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Santander VS Airwallex: Business Banking Review & Fee Comparison


By: Ian Wright | Last Updated: May 22, 2025

Is Santander or Airwallex better for your small business?



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Below we look at both Santander and Airwallex reviews on Trustpilot along with their App reviews from Apple and Google.

We then look at typical fees, business savings rates, foreign currency options and a whole bunch of other account features to help you make up your mind.

Santander Homepage
Santander Homepage


Airwallex Homepage
Airwallex Homepage
 

Santander vs Airwallex Trustpilot Reviews

SantanderAirwallex
Trustpilot Review Score (out of 5)1.43.9
Percent 5-Star Reviews8%67%
Percent 1- Star Reviews85%25%
Total Number of Reviews6,8681,007
Sources:
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.santander.co.uk
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/airwallex.com

Santander vs Airwallex App Reviews

SantanderAirwallex
iPhone Review Score (out of 5)4.83.3
Number of iPhone Reviews1,100,00012
Android Review Score (out of 5)4.42.3
Number of Android Reviews54,300161
Sources:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/santander-mobile-banking/id482973524
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/airwallex/id1537521807

Santander vs Airwallex Account Fees & Charges

SantanderAirwallex
Free Business Bank AccountYesYes
Free Business Account Term Length18 Months1 month
Cheapest Monthly Account FeeFreeFree or £19/month
Most Expensive Monthly Account Fee£7.50£999/month
Electronic Payment Cost (in/out)Free20p
Cash Payments Cost (in/out)70p per £100Free
Cheques (in/out)UnknownFree
CHAPS Payments Cost£25No
SEPA Payments CostNo$2

Santander vs Airwallex Business Savings Rates

SantanderAirwallex
Types of Business Savings AccountsInstant access, Business Reward Saver, Fixed Rate Business Bond, Treasurer’s Savings AccountNone
Lowest Savings Rate (AER)0.40%NA
Maximum Savings Rate (AER)3.60%NA
Minimum Savings Amount£1NA
Interest Paid On Foreign CurrenciesYesYes
 

Santander vs Airwallex Account Opening Times

SantanderAirwallex
Can You Apply Online?YesYes
How Long Does Opening An
Account Typically Take?
Few minutes15 minutes
Do They Check Your Credit?YesNo
Current Account Switch ServiceYesNo

Santander vs Airwallex Features & Account Types

Santander Account Types
Santander Features & Account Types


Airwallex Account Types
Airwallex Features & Account Types


SantanderAirwallex
Business Current AccountYesYes
Business Savings AccountYesNo
Business Credit CardYesNo
Business OverdraftYesNo
Accounts For StartupsYesYes
Accounts For CharitiesYesNo
Accounts For Sole TradersYesYes
Joint Business Accounts AvailableYesNo
Card TypeMastercardMastercard
Online BankingYesYes
Mobile BankingYesYes
In Person/Branch BankingYesNo
Branch LocationsUK-wideNone, online only

Santander vs Airwallex Customer Support Options

SantanderAirwallex
Phone Support AvailableYesYes
Email Support AvailableYesYes
App Based Support YesYes
Web Based SupportYesYes
In person Customer SupportYesNo

Santander vs Airwallex Foreign Currency Accounts

SantanderAirwallex
US Dollar (USD) Bank AccountsYesYes
Euro (EUR) Bank AccountsYesYes
Other Currencies Available:
  • Swiss Franc (CHF)
  • Japanese Yen (JPY)
  • Australian Dollar (AUD)
  • Canadian Dollar (CAD)
  • New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
  • Singapore Dollar (SGD)
  • Hong Kong Dollar (HKD)
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • CAD
  • HKD
  • SGD
  • JPY
  • CHF
  • KRW

Other Business Services From Santander and Airwallex

Santander Account Types
Other Santander Services


Airwallex Account Types
Other Airwallex Services


SantanderAirwallex
Business LoansYesNo
Commercial MortgagesYesNo
Invoice FinancingYesNo
International PaymentsYesYes
Merchant Payment ServicesYesYes
Card MachinesYesNo
Free Accounting SoftwareYesNo

Santander vs Airwallex Banking Basics

SantanderAirwallex
Bank TypeHigh StreetChallenger
FSCS ProtectionYes, up to £85,000No
FCA Number106054900876
WebsiteSantander WebsiteAirwallex Website

Common Comparison Questions

Does Santander or Airwallex have better customer reviews?

Santander scores 1.4 out of 5 based 6,868 Trustpilot reviews. Of these reviews 8% are 5-star and 85% are 1-star.

Whereas, Airwallex scores 3.9 out of 5 based 1,007 Trustpilot reviews. Of which 67% are 5-star and 25% are 1-star.

Does Santander or Airwallex have a better App?

Santander’s iPhone App is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 1,100,000 reviews. And it’s Android App is rated 4.4 out of 5 based on 54,300 reviews.

In comparison, Airwallex’s iPhone App is rated 3.3 out of 5 based on 12 reviews. And it’s Android App is rated 2.3 out of 5 based on 161 reviews.

Does Santander or Airwallex have better business savings rates?

Santander offers the following types of business savings accounts: Instant access, Business Reward Saver, Fixed Rate Business Bond, Treasurer’s Savings Account with interest rates ranging from 0.40% to 3.60%. (AER)

In contrast, Airwallex offers None accounts with interest rates ranging from NA to NA (AER).

See Other Comparisons:
Santander vs Triodos Bank
Santander vs Soldo
Santander vs Cambridge Building Society
Santander vs PayPal Debit
Santander vs Allica Bank


For other business bank accounts see our guide here.

 



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