Source: https://rivet.global/blog/mercury-vs-airwallex
Published: 2026-06-06 · Updated: 2026-11-04 · By Alexia M.

# Mercury vs Airwallex: US account or global account?

Mercury vs Airwallex for US companies: plans, FX markups, SWIFT fees, cards and yield, with prices read on each provider's US pricing page.

## Key takeaways

- Airwallex US charges 0.5% above interbank on major currencies and 1% on others; Mercury charges 1% on converted wires.
- Airwallex Explore is free for up to 10 spend users; Grow is $12 per user a month plus a platform fee.
- Airwallex lists $15 to $25 per SWIFT transfer and free domestic USD and CAD transfers; Mercury lists $0 for USD wires, domestic and international.
- Airwallex pays 3.50% to 3.77% on USD balances by plan; Mercury's treasury yield of up to 4.25% needs a $250K balance.

Mercury and Airwallex are both popular with US startups, and Google suggests "airwallex vs mercury" right after "airwallex vs stripe". They overlap on cards and USD accounts and split on almost everything international. Prices below were read on each US pricing page on 4 November 2026.

## How they compare

| | Mercury | Airwallex (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | $0 base; Plus $29.90; Pro $299 | Explore $0 (up to 10 spend users); Grow $12 per user plus platform fee; Accelerate custom |
| FX | 1% on converted wires; 3% on card spend abroad | 0.5% above interbank on majors; 1% on others |
| USD wires | $0 domestic and international | Free domestic USD; SWIFT $15 to $25 |
| Local payouts | Through converted wires | Local transfers to 120+ countries |
| Yield | Up to 4.25% with $250K | 3.50% to 3.77% by plan |

## What the numbers mean for a real month

A US e-commerce brand pays $50,000 a month to suppliers in Europe, the UK and China.

- On Mercury, converted wires at 1% cost about $500.
- On Airwallex, conversion at 0.5% on major pairs costs about $250, and local payouts avoid SWIFT fees.

A US consulting firm that pays $50,000 a month to US contractors and rarely converts pays almost nothing on Mercury and gains little from Airwallex.

## Per-user pricing

Mercury does not charge per user. Airwallex Explore is free up to 10 spend users, and Grow charges $12 for each. A 25-person team with cards on Grow pays $300 a month before the platform fee.

## The eligibility question

Both products target US companies first. Founders who formed a US LLC from abroad often find the hard part is approval, not price. Ask before you apply and keep your formation documents, EIN letter and owner IDs ready.

## Paying into the United States: the local rail

| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Local rail | ACH for batch payments; RTP and FedNow for instant transfers |
| Run by | Nacha for ACH; The Clearing House for RTP; the Federal Reserve for FedNow |
| Settlement | Same-day ACH within the business day, standard ACH the next; RTP and FedNow in seconds, 24/7, where both banks take part |

Source: [Nacha: Same Day ACH](https://www.nacha.org/rules/same-day-ach-moving-payments-faster). Checked when this guide was last updated; the scheme's own page has the current figures.

## Where Rivet fits

Rivet opens accounts for registered companies in the countries we support, including US LLCs whose owners live abroad. Starter is free with USD details. Growth ($200 a month, flat, not per user) adds EUR and GBP details, local payouts in 120+ countries and FX from 0.50%; Scale lowers FX to 0.30%. Rivet is not a bank; regulated partner institutions hold the funds. See [Airwallex alternatives](/blog/airwallex-alternatives) and [Pricing](/pricing).

## Questions

### Is Airwallex cheaper than Mercury?

For conversion, usually yes: 0.5% on major pairs against Mercury's 1%. For sending US dollars by wire, Mercury is cheaper at $0. A company's mix of USD wires and conversions decides it.

### Does Airwallex charge per user?

On Grow, yes: $12 per user a month plus a platform fee. Airwallex counts anyone who holds a card or approves, submits or pays an expense as a user.

### Can a US LLC open Airwallex?

Airwallex has a US offering for US businesses. Eligibility for companies whose owners live abroad varies; check with Airwallex before you apply.

### What else should I compare?

Check which currencies you get local account details in, the payout fee to the countries you pay most, and how each provider handles account reviews.