Alright, let’s dive into something I’ve spent way too much time sorting out—getting paid seamlessly when dealing with suppliers or clients in China. It’s always a headache, right? I’ve run the gauntlet with setting up accounts and making actual payments using both Airwallex and Alipay Business, and I figured I should spill the beans on what really works and what’s just a massive time sink.
Starting the Journey: Getting Set Up
I started with Alipay Business first. Why? Because everyone knows Alipay, it feels like the default option for anything China-related. The sign-up process felt like filling out forms for a mortgage. Seriously. Lots of verification steps, uploading every piece of business documentation I own, and waiting. The approval process took nearly two weeks, which felt eternity when I had urgent supplier payments looming. Once I was in, the interface was okay, a little clunky and definitely translated, which sometimes made figuring out specific features a guessing game. It did the job, but it was slow to get going.
Then I hit the wall with high fees and slightly awkward conversion rates on a big transaction, so I looked into Airwallex. Man, what a difference. The onboarding was smooth. I think I had my account functional within three days, maybe four tops, and that included a short video verification call. It felt much more geared towards global business. They ask for the necessary stuff, but it didn’t feel like they were trying to catch me out.
Putting Money In and Getting It Out
This is where the real comparison kicks in. My business relies on swift cash flow. With Alipay Business, funding the account was usually via a wire transfer from my local bank, which meant adding bank transfer fees and waiting another day or two for the funds to clear into the Alipay wallet before I could even initiate a payment to my Chinese vendor. It wasn’t horrible, but those days add up.
Airwallex was a game changer here because of the multi-currency accounts they offer. I could hold RMB, USD, AUD—whatever I needed. Transferring money to Airwallex felt like dealing with a modern fintech app—fast and transparent on fees. For a big transaction, the exchange rate Airwallex offered was visibly better than my experience with Alipay Business, and frankly, better than my regular bank’s rate too. When I was sending money to a manufacturer in Shenzhen, the payment usually cleared within a few hours using Airwallex’s local Chinese network, which impressed my supplier.
The Payment Experience: Making It Happen
Using Alipay Business to pay someone in China is straightforward once the money is in, especially if they are already using Alipay. The payment flow is familiar. However, when I needed to pay a company that preferred a traditional bank transfer—a CNAPS transfer—I sometimes ran into limits or extra verification steps, especially for larger amounts. It felt like Alipay was optimizing for P2P or smaller business transactions rather than heavy-duty B2B flows.
With Airwallex, initiating a large bank transfer to a Chinese business was seamless. I just needed their bank details, name, and the usual stuff. They handle the conversion and the local payment rails. What I really loved was the tracking. I could see exactly when the money landed. For a business dealing with multiple suppliers and tight deadlines, that visibility reduced so much stress.
Final Thoughts on the Grind
I ran a three-month test using both platforms for different types of payments—small supplier deposits, large inventory purchases, and even some payroll for remote staff based in Asia.
- Alipay Business: Good if your recipients are primarily using Alipay and you’re dealing with lower volumes. The integration into the Chinese digital ecosystem is its strength, but the setup and B2B payment friction are definite drawbacks for international companies.
- Airwallex: Wins hands down for serious, international B2B payments, especially if you need to hold multiple currencies and get the best possible exchange rates on high-volume transfers. It’s built for global trade, and the speed and clarity of the payments process sealed the deal for me.
I’ve gradually shifted all my large transfers to Airwallex. The initial effort of setting them up paid off by saving me money on fees and time on waiting for transfers to clear. It just integrates into my operation better—it’s the difference between using a general tool and one specifically designed for the job.