Wise alternatives for international business payments (2026)

The main alternatives to Wise Business for international payments are Airwallex and Revolut for multi-currency business accounts, Stripe and Rapyd for payouts built into a payments platform, and PayPal for receiving money from overseas buyers. The right choice depends less on brand than on what moves through the account: supplier payments, marketplace payouts or customer receipts.

Wise alternatives compared

Listed alphabetically. Licences and fees were checked on each company's website or the regulator's site on 3 November 2026.

For a direct head-to-head between the two best-known account providers, see Wise vs Revolut.

What Wise Business offers and charges

Wise Payments Limited is authorised by the FCA as an electronic money institution (firm reference 900507). In the EEA, Wise Europe SA is a payment institution regulated by the National Bank of Belgium (registered number 0713629988), passported to the other EEA states, according to Wise's own list of licences by country.

Its UK business page, checked on 3 November 2026, lists sending and receiving payments, a business debit card, card acceptance, mass payments, accounting integrations and interest, and cites over 900,000 businesses using the service.

Why businesses compare alternatives to Wise

Wise is built around transfers and multi-currency balances. The reasons businesses look at other providers usually come from what sits around that core:

• Payment acceptance at scale. Companies that take most of their revenue by card online may prefer an account that sits inside their payment processor, so funds settle and pay out without a separate transfer step.
• Platform payouts. Marketplaces paying many sellers or creators often want payouts driven by the same API as collection.
• Banking products. Some businesses want a provider with a banking licence for deposits or credit. Revolut holds bank licences in Lithuania and the UK, while Wise's UK and EEA entities hold e-money and payment institution licences.
• Regional coverage. In markets where a provider holds a local licence, local collection and payout can be cheaper or faster.

Price is rarely a one-line comparison. FX margins vary by currency pair and amount, so the reliable test is to price a typical month of your own payments with each provider.

Airwallex

Airwallex is a close like-for-like alternative to Wise Business: a multi-currency account with FX, transfers and cards, plus online payment acceptance. Its US homepage, checked on 3 November 2026, cites transfers to 200+ countries, 20+ currencies to send and receive, 160+ local payment methods for acceptance, and 675,000+ businesses served directly or through platforms.

Products listed include business accounts, FX and transfers, corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, checkout, payment links and platform APIs for payouts and issuing. The footer names Airwallex US, LLC as a licensed money transmitter (NMLS #1928093). We did not verify Airwallex's UK or EU authorisations for this article, and pricing was not on the page we checked. Airwallex may suit businesses that both sell online and pay suppliers abroad.

PayPal

PayPal is less a supplier-payment tool and more a way to receive money from customers in other countries. UK accounts are provided by PayPal UK Ltd, an FCA e-money institution (FRN 994790), per the UK user agreement. PayPal's UK business page cites 200+ markets and 130 currencies (checked 3 November 2026).

Its UK fee page, last updated on 1 October 2026, shows international payments carry an extra 1.29% (buyer in the EEA) or 1.99% (elsewhere) on top of the domestic rate, and balance conversions cost 3% above the base exchange rate. PayPal may suit freelancers and sellers whose overseas clients prefer to pay by wallet; for larger FX volumes, those conversion terms are worth comparing closely. See also our PayPal alternatives page.

Rapyd

Rapyd combines collection, payouts, card issuing and multi-currency business accounts. When it announced its PayU GPO acquisition on 1 August 2023, it said the combined group would reach more than 100 transacting countries and 18 settlement hubs.

Its regulatory page lists Rapyd Payments Limited as an FCA e-money institution (licence number 900688), Rapyd Europe hf. as an e-money institution regulated by the Central Bank of Iceland, and Rapyd Holding Pte. Ltd. as a MAS Major Payment Institution (PS20200311), among others. Rapyd's published Hong Kong Business Account price list (fee schedule effective from 3 April 2023) shows a US$99 monthly subscription, free FPS payouts, US$5 for international payouts and a 1.5% fee when sender and beneficiary currencies differ. Business account pricing for other regions was not published on the pages we checked.

Rapyd may suit platforms and cross-border merchants that need payouts in many countries from the same provider that collects payments. Our Rapyd alternatives page covers its acquiring side.

Revolut

Revolut serves business customers as well as consumers. The FCA's firm checker lists Revolut Ltd (FRN 900562) as an authorised electronic money institution. In the EU, the Bank of Lithuania announced on 16 December 2021 that Revolut Bank UAB had been granted a banking licence by the European Central Bank. In the UK, Revolut said on 11 March 2026 that the Prudential Regulation Authority had lifted the restrictions on Revolut Bank UK Ltd, ending its mobilisation period.

Business plan prices and FX terms were not on the Revolut pages we opened on 3 November 2026, so check the current business price list for your country. Revolut may suit companies that want a business account from a group holding bank licences. See Wise vs Revolut for a closer look.

Stripe

Stripe is an option for businesses that already collect payments through it and want to pay out from the same balance. Its UK pricing page, checked on 3 November 2026, lists Global Payouts to 100+ countries with these fees:

Stripe Payments UK, Ltd is an FCA e-money institution (reference 900461), and Stripe Technology Europe, Limited is authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland (C187865). Stripe may suit marketplaces and software platforms that want collection and payouts on one API. It is not a like-for-like replacement for a standalone business account.

Licence details we checked

To check any of these yourself, see our guide on how to check a financial licence.

Which alternative may suit which business

• SME paying suppliers abroad and also selling online: Airwallex.
• Company wanting an account-led setup from a group with bank licences: Revolut.
• Marketplace or platform paying many recipients: Stripe or Rapyd, where payouts run on the same API as collection.
• Freelancer or seller receiving from overseas customers: PayPal, weighed against its conversion costs.

More providers are listed in our cross-border payments and EMIs and neobanks categories.

What to check before switching

• Price a typical month of your own transfers by currency pair and amount, since FX margins vary.
• Check which entity you would contract with and confirm it on the regulator's register.
• Ask how client money is safeguarded and whether any balances are deposits or e-money.
• Confirm payout coverage and speed for the specific countries you pay into.
• Check monthly fees, minimums and offboarding fees, which some providers charge (Rapyd's Hong Kong list, for example, includes a US$75 offboarding fee).