublished.
- ✓Airwallex is cheaper on EEA cards (2.40% + £0.20 vs 2.8% + £0.20) and does not charge a higher rate for domestic commercial cards, where Revolut jumps to 2.8% + £0.20.
- ✓Revolut settles card takings the next day including weekends into the business balance; Airwallex settles UK card payments three business days after capture into its wallet.
- ✓Airwallex can accept card payments for merchants in the US, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore as well as the UK and EEA; Revolut publishes acquiring for the UK, Europe and Australia only, with no US rates.
- ✓Revolut offers 24/7 in-app chat on every plan and sells two terminals; Airwallex's support on its entry plans is help-centre and email, and its UK card terminal is in beta.
Airwallex
Airwallex is for businesses that sell across several countries, take a lot of commercial or EEA cards, want a flat 0.5% FX rate with no monthly allowance, or are based somewhere Revolut does not offer acquiring, including the United States.
Revolut Business
Revolut Business is for UK and European businesses selling mostly to domestic consumers that want the lowest published rate on those cards, next-day settlement into the account they already run the business from, terminals, and 24/7 chat support.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
Both are graded B and the tables split cleanly by who you sell to and where you are. Revolut Business wins for a UK or European business taking mostly domestic consumer cards: its 1% + £0.20 online and 0.8% + £0.02 in-person rates are lower, settlement is next day including weekends, it sells terminals, refunds are free and support is 24/7. Airwallex wins once the business is international: it accepts cards for merchants in the US, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore where Revolut publishes nothing, charges less on EEA and commercial cards, and converts wallet balances at a flat 0.5% with no allowance to exhaust — although Revolut is the cheaper place to hold and convert card takings themselves. A UK B2B seller whose customers pay with company cards should also lean Airwallex, because Revolut's 2.8% commercial-card rate erases its headline advantage.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Card acceptance rates (UK rate cards)
| Feature | Airwallex | Revolut Business |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic consumer Visa/Mastercard, online | 1.30% + £0.20 | 1% + £0.20 Winner |
| Both figures are the published UK online rates as of September 2026. Airwallex's UK page prices UK-issued Visa and Mastercard at one rate; Revolut splits consumer from commercial cards. | ||
| Domestic commercial cards, online | 1.30% + £0.20 (no commercial uplift published) Winner | 2.8% + £0.20 |
| Revolut moves domestic commercial cards to its top band. Airwallex's UK pricing page does not distinguish consumer from commercial UK cards; confirm at onboarding if your customers pay with business cards. | ||
| EEA cards, online | 2.40% + £0.20 Winner | 2.8% + £0.20 |
| Revolut treats every non-UK card as international at 2.8% + £0.20; Airwallex has a separate, lower EEA band. | ||
| Other international cards, online | 3.15% + £0.20 | 2.8% + £0.20 Winner |
| American Express (domestic consumer), online | 2.40% + £0.20 | 1.7% + £0.20 Winner |
| In-person domestic consumer Visa/Mastercard | Not disclosed | 0.8% + £0.02 Winner |
| Airwallex offers Tap to Pay on Android (SoftPOS) in the UK and EU and lists its M90 terminal as beta there, but publishes no in-person rate on its UK pricing page. Revolut's in-person rate rises to 2.6% + £0.02 for commercial and international cards, and Tap to Pay on iPhone adds £0.08 per transaction. | ||
Domestic consumer Visa/Mastercard, online
Airwallex
1.30% + £0.20
Revolut Business
1% + £0.20
Winner
Both figures are the published UK online rates as of September 2026. Airwallex's UK page prices UK-issued Visa and Mastercard at one rate; Revolut splits consumer from commercial cards.
Domestic commercial cards, online
Airwallex
1.30% + £0.20 (no commercial uplift published)
Winner
Revolut Business
2.8% + £0.20
Revolut moves domestic commercial cards to its top band. Airwallex's UK pricing page does not distinguish consumer from commercial UK cards; confirm at onboarding if your customers pay with business cards.
EEA cards, online
Airwallex
2.40% + £0.20
Winner
Revolut Business
2.8% + £0.20
Revolut treats every non-UK card as international at 2.8% + £0.20; Airwallex has a separate, lower EEA band.
