Payset alternatives in 2026: six business accounts compared on fees
Payset publishes its prices, which makes it easy to compare. The monthly fee, the application fee and three months paid upfront add up before you send a single payment. Here is how six alternatives compare.
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Payset's pricing page is unusually complete. That helps, because the totals surprise people. A UK company opening the Business plan pays a €480 application fee and three months of the €100 subscription before it gets access: €780 on day one. A company registered outside the EU and UK pays €960 to apply, so €1,260.
Then come transaction fees. On the Business plan Payset charges €2 to receive a local payment, €10 to receive a SWIFT payment, 0.40% (max €80) to send by SEPA and 0.50% (max €290) to send by SWIFT. The FX margin starts "as low as 1%", tiered by volume.
Prices below are from each provider's pricing page, read in November 2026.
The alternatives side by side
| Setup | Monthly | FX margin | Stablecoins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payset Business | €480 to €960 | €100 | from 1% | Not for UK companies |
| Wise Business (UK) | £50 for account details | £0 | from 0.24% | No |
| Airwallex Explore (UK) | £0 | £0 or £19 | 0.5% majors, 1% others | No |
| WorldFirst (UK) | £0 | £0 | up to 0.50% (0.30% first 6 months) | No |
| Revolut Business Basic (UK) | £0 | £10 | 0.6% over a £1,000 allowance | No |
| Rivet Starter | $0 | $0 | from 0.80% | USDC and USDT |
| Rivet Growth | $0 | $200 | from 0.50% | USDC and USDT |
Who each one suits
Wise Business suits a company that converts occasionally between major currencies. The fee is low and there is no subscription.
WorldFirst suits marketplace sellers. It is free to open and collects from 130+ marketplaces.
Airwallex suits a company that wants cards, bill pay and 20+ collection currencies, and can keep £10,000 moving through the account to keep Explore free.
Rivet suits a registered company that bills clients in dollars, pays people in many countries and wants stablecoins in the same account. Starter costs nothing, and there is no fee to receive a bank transfer. Payouts reach 120+ countries for $2 each on Starter, $1 on Growth and $0.50 on Scale.
When Payset is still the right call
Payset makes sense for holding companies and import or export businesses that want many local IBANs in one place, send large SEPA or SWIFT amounts where the fee cap kicks in, and value an account manager. Its tiered FX falls to 0.25% above 6 million euros of conversion over 90 days.
If you are smaller than that, the fixed cost is hard to justify. Our Wise Business alternatives comparison and Airwallex alternatives cover the other options in more depth.
How Rivet compares
Rivet issues USD account details in your company's legal name on the free Starter plan, and EUR and GBP details from Growth. Every conversion shows the rate and fee before you confirm, and your FX rate is confirmed during onboarding. Rivet is not a bank; funds are held with regulated partner institutions. See pricing for the full plan list.
Questions people ask
Does Payset charge to open an account?
Yes. Its pricing page lists an application fee of €480 for EU and UK companies and €960 for companies elsewhere, plus €480 for complex structures. You also pay the first three months of fees before you get access.
What is the cheapest Payset alternative?
For a company with modest volume, an account with no setup fee and no monthly fee costs least: WorldFirst, Airwallex Explore (free if you deposit or hold £10,000 a month) or Rivet Starter. Which one wins depends on the currencies you receive and whether you need stablecoins.
Is Payset regulated?
Pay Set Limited says it is an electronic money institution authorised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, reference 900920. Its US customers are served through Airwallex US, LLC, according to its pricing page.
Can I hold USDC or USDT with Payset?
Payset says crypto exchange is offered by a separately licensed group company and is not available to UK residents or UK companies. Rivet supports USDC and USDT deposits and withdrawals on every plan, including Starter.
Sources
Alexia compares the accounts, cards and payment tools companies weigh before they switch, and writes Rivet's market guides for founders in a specific country. Prices in Alexia's comparisons come from each provider's own pricing page on the date given in the article, rules come from the regulator or tax authority that sets them, and every source is listed at the end.
More from Alexia M. →This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and fees change; check the sources above and the provider’s current terms before you act on them.
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