Comparison · 2026 edition
Airwallex vs Stripe: payment processing compared 2026.
Airwallex and Stripe side by side in the Payment Processing and Acquiring Index 2026: scores, evidence, published facts and awards.
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Airwallex and Stripe side by side in the Payment Processing and Acquiring Index 2026: scores, evidence, published facts and awards.
In the Payment Processing and Acquiring Index, Stripe scores higher overall: 4.2 out of 5 (84 out of 100) against 3.5 (71), ranking 1 and 5 of 10. Stripe also scores higher in every segment.
Overall and segment scores out of 100, and the score out of 5.
| Score | Airwallex | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Score out of 5 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
| Score out of 100 | 71 | 84 |
| Overall rank | 5 of 10 | 1 of 10 |
| For small and mid-sized merchants (out of 100) | 66, rank 6 | 82, rank 2 |
| For enterprise and cross-border merchants (out of 100) | 74, rank 4 | 85, rank 1 |
| For platforms and regulated firms (out of 100) | 74, rank 4 | 84, rank 1 |
| Type | Payments and business account platform | Online payments platform and acquirer |
Each score with the evidence behind it.
| Criterion | Airwallex | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Published pricing | 5/5 Exact rates for UK, EEA, international, Amex and UnionPay cards and local methods published. | 5/5 Exact rates for domestic, premium, EEA and international cards plus conversion and dispute fees published. |
| Payment methods | 4/5 160+ local payment methods and settlement in 20+ currencies published. | 4/5 125+ payment methods published; no currency count on the pages read. |
| Merchant reach | 4/5 Regional sites in 18 markets including Europe, with acquiring licences named. | 5/5 51 countries and regions published. |
| Payout speed | 0/5 Not published for card sales on the pages read. | 3/5 Daily payout schedule published, with T+3 settlement in some countries and a 7 to 14 day first payout. |
| Integration | 4/5 APIs, SDKs, plugins, payment links and a self-serve trial; no test environment confirmed on the pages read. | 4/5 API, SDKs, no-code links and self-serve sign-up; no test environment confirmed on the pages read. |
| Regulatory standing | 4/5 Licences with numbers in more than five regions; PCI DSS stated without its level. | 4/5 UK licence number, US state licence list and PCI DSS Level 1 published; other regions' numbers not on the pages read. |
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Payment Processing and Acquiring Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
What each provider publishes on its own pages, read on 26 October 2026.
| Fact | Airwallex | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | "1.30% + £0.20 for UK cards", "2.40% + £0.20 for EEA cards", international cards "3.15% + £0.20", Amex 2.40% + £0.20, UnionPay 3.15% + £0.20; local payment methods "£0.20 plus payment method fees"; subscription management 0.50% per successful transaction. | UK standard: "1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards", "2.8% + 20p for premium UK cards", "2.5% + 20p for European Economic Area cards", "3.15% + 20p for international cards", "+ 2% if currency conversion is required". Bank debits 1%, minimum 20p, £4.00 cap. Dispute received fee £20.00. "No setup fees, monthly fees, or hidden fees." |
| Payment methods | Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay and Google Pay; "WeChat Pay, GrabPay and 160+ other methods"; "Like-for-like settlement in 20+ currencies". | "Increase customer acquisition with 100+ payment methods"; product menu: "Access to 125+" payment methods. No currency count on the pages read. |
| Merchant reach | Regional sites for 18 markets including Europe, the UK, the US, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and Malaysia; registered as a merchant acquirer in Malaysia and authorised for acquiring in Brazil (licence page). | Global page lists 51 countries and regions where Stripe is supported, including India and Indonesia in preview and five countries on an extended network. |
| Payout speed | Not published for card sales on the pages read. | Docs: first payout "typically" within 7 to 14 days; with T+3 standard settlement (three business days after payment), a daily automatic schedule pays funds "captured 3 business days earlier"; schedule chosen in the Dashboard. |
| Integration | "Custom website checkout via components, APIs, and SDKs", eCommerce plugin integrations, no-code payment links, free one-month trial. | API reference, libraries and SDKs, prebuilt checkout and Payment Links; "Create an account and start accepting payments", "no contracts or banking details required". |
| Regulatory standing | FCA EMI licence number 900876; Bank of Lithuania EMI licence no. 88; MAS Major Payment Institution PS20200541; ASIC AFSL 487221; HKMA SVF0009; US money transmitter licences. "Airwallex meets the highest international security standards including PCI DSS, SOC1, and SOC2" (level not stated). | "Stripe Payments UK, Limited, an electronic money institution authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (firm reference number: 900461)". US money transmitter licences listed by state and regulator. "certified us to PCI Service Provider Level 1". |
| Date read | 26 October 2026 | 26 October 2026 |
Not published or not stated by Airwallex: payout speed and regulatory standing.
Not published or not stated by Stripe: regulatory standing.
Facts read on 26 October 2026 from: airwallex.com/uk/pricing, airwallex.com/uk/business-account, help.airwallex.com/hc/en-gb/articles/…; and stripe.com/gb/pricing, stripe.com/global, docs.stripe.com/payouts, docs.stripe.com/security, stripe.com/gb/spc/licenses.
Awards follow from the published scores and cannot be bought.
From each provider's strongest criteria and published terms.
Businesses wanting card acceptance with settlement into a multi-currency account.
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