Other international cards, online
Airwallex
3.15% + £0.20
Revolut Business
2.8% + £0.20
Winner
American Express (domestic consumer), online
Airwallex
2.40% + £0.20
Revolut Business
1.7% + £0.20
Winner
In-person domestic consumer Visa/Mastercard
Airwallex
Not disclosed
Revolut Business
0.8% + £0.02
Winner
Airwallex offers Tap to Pay on Android (SoftPOS) in the UK and EU and lists its M90 terminal as beta there, but publishes no in-person rate on its UK pricing page. Revolut's in-person rate rises to 2.6% + £0.02 for commercial and international cards, and Tap to Pay on iPhone adds £0.08 per transaction.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
UK shop or café taking cards in person
Recommended
Revolut Business
Revolut publishes 0.8% + £0.02 on domestic consumer cards, sells a £129 or £169 terminal and settles next day including weekends; Airwallex's UK terminal is in beta and its in-person rate is not published.
UK online retailer selling mainly to UK consumers
Recommended
Revolut Business
1% + £0.20 beats Airwallex's 1.30% + £0.20 on the cards that make up most of the volume, and refunds and chargebacks won are free or credited.
US-based business wanting one provider for cards and multi-currency banking
Recommended
Airwallex
Revolut publishes no US card-acceptance rates. Airwallex's US entity accepts cards and settles one business day after capture.
B2B seller whose customers pay with commercial cards
Recommended
Airwallex
Revolut charges 2.8% + £0.20 online on domestic commercial cards; Airwallex's UK card rate has no published commercial uplift, so confirm it at onboarding and expect it to be materially cheaper.
Cross-border e-commerce brand selling into Europe and beyond
Recommended
Airwallex
Airwallex prices EEA cards at 2.40% + £0.20 against Revolut's 2.8%, settles like-for-like in 20-plus currencies, and converts at 0.5% regardless of volume — although Revolut is cheaper on cards from outside Europe.
SaaS business billing subscriptions
Recommended
Revolut Business
Both include subscription tooling, but Airwallex adds 0.50% per successful card transaction for it while Revolut charges its standard rate. A US or Asia-Pacific SaaS business will still need Airwallex for geography.
Airwallex: Best for 3 use cases
Revolut Business: Best for 3 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
On their UK rate cards, Revolut is cheaper on domestic consumer Visa and Mastercard (1% + £0.20 online and 0.8% + £0.02 in person, against Airwallex's 1.30% + £0.20 online) and on American Express and non-European cards. Airwallex is cheaper on EEA cards and, because it publishes no commercial-card uplift, on domestic business cards, where Revolut charges 2.8% + £0.20.
Revolut publishes card-acceptance rates for the UK and Europe and launched merchant acquiring in Australia in 2026, but publishes no United States rates. Airwallex's US entity accepts cards at published US pricing and settles one business day after capture, so a US business should start there.
It depends on volume and timing, and on whether the money is card takings or an account balance. Revolut converts at the interbank rate inside a monthly allowance — £1,000 on Basic, £15,000 on Grow, £60,000 on Scale — then charges 0.6%, plus 1% outside market hours. Airwallex charges a flat 0.5% above interbank on major currencies and 1% on others with no allowance. Small conversions inside a Revolut allowance are free; large conversions are cheaper at Airwallex. Card takings are different: Airwallex's UK fee schedule charges 1.00% to settle a non-GBP card payment like-for-like and 2.00% to convert it at settlement, whereas Revolut adds nothing until you choose to exchange.
Revolut settles into the business balance the next day, including weekends, subject to its payment processing terms for newer or higher-risk merchants. Airwallex settles UK-entity card payments three business days after capture into its multi-currency wallet, and a rolling reserve can extend that.
Revolut received a full UK banking licence in March 2026 after exiting the Bank of England's mobilisation phase, and its EEA entity is a Lithuanian bank that was fined €3.5 million in April 2025 for anti-money-laundering monitoring failures. Airwallex (UK) Limited is an electronic money institution authorised by the FCA, not a bank. Neither is a substitute for deposit insurance on the whole balance, so check the protection that applies to your entity and country.
No. Neither has a fixed acquiring term or an early-termination fee. Revolut's only commitment is the plan subscription, where an annual plan cancelled early forfeits its discount. Airwallex may hold a rolling reserve on settlements depending on underwriting, which is worth confirming before you move your payment flow.
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