Unify your international collection APIs, multi-currency treasury, and global vendor payouts under one seamless financial stack. We help UK tech founders and scale-ups build direct, FCA-regulated payment infrastructure designed for borderless growth.
Scaling a UK tech business internationally requires more than standard merchant banking. From accepting local payment methods across 180+ countries to executing programmatic payout APIs, your payment rails should drive revenue—not drain margins through foreign exchange friction.
Programmable Checkout SDKs: Embed localized checkout flows directly into your SaaS or digital goods platform with developer-first API endpoints.
160+ Local Payment Rails: Increase international checkout conversion by supporting local payment methods—including iDEAL, Klarna, Alipay, Apple Pay, and local bank transfers.
Smart Payment Routing: Maximize authorization rates and reduce gateway fees via dynamic local card acquiring across Europe, North America, and APAC.
Domestic Banking Infrastructure: Instantly issue local bank account details in 20+ currencies (USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, HKD, CAD, SGD) to collect funds like a local business.
Zero Forced FX Conversions: Hold funds in their native currency to pay overseas vendors or cloud hosting bills without incurring unnecessary conversion costs.
Interbank Foreign Exchange: Access mid-market FX rates with transparent, near-zero margins whenever currency conversion is required.
Global Contractor & Payroll Rails: Execute programmatic mass payouts to remote engineers, suppliers, and overseas partners across 150+ countries.
Smart Corporate Card Management: Instantly issue physical and virtual cards with customizable spending caps for AWS, software licenses, and departmental budgets.
Automated Expense Tracking: Streamline bookkeeping with automated, real-time transaction feeds syncing directly into your general ledger.
Payment Infrastructure + Employer of Record (EoR): Disburse payroll to international engineering talent onboarded via our EoR service directly from your USD or EUR holding balances—saving up to 3%–5% on traditional cross-border bank charges.
Payment Infrastructure + R&D Tax Relief: Categorize software licenses, cloud infrastructure spend (AWS, Google Cloud), and overseas contractor fees using corporate cards. This clear audit trail accelerates qualifying expenditure calculations for HMRC R&D tax claims.
We design modern payment architectures with long-term flexibility, allowing your finance team to connect complementary banking partners as operational complexity grows.
| Feature / Metric | Airwallex API Platform (Core Engine) | Revolut Business (Alternative/Secondary Option) |
| Primary Use Case | Cross-border checkout APIs, high-volume FX, and mass payout engines | UK domestic spending controls, local card issuing, and treasury reserve |
| Global Collection Accounts | Local account details in 20+ currencies | Local account details in GBP, EUR, USD |
| Checkout API Integration | Custom elements, embedded checkout, and drop-in UI components | Developer API for open banking and payouts |
| Multi-Currency Cards | Infinite virtual cards with rule-based API spend limits | Physical and virtual cards with team management controls |
| Accounting Integration | Hourly automated synchronization with Xero and QuickBooks | Direct feeds for Xero, QuickBooks, and FreeAgent |
By integrating global payment APIs, you can offer international buyers their preferred local payment methods (such as iDEAL in the Netherlands or Bancontact in Belgium) alongside local currency pricing. Presenting local checkout rails eliminates cross-border friction and can increase authorization rates by up to 30%.
Yes. Airwallex (UK) Limited is an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA under Firm Reference Number 900876). Client funds are safeguarded in Tier-1 banking institutions in accordance with strict FCA requirements.
Multi-currency accounts provide local bank details worldwide. If your business collects revenue in USD from US customers, you can store those funds in a US domestic account balance and use them directly to pay USD-denominated expenses (such as AWS or US marketing campaigns) without converting to GBP first.
Airwallex and Revolut Business feature direct, continuous bank feeds that connect directly into Xero and QuickBooks. Every global transaction, conversion, and card payment automatically reconciles in your primary accounting software in real time.
HMRC requires detailed proof of qualifying expenditure for R&D tax claims. Issuing virtual cards and utilizing programmatic payout rails allows you to tag R&D-specific expenses—such as dev tools, cloud hosting, and engineering contractors—at the point of sale, giving your tax advisors clean, time-stamped spend records.
