Airwallex: The Global Payment Solution to Scale Without Borders
What is Airwallex?
Airwallex is a leading global financial platform for modern businesses. More than a payment gateway, Airwallex acts as an all-in-one financial ecosystem that combines payment acceptance, billing, global accounts, corporate cards, and spend management. For PrestaShop merchants, its primary value lies in removing barriers to international growth: you can accept customer payments in multiple currencies, hold those funds securely, and pay global suppliers without paying forced currency conversion fees. Founded in Melbourne in 2015, Airwallex holds more than 85 licenses across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, forming one of the most comprehensive financial infrastructures in the world.
How does Airwallex work?
The process is designed to optimize your global cash flow from checkout to supplier payout:
- At checkout: Your international customer selects their preferred local payment method (from over 160 options) directly on your PrestaShop store.
- Payment collection: The customer pays in their local currency.
- Like-for-like settlement: Instead of forcing a costly conversion back into euros, Airwallex settles the funds in the original payment currency into your multi-currency account, so you hold and spend them without an immediate FX conversion.
- Corporate spending: You can use those collected foreign funds to pay your international suppliers or run global ad campaigns directly, using your Airwallex corporate cards or free local transfers, helping you avoid bank FX fees.
Why choose Airwallex for your PrestaShop store?
Eliminate forced currency conversion fees
Traditional payment gateways and banks often charge hidden margins of 2% to 4% every time a foreign customer buys from you, and again when you pay an overseas supplier. By using Airwallex’s multi-currency wallets, you can significantly reduce FX costs by collecting, holding and paying out in the same currency, instead of repeatedly converting through your bank.
Global customers expect local payment options. Airwallex enables your PrestaShop store to offer a deeply localized checkout experience anywhere in the world. Whether a customer wants to pay with a local European bank transfer (iDEAL, Bancontact), an Asian super-app (Alipay, WeChat Pay), or a standard global credit card, your store is ready.
Managing an international ecommerce business usually requires multiple banking apps, separate payment gateways, and third-party accounting tools. Airwallex consolidates this by allowing you to manage your PrestaShop revenue, issue corporate expense cards to your team, and pay international invoices – all from a single, unified dashboard.
Airwallex is certified to PCI DSS Level 1 and undergoes regular SOC 1 and SOC 2 assessments. Its gateway includes an AI-driven fraud engine and optimized 3D Secure flows designed to improve authorization rates while reducing fraud.
Key features of Airwallex
Settle like-for-like in over 20 global currencies without forced conversions.
Seamlessly accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, and UnionPay.
Boost conversions with Express Checkout buttons for Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Connect with regional shoppers via iDEAL, Bancontact, Alipay, WeChat Pay, and dozens more.
Use your collected revenue to make fast, free local transfers to over 120 countries.
Key outcomes for PrestaShop merchants
- Higher Profit Margins: Retain more of your cross-border revenue by cutting out traditional banking FX markups and hidden fees.
- Increased International Conversion Rates: Reduce checkout abandonment by displaying prices and accepting payments in your customers’ native currencies and preferred local methods.
- Reduce Operational Costs: Lower operational costs on international payouts by treating many cross-border transfers like local payments, using Airwallex’s global account and local payout network.
- Streamlined back office: Reconcile your global sales and expenses easily with direct integrations into major accounting software (like Xero and QuickBooks).
What are Airwallex’s fees?
Pricing varies by region, payment method and your commercial agreement. Contact Airwallex or visit the Airwallex pricing page for current rates. Processing and FX fees are designed to be competitive with traditional banks and legacy gateways.
How to integrate Airwallex on PrestaShop?
Visit the Airwallex website to open your free global business account. The digital onboarding process is fast, paperless, and gives you immediate access to your multi-currency wallets.
Navigate to the PrestaShop Marketplace and download the official « Airwallex Global Payments » module. Upload and install it directly from your PrestaShop back office.
Log into your Airwallex web app to generate your API credentials. Paste these keys into the PrestaShop module settings. Select your preferred checkout layout, enable the local payment methods you wish to display based on your target markets, and you are ready to process global orders.
How exactly does the zero-FX-fee feature work?
Is Airwallex a real bank account?
Do I need a registered company to use Airwallex?
How long does it take to receive funds from an online sale?
Does Airwallex support PrestaShop Multistore?
Don't let hidden bank fees and forced currency conversions eat into your international profit margins. Integrate the official Airwallex module today to offer a deeply localized checkout experience, increase your global conversion rates, and manage your entire financial operations from one powerful platform.