Airwallex card review: Features, costs and alternatives
Last updated: 31 March 2025
Discover the key features, costs and benefits of the Airwallex business card, plus a comparison with the World Card.
Key takeaways
- Airwallex cards support 140 currencies
- You get a limited number of free cards with every account; additional employee cards cost AUD 15 per user per month
- Airwallex accounts include monthly fees starting at AUD 29
- Alternatives like the World Card provide zero issuance or annual fees, free team cards and cashback on eligible transactions
Apart from its multi-currency account, Airwallex also offers a multi-currency card for global businesses. Powered by Visa, the business cards are available in physical and digital versions.
In this detailed review, we look at the main features and fees of the Airwallex business card. We also compare it with the World Card to see how they stack up against each other.
Table of Contents
What is the Airwallex card?
The Airwallex Borderless Card allows you to make transactions in multiple currencies. Since it’s powered by Visa, you can use it anywhere Visa is accepted – online or in-store [1].
In addition to the 10 directly supported currencies, you can make payments in any supported currency in the Visa network [2].
The number of cards available per account will depend on the pricing plan you choose.
The Airwallex card is linked to the Airwallex multi-currency account. Only Airwallex account holders can apply for a card.
→ Take a look at our in-depth Airwallex business account review to learn about the features of the foreign currency account.
Pros and cons of the Airwallex borderless card
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Supports 140 currencies [4] - No foreign exchange fee when you pay directly from your Airwallex multi-currency account (as long as you have sufficient balance) - Get employee cards and track spending for easy reconciliation |
- The Airwallex account attached to the card costs AUD 29 —— AUD 449 per month [3] - The number of free cards is limited by your monthly pricing plan - Expense management for cards is only available for higher pricing plans that start at AUD 99 per month [3] |
Airwallex business card fees: An overview
| Fees | Airwallex [3] |
|---|---|
| Card issuance fee | Zero |
| Annual fee | Free for the number of cards included in your pricing plan. Additional cards are charged at AUD 15 per user per month |
| Fee for card transactions | 0.5% for USD, HKD, CNY, AUD, EUR, GBP, CAD, SGD, CHF, NZD, JPY, 1% for all other currencies - No charges if you have an existing balance in the purchase currency [5] - In case of insufficient funds, the base currency funds are used to make the transaction and a currency conversion fee is charged [5] Foreign transfer fees and currency conversion fees apply |
| Monthly account fees for multi-currency account linked to the card | Multiple pricing tiers are available: - AUD 29 per month (Zero if you deposit at least AUD 5k per month or hold a minimum balance of AUD 10k) - AUD 99 per month - AUD 449 per month |
*Fees checked in January 2024
- Open 15+ local currency accounts and get paid like a local
- Pay suppliers, partners and staff worldwide in 100+ currencies
- Collect payments for free from 130+ marketplaces and payment gateways, including Amazon, Etsy, PayPal and Shopify
- Take control of spending with the World Card, a business expense card that saves you more with 1% cashback. Learn more
- Save with competitive exchange rates on currency conversions and transfers
- Lock in exchange rates for up to 24 months for cash flow certainty
Airwallex business card: Main features
Spending with the card
How much it costs to pay using the Airwallex card depends on which currency you’re transacting in and how much existing balance you have in your wallet.
Here’s how it works:
Paying in the 10 supported currencies: No charges if you already have funds in the purchase currency. But if there are insufficient funds in the purchase currency, then Airwallex will use (if available) the base currency’s funds to cover the entire purchase cost. The prevailing FX rate will be applied plus an auto-conversion fee [5].Paying in other currencies: A foreign transfer fee and currency conversion fee are charged
Getting cards for your team
Airwallex offers two types of multi-currency cards: company and employee cards [6].
Company cards can be used on behalf of the whole company, departments, or teams. The card details are visible to all card admins, and the card is issued in the company’s name. You can only get virtual company cards.
Employee cards can be issued to employees and the cards can be used for individual purchases like travel expenses or meals. You can get a virtual or physical employee card. While the admins can manage limits and cancel or freeze employee cards, the card details are not visible to them.
The number of free company and employee cards you can get will depend on the monthly pricing plan you choose for your Airwallex account. For additional cards, the cost is AUD 15 per user per month.
Security
Airwallex offers 3D Secure (3DS) authentication for an added layer of security [7].
Cashback offers
Airwallex doesn’t offer cashback to Australian or NZ users.
Alternative to Airwallex card: The World Card
The World Card is an international debit card that lets you pay in 150+ currencies wherever Mastercard is accepted.
The World Card is linked to your World Account, a multi-currency account that lets you pay, get paid, hold, and convert funds in over 20 currencies. World Account users can apply for a World Card for free. You can get up to 20 cards for your team.
When you use the World Card to make payments in the 15+ supported currencies, there are zero foreign exchange fees (as long as you have sufficient balances in your account in the supported currenices).
You can also set custom spending limits for every card you get and earn cashback on every transaction.
Take a look at the World Card vs Airwallex card fee comparison to choose the best multi-currency corporate card for your business.
| Fees | WorldFirst | Airwallex [3] |
|---|---|---|
| Card issuance fee | Zero | Zero |
| Annual fee | Zero | Free for the number of cards included in your pricing plan Additional cards are charged at AUD 15 per user per month |
| Fee for card transactions | For supported currencies - If you have available funds in the same currency: Zero - If you don't have sufficient funds in the same currency: Funds are debited from your default currency and converted to the payment currency at the WorldFirst foreign exchange rate For unsupported currencies Mastercard exchange rate + WorldFirst margin of up to 1.5% (For Mastercard’s exchange rates, refer to their currency conversion calculator) |
0.5% for USD, HKD, CNY, AUD, EUR, GBP, CAD, SGD, CHF, NZD, JPY, 1% for all other currencies - No charges if you have an existing balance in the purchase currency [5] - In case of insufficient funds, the base currency funds are used to make the transaction and a currency conversion fee is charged [5] Foreign transfer fees and currency conversion fees apply |
| Monthly account fees for the multi-currency account linked to the card | Zero (20+ currencies) | Multiple pricing tiers are available: - AUD 29 per month (Zero if you deposit at least AUD 5k per month or hold a minimum balance of AUD 10k) - AUD 99 per month - AUD 449 per month |
Sources:
- https://www.airwallex.com/au/business-account/cards
- https://help.airwallex.com/hc/en-gb/articles/900001755826-What-currencies-are-supported-by-the-Airwallex-Borderless-Card
- https://www.airwallex.com/au/pricing
- https://www.airwallex.com/us/core-api/issuing
- https://help.airwallex.com/hc/en-gb/articles/900003301566-What-is-the-automatic-conversions-for-cards
- https://help.airwallex.com/hc/en-gb/articles/4970990380943-How-do-I-choose-between-a-Company-Card-or-Employee-Card
- https://www.airwallex.com/docs/payments__native-api__3d-secure-authentication
Disclaimer: The information contained is general only and largely our views. Before acting on the information you should consider whether it is appropriate for you, in light of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Although information has been obtained from and is based upon multiple sources the author believes to be reliable, we do not guarantee its accuracy and it may be incomplete or condensed. All opinions, estimates, mentioned products/services and referenced material constitute the author’s own judgement as of the date of the briefing and are subject to change without notice. WorldFirst shall not be responsible for any losses or damages arising from your reliance of such information.
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