PayPal vs Airwallex
Choose PayPal if you want customers to pay with PayPal or Venmo, or you need in-person sales alongside online checkout; choose Airwallex if you need online payments alongside multi-currency accounts, international transfers, and spend management. Both offer checkout, payment links, invoicing, and recurring billing, but Airwallex combines those tools with a broader set of financial operations features.
Last updated October 31, 2026.
At a glance
| Dimension | PayPal | Airwallex |
|---|---|---|
| Business tools | Online payments, invoicing, subscriptions, and point of sale | Online payments, multi-currency accounts, transfers, and spend management |
| Plans and account price | Free business account; no checkout setup or monthly fee | Explore free; Grow $12 per user/month plus platform fee; Accelerate custom |
| Domestic online card fees | 2.99% + $0.49 with PayPal Checkout; 2.89% + $0.29 with Expanded Checkout | 2.80% + $0.30 |
| Customer payment methods | PayPal, Venmo, cards, Pay Later, Apple Pay, and Google Pay | Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and 160+ local payment methods |
| Currencies and settlement | Payments from 200+ markets; support for 130+ currencies | Collect and hold 20+ currencies; like-for-like settlement in 20+ |
| Transfers | Standard or instant withdrawals to eligible linked bank accounts | Local transfers to 120+ countries; SWIFT transfers to 200+ |
| Cards and expenses | Business Debit Mastercard, subject to eligibility | Multi-currency corporate cards, expenses, reimbursements, and bill pay |
| Checkout setup | Hosted or embedded checkout; links, REST APIs, and JavaScript SDK | Hosted or embedded checkout; links, APIs, and mobile SDK |
| Recurring billing | Subscriptions built into checkout; $0 monthly and setup fees | Subscription and usage-based billing; 0.50% per successful transaction |
| Integrations | Ecommerce platform integrations and developer APIs | Ecommerce plugins; Xero and QuickBooks on Explore |
| Support | Help center, messaging, and available chat or phone support | Help center and email; dedicated account manager on Accelerate |
| In-person payments | Point of Sale app and card-reader options | Not published |
Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.
Which should you choose?
Choose PayPal if
- Businesses that want PayPal and Venmo at checkout
- Sellers accepting both online and in-person payments
- Teams seeking a PayPal-hosted checkout or payment links
Choose Airwallex if
- Businesses collecting and holding funds in multiple currencies
- Teams making frequent international transfers
- Companies managing employee cards, expenses, and bills
- Online sellers seeking local payment methods and like-for-like settlement
The verdict
PayPal is the better fit when familiar customer payment options or point-of-sale payments are the deciding factor. Airwallex is the better fit when collecting, holding, and moving funds across currencies—and managing company cards and expenses—matter as much as checkout. Compare the fees for your expected payment methods and markets before choosing.
PayPal vs Airwallex: common questions
- Should I choose PayPal or Airwallex for an online store?
- Choose PayPal if offering PayPal and Venmo is important to your customers. Choose Airwallex if online checkout needs to sit alongside multi-currency accounts, international transfers, and company spend tools. Both publish ecommerce integration options.
- Which has lower domestic online card processing fees?
- Airwallex lists 2.80% + $0.30 for domestic cards. PayPal lists 2.99% + $0.49 with PayPal Checkout or 2.89% + $0.29 with Expanded Checkout. Other payment methods, international cards, and additional services have different fees.
- Can I accept PayPal and Venmo with Airwallex?
- PayPal explicitly offers PayPal and Venmo as checkout options. Airwallex publishes cards, digital wallets, and local payment methods; check its payment-method availability for your business location and checkout integration before relying on a particular method.
- Which is better for holding and moving money internationally?
- Airwallex publishes accounts for collecting and holding funds in 20+ currencies, local transfers to 120+ countries, and SWIFT transfers to 200+. PayPal supports international payment acceptance and withdrawals, but its published checkout offering serves a different need.
- Do PayPal and Airwallex charge a monthly fee?
- PayPal says its business account and checkout have no monthly or setup fee. Airwallex offers a free Explore plan, a Grow plan at $12 per user per month plus a platform fee, and custom-priced Accelerate. Transaction fees and other charges can still apply to either service.
- Can both handle invoices and subscriptions?
- Yes. PayPal publishes invoicing and recurring payments built into its checkout products. Airwallex publishes invoicing, subscription management, and usage-based billing; it lists a 0.50% fee per successful subscription or usage-based billing transaction.
- Which supports in-person selling?
- PayPal publishes a Point of Sale app and card-reader options for in-person payments. Airwallex does not publish a comparable point-of-sale offering on its US pricing page.
- Do either of these offer company spending tools?
- Airwallex publishes multi-currency corporate cards, expense management, reimbursements, and bill pay. PayPal offers an eligible Business Debit Mastercard, but its published checkout features do not describe the same combined expense-management offering.