Airwallex Corporate Cards

Overview

Cards can be used across more than 60 markets, with spending drawn from held currency balances. If the required currency is not held, Airwallex says it converts funds from the primary balance. The company also says cards have no international transaction fees, a practical advantage for teams making purchases across borders.

Company cards are virtual only; employee cards can be virtual or physical. Virtual cards support spending limits and merchant-category blocks, while single-use cards can expire after one transaction. These controls help constrain employee and one-off purchasing, but teams requiring physical company cards should look elsewhere.

Airwallex describes real-time transaction visibility and receipt capture and matching through its expense tools. The pricing page also includes a mobile app for submitting and approving expenses. Its Trust Center lists PCI DSS, SOC 1, SOC 2, GDPR and ISO/IEC 27001 among its compliance credentials.

Key features

• Multi-currency cards: Spend from held currency balances, with conversion from the primary balance when the needed currency is not held. This avoids having to maintain every currency employees may need, though spending remains tied to available funds.
• Virtual-card controls: Limits, merchant-category blocks and single-transaction expiry give finance teams ways to restrict particular purchases. Company cards being virtual only may not suit workflows that depend on physical company-issued cards.
• Expense visibility: Real-time transaction visibility and receipt capture and matching support expense follow-up. More advanced rules-based automation and conditional approvals are reserved for Grow.
• Integrations: Explore includes Xero and QuickBooks integrations; Grow adds NetSuite and Dynamics 365 Business Central. This makes the lower tier more plausible for smaller accounting setups, while teams on those larger systems need to budget for Grow.
• Cash rebates: Explore includes up to 2% cash rebates on local USD spend, and the US cards page advertises 2% cashback. The stated rebate is tied to local USD spend, not all card purchases.

Pricing

Airwallex offers a free Explore plan and paid plans from $12/user/mo. The difference between the free and paid tiers is chiefly workflow depth, automation and integration breadth.

Explore's free price is attractive for teams whose needs stop at card controls and the Xero or QuickBooks connection. Grow's $12 per user/month is not the full cost because a team-size-based platform fee also applies. Accelerate requires a custom quote, so larger organizations should compare that cost against the value of its additional support and multi-entity tools.

Platforms

Airwallex supports web, iOS and Android, as well as API access. The mobile app supports expense submission and approval, while the API is relevant to teams considering custom integrations; the direct Spend API integration with ERP is an Accelerate feature.

Who it's for

Airwallex is a strong fit for businesses that spend in multiple currencies and want employee cards, controls and expense visibility in one platform. Explore can suit teams using Xero or QuickBooks that can work with standard card controls. Grow is a better fit when approvals need multiple conditions, expense handling needs rules-based automation, or the business uses NetSuite or Dynamics 365 Business Central. Companies that require physical company cards, or that do not need multi-currency spending, may find its distinctive strengths less relevant.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Cards work across more than 60 markets, with no international transaction fees and spending from held currency balances.
• Pro: Virtual-card limits, merchant-category blocks and single-use expiry give teams concrete ways to restrict spending.
• Pro: Explore includes unlimited multi-currency cards and Xero and QuickBooks integrations at $0 per user/month.
• Con: Company cards are virtual only, so they do not cover teams that need physical company cards.
• Con: Grow adds a platform fee based on team size on top of its $12 per user/month price.
• Con: NetSuite and Dynamics 365 Business Central integrations, advanced automation and customizable conditional approvals start on Grow; custom ERP Spend API integration and support are Accelerate features.

Alternatives

Float is worth considering for teams that want a free tier with up to 20 physical and unlimited virtual cards; its Essentials plan also lists QBO, Xero or custom exports, with conditions and fees applying.

Ramp AP is another freemium option, with a free plan aimed at smaller teams looking to simplify finances and including accounts-payable features.

Brex may suit teams comparing a free Essentials plan that covers up to two entities, including one global entity, and one local card program.

BILL Accounts Payable is a paid alternative at $49.00 USD per month for an Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable subscription.

Happay is another option to compare for corporate spend management.

Jeeves offers a free Basic plan for up to 10 users, with one card per user, unlimited virtual cards and the first 10 physical cards shipping free.

Mesh Payments has a no-cost Pro plan for up to three users, while its Premium plan is $13.00 USD per user per month.

Moss offers a free plan for up to three users, with unlimited cards, up to 20 invoices per month and a debit-only Moss wallet.

For a broader comparison, see Corporate Card Software.

Verdict

Choose Airwallex Corporate Cards if your business spends across currencies and wants controls, expense visibility and accounting integrations alongside its cards. Explore makes a useful starting point for teams with straightforward needs; Grow is the more capable fit for advanced approvals, automation and broader accounting support. Look elsewhere if physical company cards are essential, or if the Grow platform fee and Accelerate's custom pricing do not fit your budget.